PAY to the top level of management at Barnsley Council has been defended by council leader Sir Steve Houghton following the release of the top earners' salaries.
Last week the Chronicle revealed total pay to several of the top officers - including pension contributions - had gone up by more than four per cent.
"Overall the costs of senior pay are coming down as we're losing senior management posts," said Sir Steve. "We've lost several senior staff who have not been replaced, meaning their responsibilities have been shared out among others, and as a result they have seen some increases in responsibilities and rises in pay.
"I fully understand people's concerns about higher level pay. What we have done is bring it down overall through restructuring, so over time people will see we are spending less.
"What I can say is, since the cuts came in, and I'm talking pro rata here, we have lost more senior management positions than we have in our core staff."
