CHESHIRE EAST COUNCIL: Interim chief exec cost

Council could have to pay £109k between now and the end of March to keep its temporary chief executive in post working three days a week

Cheshire East could have to pay £109k – including ‘hideous agency costs’ –  to keep its temporary chief executive in post working three days a week until the end of March.

Former Halton Borough Council chief executive David Parr OBE has now taken over the reins at Cheshire East.

Mr Parr, who spent 18 years in the top post at Halton before leaving in 2022, was appointed to Cheshire East on a salary of £1,200 a day, working three days a week.

Agency fees takes that up to £1,380 a day and the council also has to pay VAT.

Knutsford councillor Tony Dean (Con) told last week’s meeting of the full council, the agenda papers stated the cost would be in the region of £91k from now to the middle of March – but that was wrong.

“Three days a week, £1,200 plus 15 per cent markup, plus 20 per cent VAT etc comes to £109,000 not £91,000,” said Cllr Dean.

He also suggested the next time a top boss leaves the council, somebody acts up until a replacement is found.

“That has two benefits – there’s no extra cost by bringing someone in with the hideous agency costs…  Also, it gives employees experience of the next level up for their future career.”

This had also been highlighted by Knutsford resident Charlotte Peters Rock who asked why that hadn’t been done.

Deputy council leader Craig Browne (Ind) said that had not been possible on this occasion but the constitution did allow for that in the future.

He told the council: “In David, we will be appointing an excellent interim chief executive who will be well-placed to hit the ground running and steer us through what will be a very challenging financial period, not just for this council but for local government in general over the next few months.”

Council leader Sam Corcoran (Lab) said he was looking forward to working with Mr Parr and would expect him to be in post for between three to six months.

Preliminary interviews for the post of permanent chief executive, on a salary of between £170,000 and £190,000, begin next week.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service asked why the council needs a permanent chief executive to work five days a week if an interim one can be employed for up to six months and work three days a week.

A council spokesperson said: “The working arrangements for an interim chief executive reflect the temporary nature of the role. The appointments committee were required to consider this before making the recommendation for decision by full council.

“Working arrangements for the permanent appointment will be considered by the council’s appointments committee in due course. The final decision to appoint rests with a meeting of full council.”