Bosses at Telford & Wrekin Council today confirmed they had no plans to follow Shropshire Council chiefs’ lead and take a five per cent pay cut.

Six senior members of Shropshire Council – including £180,000-a-year chief executive Kim Ryley – have volunteered to give five per cent of their six-figure wages to a charitable trust for young people. But Telford & Wrekin Council claimed today its officers faced a different situation to their county counterparts.

It said to follow a similar scheme would be “unsuitable”.

Council spokesman Russell Griffin said: “Shropshire Council’s decision was taken following its move to reduce the working week for its employees from 37 to 35 hours and their pay by proportionately the same amount.”

He said chief executive Victor Brownlees had already taken a 10 per cent pay cut in 2009 to £149,000 a year and has had no pay rise since.

He added: “Telford & Wrekin Council has already halved its number of senior managers, which is saving £1.75 million a year.

“We anticipated the need to make significant savings in advance and our financial planning has reflected that.

“We are now well on our way to achieving those targets and are continuing to substantially restructure the council to make it even more efficient and effective.

“Our employees can also choose to contribute to charity directly from their pay.”

The Liberal Democrat opposition on Shropshire Council claimed the five per cent deal was a major victory after its campaign to implement pay cuts for senior management.

It will be a one-off cut and will not affect future wages.

The cash saved will be used to sponsor young people in care and from deprived backgrounds to take training.

But there has been no calls for a similar project in Telford & Wrekin from the borough’s Labour opposition. Labour leader Keith Austin said: “It should be up to individuals if they want to give any of their money away.”

By Danny Carden