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| Pembrokeshire council pay-off for chief executive cut | Pembrokeshire council pay-off for chief executive cut |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| A pay-off for Wales' highest paid council chief has finally been approved by auditors after it was cut from the planned £330,000 by more than £50,000. | A pay-off for Wales' highest paid council chief has finally been approved by auditors after it was cut from the planned £330,000 by more than £50,000. |
| Pembrokeshire chief executive Bryn Parry-Jones is due to leave on Friday following a row over cash payments in lieu of pension contributions which the Wales Audit Office judged unlawful. | Pembrokeshire chief executive Bryn Parry-Jones is due to leave on Friday following a row over cash payments in lieu of pension contributions which the Wales Audit Office judged unlawful. |
| Auditors said any pay-off calculated on those payments would also be unlawful. | Auditors said any pay-off calculated on those payments would also be unlawful. |
| They lifted an order banning the payment after it was cut by £52,760. | They lifted an order banning the payment after it was cut by £52,760. |
| Mr Parry-Jones has been in the top job at Pembrokeshire council for nearly 20 years and earns £192,000 a year plus benefits in kind. | Mr Parry-Jones has been in the top job at Pembrokeshire council for nearly 20 years and earns £192,000 a year plus benefits in kind. |
| Councillors voted in favour of a severance deal on 16 October following the fallout from cash payments made to him in lieu of pension contributions that the Wales Audit Office (WAO) said were unlawful. | Councillors voted in favour of a severance deal on 16 October following the fallout from cash payments made to him in lieu of pension contributions that the Wales Audit Office (WAO) said were unlawful. |
| Those additional payments had been used to calculate a proposed pay-off of around £330,000 and it is that which concerned the auditors. | Those additional payments had been used to calculate a proposed pay-off of around £330,000 and it is that which concerned the auditors. |
| Conduct allegations | Conduct allegations |
| The WAO said the council was given this advice before the pay-off was agreed, but some councillors claimed they were not made aware of the warning in advance of that meeting. | The WAO said the council was given this advice before the pay-off was agreed, but some councillors claimed they were not made aware of the warning in advance of that meeting. |
| Appointed auditor Anthony Barrett served an advisory notice on the council on Tuesday to block the deal, and the council says he spoke to leader Jamie Adams on Thursday to resolve the issues. | Appointed auditor Anthony Barrett served an advisory notice on the council on Tuesday to block the deal, and the council says he spoke to leader Jamie Adams on Thursday to resolve the issues. |
| On Friday Mr Barrett said he was withdrawing the advisory notice after being told the council had removed what he considered to be potentially "unlawful expenditure". | On Friday Mr Barrett said he was withdrawing the advisory notice after being told the council had removed what he considered to be potentially "unlawful expenditure". |
| The revised settlement - which the auditor said had been agreed by all parties - has been cut by £52,760 to a figure now thought to be around £280,000. | The revised settlement - which the auditor said had been agreed by all parties - has been cut by £52,760 to a figure now thought to be around £280,000. |
| "I am pleased that Pembrokeshire Council has removed items of unlawful expenditure from its settlement agreement with the Chief Executive, Bryn Parry-Jones," he said, adding that the council was now "free to proceed". | "I am pleased that Pembrokeshire Council has removed items of unlawful expenditure from its settlement agreement with the Chief Executive, Bryn Parry-Jones," he said, adding that the council was now "free to proceed". |
| On Friday, Pembrokeshire council said it had "no comment to make at this stage" but would be issuing a statement next week. | On Friday, Pembrokeshire council said it had "no comment to make at this stage" but would be issuing a statement next week. |
| However, BBC Wales believes that Mr Parry-Jones will leave his job on Friday as planned. | However, BBC Wales believes that Mr Parry-Jones will leave his job on Friday as planned. |
| Pembrokeshire council's opposition Labour group leader Paul Miller said he still wanted to call an extraordinary meeting of the council to discuss the matter, saying the revised pay-off deal had been negotiated "in secret". | |
| He added that the chief executive should also under go a "full, independent investigation", as recommended by a committee set up to examine allegations about his conduct. |