Hefty pay packets seem to be on the horizon for council chiefs at the new Central Bedfordshire Council, to be launched next year.

A salary of up to £180,000 has been recommended for the chief executive of the single-layer unitary authority.

The new authority comes into force on April 1, and Beds County Council and South Beds and Mid Beds district councils will all cease to exist.

Now salary recommendations for key posts in the new council have been made in a report, which goes to the Central Bedfordshire shadow executive on June 10.

The report suggests the following salary levels:

• Between £145,000 to £180,000 for the chief executive.



• Up to £140,000 for the director of children's services.



• Up to £90,000 for a head of service.

Work to come up with the salary recommendations has included comparing the pay levels of chief executives and senior staff nationwide.

The shadow executive will look at three options for organising the senior management structure of the new council.

Each of the options is said to create savings of £1 million, as local services would be managed by far fewer senior staff than at present.

For example, instead of three chief executives - for the district and county councils - only one will be needed for the Central Bedfordshire authority.

Staff, councillors and unions are being consulted about the best way to organise the management structure.

The report to the shadow executive can be checked out by clicking here

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