Cheshire East fear £160k lowest salary band ‘too low’ for new top boss

The council is on the hunt for a new chief exec because Dr Lorraine O’Donnell, whose salary package is £159,405, is leaving in October to move to the top job at Bradford Council on £205,000.

A report to Tuesday’s (September 5) meeting of Cheshire East’s appointments committee asked councillors to approve and recommend to full council a pay band for the role of chief executive of £160,000 to £190,000, so it can recruit her successor.

Cllr Craig Browne (Image: Cheshire East Council)

But deputy council leader Craig Browne (Alderley Edge, Ind) put forward an amendment upping the lower end of the band from £160,000 to £170,000, arguing the council might not attract the right candidates if it doesn’t increase its offer.

Cllr Browne said Cheshire East is the 17th most complex council in the country and also, he believed, the 17th largest in terms of population served.

“Yet when we look at the table of salaries that chief executives across the country are paid, we find ourselves either in the lowest decile or in the bottom of the league,” he said.

He said Cheshire West & Chester, which is a smaller authority, had just appointed a step-up candidate on just under £167k,  ‘so that immediately tells me that £160k is simply too low a starting point for this position’.

He feared if the lowest band level was £160k ‘some very good candidates may choose not to put their names forward’.

Cllr Rod Fletcher (Alsager, Lib Dem) expressed concerns that if the council didn’t pay enough a new chief exec could be head-hunted.

The amendment to increase the lower end of the salary from £160k to £170k was carried by four votes to three.

Cllr Janet Clowes (Image: Cheshire East Council)

But an amendment proposed by Conservative group leader Janet Clowes to increase the top end of the band from £190k to £200k was defeated.

Cllr Clowes said the council wanted the best candidates – whether that be step-up or sideways.

She said someone stepping up would not be started off on £180k plus and it might not be the case a sideways candidate would be started on £200k but, she added: “For them to know the potential is there and if the head-hunters come round to know that the potential is there and there’s a reason for staying, I think is a really important element.”

But council leader Sam Corcoran (Lab) who voted against the lower band increase of £160k to £170k, also opposed the top end increase.

Cllr Sam Corcoran (Image: Cheshire East Council)

“I don’t think salary is going to be the primary motivation for this person and I do think going up to £190k, that would be sufficient to attract a broad range of candidates,” he said. “I think we should be looking to recruit on the basis of what a fantastic job this is going to be over the next few years.”

Committee chair Fiona Wilson (Macclesfield, Lab) said she didn’t believe there was evidence for going to the higher £200k figure.

Director of finance Alex Thompson told councillors a final recommendation would not be made to full council until the process was completed and no decision today was absolutely final.

The committee voted to approve and recommend to full council the proposed revision to the pay policy statement 2023/24 which introduces a pay band for the role of chief executive of £170,000 to £190,000.