Weca Directors leave but authority stays quiet on exit payments

Te West of England Combined Authority has parted company with two top directors - but is refusing to say how much it has forked out in exit payoffs.

- Adam POSTANS Local Democracy Reporter

The departure of strategic director of economy and skills Stephen Bashford and director of environment Roger Hoare would have almost certainly come with sizeable payments for compensation for loss of office because their roles have been made redundant under a new structure for the organisation.

But when asked what the amounts were for the two senior officers to leave, a Weca spokesperson declined to comment and instead pointed to the last line of a press release outlining the changes which said: “Details of senior officers’ remuneration are published annually as part of the authority's accounts.”

The payoffs must be published in those accounts but this will not happen until next summer.

The restructure was agreed behind closed doors at a meeting of Weca’s employment and appointments committee by West of England metro mayor Helen Godwin and the leaders of the three local authorities that comprise Weca - Bristol, South Gloucestershire and Bath & North East Somerset.

Weca chief executive Stephen Peacock said: “Stephen and Roger have played important leadership roles in the combined authority's improvement journey.