Senior leader given £59k payoff to leave Weca

Auditors Grant Thornton launched an investigation into the payoff made in summer 2021

A senior officer received £59k to leave the West of England Combined Authority (Weca), annual accounts reveal.

The former employee is understood to be director of infrastructure David Carter who left his role last year.

It was the only exit payment between 1 April 2021 and 31 March 2022, according to The Local Democracy Reporting Service .

The payoff last summer prompted external auditors to investigate, the amount has only now been made public.

Auditors Grant Thornton also examined other recent senior leadership team departures, which they said could be "highly problematic" for Weca's ability to deliver its objectives.

'Clarity is required'

The auditors decided to dig deeper after identifying a "risk of significant weakness" in the combined authority's value-for-money arrangements, which Grant Thornton is legally required to form an opinion on.

They also made further inquiries amid concerns that "strained relationships" between metro mayor Dan Norris, who heads Weca, and the leaders of Bristol, South Gloucestershire and Bath & North East Somerset councils - which form the combined authority - could be jeopardising the effective use of taxpayer's money. The final value-for-money report is yet to be published.

However, Grant Thompson's report to audit committee members in April said: "Clarity is required on the rationale for proposing the severance payment and how the payment and its terms were constructed".

It came a few weeks after South Gloucestershire Council cabinet member councillor Ben Burton criticised an "exodus" of senior Weca officers, suggesting at a cabinet meeting that there could be a "toxic working environment" at the combined authority.

Meanwhile, Weca's recently published draft statement of accounts also show that the organisation spent just under £9million on staff salaries in 2021/22 - £892,000 over the original budget.

The papers show that chief executive Patricia Greer received a £162,757 salary in 2021/22 - up from £160,352 the year before - plus £34,147 in pension contributions.

Salaries for other top officers included £153,657 for the director of infrastructure, £127,653 for director of investment & corporate services, £120,389 for director of legal services and £98,797 for director of business skills.

A spokesperson for the combined authority said they were unable to comment further on individual staff payments.