Former Vale Council officers' £30,000 redundancy payouts revealed (From Penarth Times)

Former Vale Council officers' £30,000 redundancy payouts revealed

12:20pm Friday 3rd August 2012 in News By Sharon Harris

A FREEDOM of Information request has revealed that three former Vale Council officers left their employment with £90,000 in pay-outs between them.

The local authority made a redundancy payment of £30,000 to former chief executive, John Maitland Evans, who departed his role on Tuesday (July 31).

£30,000 was also paid to the former director of environmental and economic regeneration, Rob Quick; and to former director of legal, public protection and housing services, Peter H Evans. Both men also left their jobs this year.

Mr Maitland Evans took home a wage of £156,920 during the financial year 2011/12, with the money including payment for his duties as election registration and returning officer. He claimed £1,190 in expenses over the same period.

The Vale Council's new managing director Sian Davies, whose post - replacing that of chief executive - became effective yesterday (August 1), will take home an annual salary of £127,133 for the financial year 2012/13.

Two other new directors, Miles Punter (housing) and Rob Thomas (development services), will each be paid £85,500 for 2012/13 with those posts effective from June 1 this year.

A Vale Council spokeswoman said: "When any council officer is made redundant there are set arrangements that govern their redundancy package – these arrangements apply to all grades of staff, including chief officers.

"The changes to the council's management structure are forecast to make significant savings to the council over the coming years."

John O'Connell of the TaxPayers' Alliance said: "It's good news for taxpayers that the Council is looking to cut long-term costs with a new senior structure, but it's disappointing to see such big golden goodbyes to outgoing staff. "The Council should ensure that new contracts prevent the top-brass from walking off with overly generous redundancy packages, paid for by hard-pressed taxpayers."

The FoI request also revealed that seven Vale Council employees, excluding teachers employed by their governing body, earned £100,000 or more in 2011/12.