A Town Hall Rich List has been released, revealing that 42 staff at Cumbria’s two councils are earning over £100,000.
Now in its 20th year, the rich list is commissioned by the pressure group TaxPayers Alliance and covers 2024 to 2025.
In Cumbria, Cumberland Council’s chief executive Andrew Seekings and the then chief executive of Westmorland & Furness Council were each paid £182,391.
Mr Seekings received pension contributions of £33,378 and Ms Plum £31,554. She retired in December.
These are the highest salaries paid out by the Cumbrian authorities.
The highest paid officer in England is employed by Staffordshire County Council. Their name has not been disclosed, but they were paid £457,500. A director at Exeter City Council was paid £382, 071 and C Spencer, managing director of the Barbican Centre in London was paid £373,000 by City of London.
None of Cumbria’s staff appear in the top 20 highest renumerated employees for 2024 to 2026.
In Cumbria the following is paid:
Cumberland Council
- Chief executive Andrew Seekings £182,391 pension £33,378
- Director of business transformation and change £142,608
- Director of adult social care and housing £141,795
- Director of public health and communities £142,608
- Director of children and family wellbeing £150,565
- Director of place, sustainable growth and transport £142,608
- Director of resources £142,608
- Chief finance officer (s151 officer) £121,902
- Assistant chief executive – strategy, policy and performance £120,330
- Undisclosed £132,500
- Chief legal and monitoring officer £102,011
The council did not disclose the names of two people each paid £112,500, two people paid £107,500 and six people paid £102,500.
Westmorland & Furness Council
- Chief executive Sam Plum £182,391 pension £31,554
- Angela Jones Director of thriving places £150,564
- Paul Robinson Director of enabler services £142,607
- Cath Whalley Director of adult social care £142,607
- Steph Cordon Director of thriving communities £142,607
- Milorad Vasic Director of children’s services £141,025
- Pam Duke Director of resources (s151 officer) £141,721
- Linda Jones Chief legal and monitoring officer £120,330
- Alison Hatcher Assistant chief executive £120,318
- Katrina Stephens Director of public health £118,606
The council did not disclose the names of two people paid £117,500, one person paid £112,500, one person paid £107,500 and seven people paid £102,500.
A spokesman for Westmorland and Furness Council said: “Senior officer salaries are carefully scrutinised, subject to national benchmarking and are approved by democratically elected councillors in an open and transparent way.
“Senior officers are responsible for providing large, complex services and most of the senior leaders listed in the research are statutory roles that a unitary council must legally have in place.
“These are difficult and complicated roles, especially in extremely challenging times for local government, and we need to ensure that we can attract and retain the best leaders to ensure that we deliver quality, essential, services that make a positive difference to people’s lives.
“To ensure the council remains financially sustainable, meets the challenging financial settlement from central government and delivers value for money, the council is currently in a consultation to reshape and reduce its senior leadership team with a forecast cost reduction of £1.75m per annum.”
A Cumberland Council spokesman said: “The council aims to set appropriate pay levels, balancing costs with the need to attract and retain employees who contribute the appropriate skills, behaviours and experience needed to deliver its function.
“Grades and salary levels for the chief executive, chief officer and other senior leadership posts are carefully scrutinised subject to national benchmarking and are approved and agreed in an open and transparent way.”
The TaxPayers’ Alliance was founded in 2004 by political strategist Lord Matthew Elliott, who was also the chief executive of Vote Leave during the 2016 Brexit referendum, and Andrew Allum.
