The number of council staff receiving more than £100,000 is nearly at 2,800, according to campaigners, which is down slightly from last year.

The latest Town Hall Rich List from the Taxpayers’ Alliance shows that the number of council staff receiving more than £100,000 stood at 2,759, of which 721 received more than £150,000.

Last year, the group found that the number of staff receiving over £100,000 had increased during the pandemic by 119 to at least 2,921. This was the most since 2013-14.

The average number of employees who received £100,000 or more in total remuneration was 7.9 per local authority, according to the report. The average number receiving £150,000 or more was 2.1 employees per local authority.

Of the 10 local authorities with the most employees receiving over £100,000, eight were in London.

John O’Connell, chief executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said: ‘Taxpayers facing record council tax rises want to be sure they are getting value for money from their local authority leadership.

‘Many authorities continue with extremely generous pay and perks, including bonuses and golden goodbyes, while local people are facing a financial squeeze.’

A spokesperson for the Local Government Association (LGA) said: ‘Councils are large, complex organisations with sizable budgets and responsibility for more than 1,300 different statutory duties and responsibilities that make a huge difference to people’s lives. It is important that the right people with the right skills and experience are retained to deliver this important work.’

‘Senior pay is always decided by democratically elected councillors in an open and transparent way,’ they added.

The local authority with the greatest number of employees receiving total remuneration over £100,000 was Westminster, with 50 employees.

The highest remunerated council employee was the managing director of Guildford council, receiving £607,633 in total remuneration. This included pension contributions of £339,158, £154,240 compensation for loss of office, a salary of £107,195 and a £5,688 in benefits.

The local authority to pay out the highest amount in terms of bonuses and performance related pay to a senior employee was Newcastle Upon Tyne council, with their director of public health receiving a £36,192 bonus.