Northumberland council boss to leave role with £200k pay-out

Daljit Lally took over the role of chief executive in 2017

A council boss will walk away with a six-figure pay-out, bringing to an end a series of disputes and a damning review of how her authority was run.

Northumberland County Council chief executive Daljit Lally will be paid £209,000 when she leaves on Sunday.

The council also agreed to waive its right to recover tens of thousands of pounds of "unlawful expenditure".

Mrs Lally took over the role in 2017 in a tenure which also saw a former Conservative council leader toppled.

The pay-out is roughly the equivalent of one-year's full-time salary for the role, the council said.

It includes a £75,000 payment to settle an employment tribunal claim for "injury to feelings" and £40,000 on account of "injury or disability", following a protracted and public dispute with leading councillors.

'Councillors heckled'

The council agreed to waive its right to bring a claim for recovery of the £179,032.09 international allowance not properly authorised and identified as unlawful by a section 114 report.

It will seek to recover just over £79,000 with the remaining £100,000 written off, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Both the council and Mrs Lally, who has been on a period of leave, will cease all action against each other, including employment tribunals.

The pay-out was approved by 38 votes to seven with four abstentions

An extraordinary meeting of the full council on Wednesday was halted while a member of the public was ejected for heckling councillors.

Solicitor Mark Greenburgh provided legal advice and told members there was "no possibility" of the chief executive resigning, adding: "She believes she has done nothing wrong."

He added that while other options were available they would likely be more expensive and the payout was "the best option".

It was approved by 38 votes to seven with four abstentions.

Conservative council leader Glen Sanderson said he felt the decision provided "best value" for taxpayers.

Interim deputy chief executive Rick O'Farrell will replace Mrs Lally on an interim basis.