Bristol Waste bosses got £125,000 payoff, accounts show

Bristol Waste has not explained why they left or why the payoffs were made

Two top bosses of Bristol Waste who left their posts suddenly last year got a combined £125,000 payoff, records show.

Managing director Tony Lawless and finance director Adam Henshaw left the council-owned company in July 2022.

Their redundancy payments were revealed in the authority's 2022/23 draft statement of accounts.

The total of £127,472 ultimately falls on city council taxpayers, as the authority wholly owns the firm.

Records show Mr Lawless, who was in charge of the firm, was paid £62,317 as "compensation for loss of office" while Mr Henshaw received £65,155.

The company has not explained why they left or why the payoffs were made.

'Rapid transformation'

They said at the time Mr Lawless, who had been in the role for four years, had "stepped down" and Mr Henshaw had "left the business to be free to pursue other opportunities".

There have been three new interim managing directors since Mr Lawless' departure just 10 months ago and the business is still looking for a permanent boss.

A company spokesperson told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "Bristol Waste has undergone a period of rapid transformation, including strengthening our senior leadership to drive the business forward.

"While we complete the process to appoint a permanent managing director, Dave Knight has taken over in an interim capacity.

"Ian Osborne, who has temporarily fulfilled the role since January, has now returned to his role as a non-executive director."