Thirteen bosses at Cheshire West and Chester Council are in the £100K club

May 5 2011 by David Holmes, Chester Chronicle

ALL top 13 managers at Cheshire West and Chester Council (CWAC) are receiving financial packages worth more than £100,000.

The Taxpayers’ Alliance has published its annual Town Hall Rich List for UK local authorities in 2009/2010.

Heading the CWAC pay-roll is chief executive Steve Robinson with a salary of £180,000 plus pension contributions and benefits in kind totalling £218,000.

Stephen Wilds, former director of adult social care and health, was on a package worth £152,325 including a salary of £125,000.

Mr Wilds hit the headlines recently because the Labour opposition claim he is on a daily rate of £1,100 in his new role as a consultant chairing the Improvement Board.

Matthew Sinclair, director of The TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: “Councils should be scouring every inch of their expenditure to identify savings, so taxpayers will be staggered that so many council employees are still getting such a generous deal.

“Councils insist cuts can only mean pressure on frontline services but they clearly have money to spend when it comes to paying their own senior staff.

“It is crucial that some of these senior council executives set an example and ensure they have the moral authority to lead spending cuts by taking a pay cut themselves.”

A CWAC spokesman said: “Salaries for CWAC’s chief executive and five directors compare with other chief officers in unitary local government nationally and reflect the need to recruit and retain highperforming individuals in today’s complex and challenging environment.”