Shropshire Council bosses' pay-offs to stay secret for now

Director of places Tom McCabe and head of finance and commerce Rachel Musson commanded a combined annual salary of more than £210,000.

The council's information governance team has turned down an appeal by the Shropshire Star on its ruling last month that it would be 'unfair' to reveal the pay-offs at this stage.

A spokesman said: "Following further consideration, the council maintains its view that the requested information is exempt from disclosure."

The figures will now not be made public until they are published in Shropshire Council's annual accounts, expected in June or July after May's local elections.

The pair left the authority recently as part of a management shake-up.

Mr McCabe, who got £128,987 a year, left the authority on December 31, with Ms Musson, who was on a salary of £81,214 salary, leaving at the end of January.

Last month, Shropshire Council refused a Freedom of Information request from the Shropshire Star asking what pay-offs they received.

A spokesman for the council said at the time: "The council considers it unfair to the individuals concerned to have any payments made public as they have only just left the authority.

"This information is therefore considered exempt from disclosure." The response to the FoI request did reveal no payment was made to head of business improvement Wendy Marston, who also left the authority recently, resigning to take up a position with a different council.

None of the three has been replaced by Shropshire Council, as the authority sets up a new management structure.

The council is in the process of being transformed into a 'commissioning council', in which it will hire other organisations to deliver services rather than providing them directly.

Council leader Keith Barrow said the departures of the senior management staff would have 'absolutely no effect' on the running of ip&e, the new company being set up to run council services for profit.