Town Hall Rich List: The Northumberland County Council jobs paying more than £100,000

Shocking figures have revealed Northumberland County Council is paying 20 top employees more than £100,000 a year – the highest of any council in the North East.
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The data, collected as part of the TaxPayer’s Alliance Town Hall Rich List, revealed a remuneration package paid to the former adult services and community director totalled £572,916.

This was the third highest payment made to any council member of staff in the country and the highest in the north of England. A remuneration package is the complete bundle of pay, benefits and perks given to an employee.

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It comes just days after council tax in Northumberland rose by 4.24 per cent, made up of a 1.99% base increase plus a further 2.25% earmarked for adult social care.

Northumberland's County Hall in Morpeth.Northumberland's County Hall in Morpeth.
Northumberland's County Hall in Morpeth.
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The highest-paid council employees, when taking into account pensions payments, expenses, bonuses and salary were:

*Unnamed service director – adult services and community – £572,916

*Allison Joynson – Director of transformation – £191,258

Chief executive Daljit LallyChief executive Daljit Lally
Chief executive Daljit Lally

*Cath McEvoy-Carr – Executive director of adults and children’s services – £189,353

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*Kelly Angus – Executive director of HR and OD and deputy chief executive – £185,456

*Dajlit Lally – chief executive and head of paid service – £172,779

Responding to the figures, council leader Glen Sanderson pledged to make significant cuts to the council’s wage budget by the end of the year.

Cllr Glen Sanderson.Cllr Glen Sanderson.
Cllr Glen Sanderson.

He said: “I am aware that the county council is generous in its’ pay. One of the reasons for that is to attract the right staff as we have to be competitive when we’re reasonably removed geographically.

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“However, we’re undertaking a review and I am looking to make a saving of at least £1 million in wages, because we need to recognise that Northumberland is not as as isolated as it was. We don’t need to be so competitive.”

Cllr Sanderson added he expected the review to begin around next month.

Also included in the data was a revelation that the council’s CEO, Daljit Lally, claimed £40,000 in expenses – the highest of any council officer in the country.

However, this is a fixed amount as remuneration for her national advisory and international work, that has previously generated significant sums for the council’s coffers.

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A spokesman for Northumberland Labour branded the significant cost of wages “not acceptable” and blamed the issue on an internal row between the administration and the CEO, which has led to a number of officers in interim positions with inflated salaries.

Cllr Sanderson retorted interim staff had been brought in to replace “good officers” who had left the council and no permanent staff had been brought in under either his leadership or his predecessor, Peter Jackson.

Northumberland County Council have been contacted for comment, but declined to provide one.

Elsewhere in the North East, Newcastle City Council paid out 10 packages worth more than £100,000. The highest went to CEO Patricia Ritchie, who received a £188,948 pay packet.

North Tyneside Council also paid out 10 packages, with Paul Hanson’s £189,430 package the highest, while Gateshead Council paid out eight, with the highest (£172,636) going to CEO Sheena Ramsey.