Six severance payments totalling more than £1m made by Northumberland Council to senior officers were unlawful, the council’s section 151 officer has concluded.
Jan Willis has been examining eight exit packages dating back to 2017, having already issued a section 114 notice in May last year after finding expenditure was likely to be unlawful.
In a report to the council’s audit committee this week, Ms Willis found six severance payments to chief officers were ‘not subject to scrutiny’ or approval by councillors.
The payments amounting to £1.1m were made to five managers, a chief information officer and director adult social care.
Ms Willis said during her investigation the 'evidence trail [was] mostly absent and opaque at best’ and there were 'not good prospects’ for recovering payments, according to legal advice.
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