Revealed: Salary breakdown of every West Northants Council employee, from top earners to lower-paid staff at cash-strapped council

In October, West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) asked its 2,800 staff to consider voluntary redundancy in an effort to plug a multi-million-pound budget shortfall.

The council launched the new initiative aimed at ‘cutting costs while improving efficiency,’ which includes offering voluntary redundancy, flexible retirement, and the option for staff to reduce their working hours.

According to WNC finance portfolio holder Malcolm Longley’s latest report presented to the full council in September, the financial gap that needs to be bridged for 2025/26 is £38.6 million.

Looking at council finances, this newspaper submitted a Freedom of Information request asking for salary details for all departments within West Northamptonshire Council.

Here’s what we found:

Chief Executive: Anna Earnshaw Salary: £183,977 - £196,978

Executive Director of Place, Economy & Environment: Stuart Timmiss Salary: £147,676 - £183,976

Executive Director of Finance (151): Martin Henry Salary: £147,676 - £183,976

Executive Director of People Services, Deputy Chief Executive (DASS): Stuart Lackenby Salary: £147,676 - £183,976

Executive Director of Corporate Services: Sarah Reed Salary: £147,676 - £183,976

Other staff salaries are as follows:

£120,043 - £147,675: 4 employees

£97,509 - £120,042: 23 employees

£82,113 - £97,508: 23 employees

£63,510 - £82,112: 87 employees

£53,694 - £63,509: 154 employees

£48,378 - £53,693: 230 employees

£41,816 - £48,377: 293 employees

£38,234 - £41,815: 395 employees

£33,369 - £38,233: 431 employees

£30,560 - £33,368: 281 employees

£28,016 - £30,559: 296 employees

£26,258 - £28,015: 234 employees

£25,447 - £26,257: 246 employees

£18,381 - £25,446: 114 employees

£12,348 - £22,072: 1 employee

Total number of employees across all pay grades and roles: 2,812

WNC was asked how it justifies these wages, if any adjustments or reductions in executive salaries are being considered as part of the council's cost-saving measures, and for an update on the VRS.

Cllr Mike Hallam, Cabinet Member for HR and Corporate Services, said: “The voluntary redundancy, early retirement and hours reduction scheme is just one of a range of measures we are using to tackle our budget shortfall for the coming years. Being a voluntary scheme, it is open to all staff who might wish to apply and we are working through the responses we’ve received.

“Our pay policy mirrors that of many other councils across the country and salaries are arrived at based on the level of responsibility the post holder will have. Our pay structure was designed after a full review and benchmarking exercise.”

The Labour opposition previously said on the VRS: “WNC has seen an embarrassing employee turnover rate since 2021 from several poor department restructures. We’re now in a situation where we have a top-heavy council, with 27 Assistant Directors all earning upwards of £90k and still not enough people to answer the phones. Some essential roles are still being carried out by agency staff.

“This all comes down to the poor handling of the public’s money by the Conservatives in the past three-and-a-half years and the management of our corporate affairs. It is simply not fair for them to now put this pressure on council staff and risk further damage to our services.”