Pembrokeshire council: Questions over £95k for departing Ian Westley

Ian Westley is originally from Newport and joined Pembrokeshire council in 2003

The decision to give Pembrokeshire council's departing chief executive a £95,000 pay-off should be scrutinised "as a matter of extreme urgency", one of its former leaders has said.

Ian Westley, 60, will leave the job by the end of November.

On Wednesday a council spokesman confirmed the payment was part of a settlement agreement.

Council leader David Simpson said there was "nothing to hide" over the departure.

But in an email seen by BBC Wales, Independent councillor Jamie Adams said there was "much to be troubled with" about the situation.

Writing to council leader Mr Simpson, he said the cabinet's "poor relationship with senior management" was largely to blame for Mr Westley's decision to leave his post.

'Serious questions'

He also called for the decision to award Mr Westley the payoff to be be scrutinised by councillors "as a matter of extreme urgency".

Huw George, a member of the Independent group, said there were "very serious questions" about Mr Westley's departure.

He said: "He's been a wonderful servant to Pembrokeshire.

"It came out Tuesday night he wanted to leave - by Wednesday, we discover there has been a secret meeting to discuss him leaving.

"Did he jump or was he pushed? Then we find out late Wednesday afternoon that £95,000 has been offered to him to go."

He described Mr Westley as "a man of moral standing" and principle, adding: "There is something wrong here."

The Conservative group echoed the concerns of Independent councillors, pointing to the fact tax payers in the county have faced "an inflation-busting Council Tax increase of 27.4% over three years".

Tory councillor Sam Kurtz said: "It's a shame to see him leave.

"These decisions have been made behind closed doors, without proper member scrutiny.

"We've got a cabinet that promised to be open and transparent when they took charge. That is evidently not the case here."

Council leader David Simpson declined to be interviewed, but in a written statement said there was "nothing to hide" about Mr Westley's departure.

He said the chief executive was leaving the authority by "mutual consent" and his departure was subject to a settlement agreement which had been posted on the authority's website.

He said the "correct and proper procedures had been adhered to throughout the negotiations" and denied claims that tensions with cabinet members was responsible for the departure.