Vale of Glamorgan council: £280k directors plan criticised

There have been concerns plans for two new directors at Vale of Glamorgan council are "inappropriate"

Two new directors costing as much as £140,000 each are set to be hired by Vale of Glamorgan council.

The senior leadership shake-up was greenlit on Tuesday.

Concerns were raised it was "inappropriate" at a time of council tax increases, new fees and charges, and service cuts.

Bosses said the changes were needed to better focus on strategy and long term problems like the climate crisis and coronavirus.

After consulting with staff, the authority will hire the directors and change the role of managing director to chief executive.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service a new director of place will help bid for extra funding and lead the response on climate change.

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And a director of corporate resources will look after council finances, lead on setting the budget and help with "transformational change".

The additions will bring the number of directors up from three to five.

Currently six department chiefs and the three directors report to the managing director.

The new bosses could be paid as much as £140,000 each

After the changes only the five directors will report to the chief executive.

The changes were approved during full council, when Labour council leader Neil Moore said: "These changes are necessary in order to carry out the functions of the authority to the best standards and to remain the best performing authority in Wales.

"Our management staff are exceptional, but in the last 18 months they're now on the knees.

"We expect more and more from them, and the trouble is their capacity is getting reduced by the day.

"The current managing director has too many reporting lines and it's impossible, he works 24 hours a day. When he sleeps I don't know."

Former Conservative council leader, John Thomas, said he understood the pressures facing senior management and believed things "can only get worse".

"Things are moving forward and we need to move forward with them," he said.

Vince Bailey dubbed the plan "highly inappropriate" at a time of rising council tax bills

He said the two directors' wages amounted to 0.07% of the authority's budget.

The changes were suggested by an independent consultant who claimed the current managing director role was "spread too thin" and spent too much time "looking inward".

But they were criticised by Conservative councillors for the increased wage bill taxpayers would foot.

Vince Bailey dubbed the plan "highly inappropriate" during a time of "financial instability".

He said: "I've been told that modest improvements to bus services, play parks and roads can't be paid for because funds are tight.

"And yet here we have proposals which would cost more than a quarter of a million pounds to implement, just to make us 'fit for purpose'.

"At a time of financial instability when residents are being asked to tighten their belts and pay ever increasing council tax bills to pay for services, it seems highly inappropriate to be pressing for two exceptionally well paid new council officers."

And independent councillor, Kevin Mahoney, said taxpayers would "rather see a dozen or bin men or women"

Plaid Cymru backed the changes and dismissed cost concerns as "tawdry populism".

Staff will now be consulted on the changes.