The Staff and Appointments Committee of Northumberland County Council met on Wednesday, 24 June 2026. The primary focus of the meeting was to review the findings of a senior officer salary benchmarking exercise.

Senior Officer Salary Benchmarking Exercise - Findings

The committee was scheduled to consider a report detailing an assessment of pay and headcount for senior management at Northumberland County Council. The purpose of this exercise was to ensure that senior salaries align with affordability, organisational capacity, and benchmarks set by comparable local authorities. The report outlined the methodology used, which involved comparing Northumberland's senior management roles across ten comparator councils, including Durham County Council and Lancashire County Council.

The findings presented in the report indicated that Northumberland's senior officer pay is broadly aligned with comparator organisations. However, specific roles showed variations. For instance, the Chief Executive's salary was found to have a 2.27% positive variance compared to the market mean. The report also detailed salary ranges for Executive Directors, Directors, and Heads of Service, comparing Northumberland's positions against those in other local authorities. It noted that while scale indicators like population and budget provide a baseline, organisational complexity, including a large rural geography and a broad range of service responsibilities, also influences senior remuneration. The report concluded that the council's approach to senior remuneration is consistent with its organisational responsibilities and complexity.

The report also referenced the council's Pay Policy, which provides the framework for senior manager remuneration, and the Local Government Association (LGA) Senior Manager Job Evaluation Scheme used for evaluating roles. It detailed annual pay awards applied in line with national guidance and the process for incremental progression for senior managers.

The committee was requested to note the contents of the report. The report also included appendices detailing senior manager pay bands, a list of Northumberland County Council roles benchmarked, and a senior management structure chart.