WSCC chiefs' pay bands set to soar

They will rocket by 10 per cent at the top end, and by four per cent at the bottom.

The county council's governance committee, which voted overwhelmingly in favour of the changes, was told they would have no direct impact on the actual pay the officers receive '“ not disclosed by the authority '“ as this would continue to be determined by individual performance, and in particular the delivery of efficiency savings.

One senior Lib Dem councillor, Dr James Walsh, said this was a prime example of the county council's Conservative leadership spending money on things the public did not want.

But Conservative county leader Cllr Henry Smith said: 'If we do not have the right people carrying out the leadership policies of this county council effectively, then ultimately the people of West Sussex will be served in a much poorer way than they are at the moment.'

In the case of the chief executive, the change will mean a new salary band of 164,639 to 206,477, compared with the current 158,307 to 187,707.

A report presented at the meeting said this would provide '˜greater flexibility in any future recruitment, and to reward high performance, including the delivery of efficiency savings'.

A new salary band for the county council's strategic directors, to be introduced from next month, will be 119,306 to 144,213, compared with the current 114,717 to 131,103.

The band for the chief fire officer will go up to 98,536 to 124,354, from the current 94,746 to 113,049.

The report said the increases reflected '˜average market movements'.

Comparisons had been made with other neighbouring authorities, and with national trends.

Committee chairman Cllr Margaret Johnson, who is also chairman of the county council, said salaries were not being increased with this decision. 'The only opportunity for salary increases over and above a cost of living increase will be based on reviews of performance and achievement of individual targets,' she asserted.

Cllr Walsh said the timing of the proposals was breathtaking, when there was a range of discussion about pay increases and the need for moderation, not just from the public and Press, but led very largely by the Conservative opposition in Parliament.

This was not reflected by Conservatives in control of the county council, he claimed.

They were told that the increases would enable the county to retain key individuals and recruit successfully, but he was not aware of any difficulty over 25 years in retaining senior officers or in recruiting people of high calibre.

The public wanted money spent on services, not on the top end of the salary scale.

The increases were also a kick in the teeth to front line service providers at all levels. 'This is saying '˜you are not worth it, but the directors are',' he said.