The Chief Officers' Employment Panel recommended to Council the approval of a severance package exceeding £100,000 for an individual within the Finance and Assurance Directorate, following a restructure. The meeting was brief, lasting only four minutes, and was held in private to discuss confidential personnel matters.

Severance Package Over £100,000

The panel considered a confidential report detailing a proposed severance package for an individual within the Finance and Assurance Directorate. This package exceeded £100,000 and was a consequence of a restructure within that directorate. The panel resolved to recommend to the full Council that this severance package be approved. A key condition of the approval is that the payment is subject to the individual not finding suitable alternative employment before their last day of service. The report was considered a matter of urgency as the Council was due to meet on 2 July 2026, with the next Chief Officers' Employment Panel meeting not scheduled until 1 October 2026.

The meeting was attended by Councillor Paul Osborn (Chair), Councillor David Ashton, Councillor Pritesh Patel, Councillor Marilyn Ashton, Councillor David Perry, Councillor Peymana Assad, and Councillor Norman Stevenson. The panel noted that there were no nominee members in attendance and no declarations of interest were made. The minutes from the previous meeting on 26 March 2026 were taken as read and signed. The press and public were excluded from the meeting for this item due to the confidential nature of the information, relating to an individual and their financial affairs, as per paragraphs 1 and 3 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972.

The panel's recommendation is detailed in the Printed minutes Wednesday 01-Jul-2026 17.00 Chief Officers Employment Panel.pdf document¹.