Council agreed to £562k exit package for employee

North Lanarkshire Council agreed a £562,000 exit package to a former staff member despite jacking up council tax rates.

- PAUL HUTCHEON

But the local authority has refused to name the person who benefited from the golden goodbye.

The town hall accounts show over £8 million was paid out last year in exit deals to 133 employees.

Most of the packages fell under £40,000, but a small number were well into six figures.

One deal came to between £400,001 and £450,000 and included a £153,000 lump sum.

But this was less than the £562,000 package enjoyed by an unnamed individual.

The biggest chunk of this deal was a £319,000 boost into the pension fund linked to early retirement, while another £212,000 was pension related.

A Scottish Green spokesperson said: "Over 46 per cent of people in North Lanarkshire are currently living in poverty.