Bedford council defends chief executive's £171k salary as 'Town Hall Rich List' published

Bedford council has defended the £171k salary of its chief executive – saying the sum reflects the ‘skill and experience’ needed for the role.

Bedfordshire’s top council officers’ salaries have been published in the latest TaxPayers’ Alliance (TPA) Town Hall Rich List.

According to the data, Bedford's chief executive Laura Church is paid £171,275 plus £32,714 pension.

The prime minister had a salary entitlement of £164,951 in 2022-23.

The list reveals that the number of town hall bosses receiving more than £100,000 in 2022-23 stood at 3,106, the highest level since the 2015 edition of this list and the second highest on record.

It comes as core spending power for local authorities measured in real terms per person was revealed to have exceeded 2015-16 levels in the latest financial year. But with 59 councils failing to provide accounts, the real number could be as high as 3,637, which would be a record.

In February this year, Bedford council voted for a 2.99 per cent increase in its share of council tax supplemented by a 2 per cent increase in the adult social care precept.

Speaking at the time, Liberal Democrat group leader, councillor Henry Vann called it an “eye-watering rise in council tax”.

Across the country, the number of council staff receiving over £150,000 hit a record high of 829, while for the first time, the number receiving over £200,000 has been specifically revealed, with 175 receiving this remuneration.

In a statement posted on TPA’s website (April 9), chief executive John O’Connell said: “The new financial year has seen council tax soar across the country, and taxpayers will notice that top brass pay has simultaneously surged.

“Local authorities provide crucial services and residents will want to make sure they are getting bang for their buck with their ever-increasing bills.

“Residents can use these figures to ask whether precious funds are really going towards frontline services, or whether town hall bosses can get better value for money,” he said.

A Bedford Borough spokesperson said: “Pay, terms and conditions of employment for certain directors and senior managers is determined by the democratically elected members.

“The pay is set in the pay policy which is considered by GP Committee and then referred to Full Council. The council’s pay statement was recently agreed by Full Council.

“Bedford Borough Council is a complex organisation with over 2,500 staff, providing hundreds of vital services being delivered to over 187,000 residents and a budget of £370 million. The skills and experience needed for all our corporate leadership are reflected in their pay.”