By Joe Locker, Local Democracy Reporter
Nottingham City Council is considering putting its chief executive on performance-related pay after his salary rose to more than £190,000 a year at a time when the authority remains on the brink of further Government intervention over its finances.
The position currently belongs to Mel Barrett, who was appointed in May of 2020, having previously worked as chief executive for Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council.
According to a 2024/25 pay policy statement, Mr Barrett is to now be paid on an all-inclusive fixed spot salary of £190,890, taking into account the recent national 3.5 per cent pay award.
The salary had previously been set at £184,435, meaning his pay is going up by £6,455.
During an Appointments and Conditions of Service Committee on February 6 councillors were told the chief executive, corporate director and strategic director roles could be put on a performance-related pay schemes in the future.
Asking about the process to change from a fixed salary to performance-related pay, Cllr Neghat Khan (Lab), the chair of the committee, said: “In the climate we are currently in there are lots of questions being raised about the headlines about the chief executive’s pay, which we don’t set, it is nationally set.
“It would be good to know where we are on that journey”.
Lee Mann, the strategic director of human resources, said: “That is part of the analysis we are doing moving away from fixed-spot salaries for chief executives, corporate directors and strategic directors.
“We are doing some benchmarking against core cities in terms of where about [we are].”
Leader of the opposition Cllr Kevin Clarke (Ind) said: “I think we may well get a refund if the last few years are taken into consideration.
“It would definitely be an improvement on the current scheme.”
A spokesman for Nottingham City Council says the pay and terms of conditions of employment for local government chief executives are determined by the Joint Negotiating Committee for Chief Executives.
Annual pay awards in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are subject to a national pay-review process and negotiated with the trade unions.
The council has not said if Mr Barrett intends to accept the pay rise.
Comparatively the chief executive of Derby City Council received £179,023 according to latest figures, while the managing director of Derbyshire County Council was paid £161,000.
Meanwhile, the latest accounts for the chief executive at Liverpool City Council show he was paid a salary of £234,000 before his recent departure.
During the meeting narrowing pay gender gaps were also praised.
The council’s 2022/23 Gender Pay Gap report shows an average pay gap of minus 1.5 per cent, which means that on average women earned just over £1.02 for every pound earned by men.
The Ethnicity Pay Gap showed an average pay gap of 5.1 per cent, which means on average Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) employees earned just over 95 pence for every pound earned by White British employees.
“Although we can never be complacent I am pleased to see the gender pay gap has reduced to minus pay gap for the first time,” leader of the council, Cllr David Mellen (Lab), added.
“It is very good news. But we can’t be complacent. The BAME pay gap is not good enough and until there is that parity then we can’t hold back and we need to continue to work with that.”
The recommendations will be put to Full Council in the next few weeks.