COUNCIL FAT CATS REVEALED

By Phil Pockets

DR Jason Gooding wasn’t the only member of Carlisle City Council’s senior management team to cycle off into a six-figure sunset when Cumbria’s bloated local authority empire fell 19 months ago.

As Cumbria’s seven councils were crushed into just two, a pair of his fellow city council big wigs waltzed down the Civic Centre steps having banked pay days of Prime Ministerial proportions.

These bumper “loss of employment” pay-offs for departing directors at the city council are revealed in its long-delayed final accounts for 2022-23.

They show that Alison Taylor, Carlisle City Council’s £77,000-a-year director of finance and resources, received a loss of employment payment of £130,000. In total, she departed the final year with £229,000.

Mark Lambert, the city council’s £77,000-a-year director of governance and regulatory services, modestly agreed a “loss of employment” payment of £132,000. In total, he left the council with £231,771 from 2022-23.

(As reported yesterday, former chief exec Jason Gooding received a loss of employment payment of £186,000. The public purse in Carlisle was £329,890 lighter following his last year in post.)

Remember too that Carlisle City Council had FIVE directors on its senior management team – so what happened to the other two?

Let’s just say you won’t find them begging on English Street!

Council execs Darren Crossley and Jane Meek wisely jumped ship to Cumberland Council where they snagged even BETTER PAID jobs.

At Carlisle, Darren Crossley received a basic £94,000 as deputy chief executive to Dr Gooding.

He is now paid £131,000 as Cumberland’s new director of place, sustainable growth and transport.

(His bank balance has certainly seen growth!)

Meanwhile, fellow Carlisle council colleague Ms Meek was paid £77,000 salary as its director of economic development.

She now takes home £93,000 as Cumberland Council’s assistant director of thriving place and investment.

(Her purse is a thriving place for investment!)

It all means that during their final year turning off the lights at Carlisle City Council, the five directors walked away with a combined £1 million in their final year (as set out below).

The lesson here is that you should never swallow the lie that your local council is hard-up. The truth is they ALWAYS have plenty of public money to fritter away on their secretive bureaucrats.

Dr Jason Goodings – £329,890

Mark Lambert – £231,771

Alison Taylor – £229,848

Darren Crossley – £121,901

Jane Meek – £99,619

Total: £1.01 million