Derbyshire council chief pocketed more than £200k in a year

Campaign group the Taxpayers' Alliance has released its annual Town Hall Rich List which reveals council bosses who raked in more than £100,000 during 2016-17.

The highest earner of all local authorities in Derbyshire during that period was a Derbyshire County Council employee who took home £207,500.

A spokesman for the council said: "This figure relates to a position which was made redundant as part of a major review of the authority's management structure in 2016-17.

"Almost half of the figure is salary and normal pension contribution, with the remainder a redundancy payment."

The spokesman did not reveal the job title nor the name of the person who earned the money.

FULL LIST: Derbyshire council chiefs who raked in more than £100k in 2016-17

John O'Connell, chief executive of the Taxpayers' Alliance, said: "The average council tax bill has gone up by more than £900 over the last 20 years and spending has gone through the roof.

"Disappointingly, many local authorities are now responding to financial reality through further tax rises and reducing services rather than scaling back top pay.

"Despite many in the public sector facing a much-needed pay freeze to help bring the public finances under control, many town hall bosses are continuing to pocket huge remuneration packages, with staggering pay-outs for those leaving their jobs despite a £95,000 cap passed by the last Government.

"There are talented people in the public sector who are trying to deliver more for less, but the sheer scale of these packages raise serious questions about efficiency and priorities."