Revealed: The Dorset Council staff paid more than £100,000

The Taxpayer’s Alliance report on council staff earnings reveals that 26 workers at the authority are on £100k-plus - eight more than last year according to the same figures.

The top earner is chief executive Matt Prosser who has a £170,000 salary alongside £28,000 towards his pension.

Dorset Council has disputed the figures and says 21 staff are on more than £100,000.

However this still means the council has among the most big earners in the region compared to other councils.

By contrast, at Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council 17 employees earn more than £100,000.

Cornwall ranked highest in the region with 27 employees.

On average the findings concluded that 7.7 employees per local authority in the UK received a total remuneration of more than £100,000.

Total remuneration includes salary, benefits in kind, bonuses and pension contributions.

Across the country, the average for those receiving more than £150,000 at each council was two. However, in Dorset with the salary and pension combined the number of staff with a remuneration of more than £150,000 was seven.

They were chief executive Matt Prosser (198k) with the salary and pension combined.

• Read more: Dorset Council to consider revising local plan following study

Next comes executive director for adults Vivienne Broadhurst, executive directors for children John Sellgren and Theresa Leavy, and executive director for corporate development Aidan Dunn all on £142k salary plus £25,000 for their pension.

Director for public health, Sam Crowe received a £132,000 salary with a £24,000 pension contribution and an undisclosed employee was the recipient of a £152,500 salary.

Named council staff paid more than £150,000 going clockwise. John Sellgren, Theresa Leavy, Matt Prosser, Vivienne Broadhurst, Aidan Dunn and Sam Crowe

Of those earning a total of more than £100,000 19 were not named and 18 had an undisclosed title.

Lib Dem leader at the council Nick Ireland said: "Dorset Council has a top heavy management structure which is to the detriment of residents."

Dorchester councillor Andy Canning, added: “I think people will be very concerned about the increase in senior staff - it is a large sum of money and bearing in mind wages are low generally.

“It makes them some of the wealthiest people in the area.

“One of the points of the restructure was to save money so it seems they have lost their focus.”

Portland councillor Paul Kimber added: "A lot of those staff are specialist and difficult to replace but I understand public concern."

A spokeswoman for Dorset Council said: "The increase (in employees earning more than £100k) is attributable to the filling of a vacant post and the fact that we have moved six employees from NHS terms and conditions from Public Health Dorset to council chief officer terms and conditions. There was no additional recruitment and the salaries of these individuals did not change as a result – so it’s just a change in the way information is presented.

• Read more: Council leader urges government to use Dorset as plan pilot

"Dorset Council is one of the largest councils in the country – a unitary authority, responsible for both district and county council functions. Many areas of England still have the two tier system with both county and district & borough councils.

"It is misleading to compare a large unitary council like Dorset Council with small district councils serving much smaller populations with a narrower range of services and statutory responsibilities. The size, complexity and statutory responsibility of Dorset Council are reflected in chief officer salaries. Councillors set chief officer salaries having benchmarked them against other similar sized authorities.

"The terms and conditions and annual cost of living pay increases are negotiated and set nationally. Significant staffing cost savings have been made since the creation of Dorset Council as part of Local Government Reorganisation.

"The council has saved £10m every year through the reduction of chief officers posts made during its first year of operation 2019/2020. For example, four chief executives from the legacy district and borough councils and the county council were replaced by one for Dorset Council."

The spokesperson added that they deliver 450 services to 380,000 residents, managing over 4,500 employees and a budget of more than £330m and when asked about streamlining senior management said they 'are continuing to review the senior management structure and reduce posts where necessary'.

A further corporate director role has also said to been deleted from the council’s structure and this will be reflected in next year’s pay policy statement.