There are 12 Isle of Wight Council senior manager positions with salaries of more than £100,000 a year, new figures show.
County Hall’s chief executive Wendy Perera has full-time equivalent pay of £153,236, eight times more than the lowest paid positions at the local authority on £19,290, according to data obtained through FOI requests.
The next most remunerated roles are the strategic director of adult social care and housing (£129,500), the strategic director of children’s services (£129,500), strategic director – community services (£125,017), director of corporate services (£120,465) and director of public health (£116,278).
Isle of Wight Council officer roles with a full-time equivalent salary of over £100,000 per year
- Chief Executive
- Strategic Director of Adult Social Care and Housing
- Service Director – Commissioning, Adult Social Services
- Service Director – QA & Practice Development, Adult Social Services
- Strategic Director of Children’s Services
- Service Director, Children’s Social Care
- Director of Corporate Services
- Assistant Director of Corporate Services
- Service Director, Finance
- Strategic Director, Community Services
- Service Director, Community, Regeneration and Economy
- Director of Public Health
Around 6% of the UK’s 34 million workforce will earn above £100,000 in the 2026/27 tax year, according to investment management company, Rathbones.
Alliance group and council leader Phil Jordan said:
“Residents are absolutely right to ask questions and want to know about senior salaries, especially at a time when many residents and households are experiencing real financial pressure.
“These roles are not typical jobs — they include statutory leadership positions responsible for safeguarding vulnerable children and adults, managing complex services, and ensuring the council meets its legal duties.
Article continues below this advertisement “When you look at comparable councils, these salaries are broadly in line, and in many cases lower than the same or similar roles elsewhere.
“It’s also important to recognise that, compared to the private sector, these positions are typically paid significantly less overall — often by a wide margin once bonuses and incentives are considered.
“Recruiting and retaining staff and experienced leaders on the Isle of Wight brings additional challenges due to our geography, which naturally limits the pool of candidates.”
Cllr Jordan added that the Island struggles to recruit candidates with the necessary background and experience for many important job roles, with salaries simply reflecting that situation.
Cllr Jordan hassaid the Alliance and Greens did not scrap shared service arrangements with any other authority.
The director of children’s services and director of public health were shared role arrangements with Hampshire County Council which the latter unilaterally ceased, he said.
In the case of the Section 151 (chief financial) officer, the shared arrangement was with Portsmouth City Council which also ended joint arrangements unilaterally, the Ryde North West councillor added.
Cllr Ed Blake, leader of the Conservative group, said:
“Since the Independent and Green administration have made the decision to scrap shared services which saw the Island sharing these roles with other authorities, many of which are statutory, we have had to pay the going rate for these senior roles.
“The Isle of Wight Council is amongst the lowest payers for such roles; the chief executive is the second lowest paid unitary authority head in England for instance.
“It is worth remembering that the equivalent competence in the private sector would attract far higher salaries given they are effectively in control of a £250m turnover company.
“A Conservative-led council would seek to get better value for money by once again looking at sharing services and combining roles where appropriate.”
Cllr Chris Jarman, who leads the Empowering Islanders group, said:
“Being quite familiar with the Isle of Wight Council accounts, the figures quoted through FOI are of no surprise to me and are within the range of other local authorities.
“Whilst the Isle of Wight is relatively small, the nature of the respective responsibilities are similar. We are well aware that recruiting officers to work on our Isle of Wight may demand a premium given our location, fiscal position and demographic situation, particularly when coupled with a national scarcity of applicants.
“It is a continuing disappointment that we cannot recruit more locally, and that when we recruit from the North Island many decline to relocate and make our Island their primary home.
“Residents are absolutely right to scrutinise senior management costs, but the council also needs to be fully open and transparent about what these figures represent.”
He added that discussing them on a full time equivalent basis may not represent the actual cost to the council if the respective individual only works part-time.
The Liberal Democrats, Very Broad Church group, Reform UK, Labour and a non-aligned councillor have been approached for comment.
Only one word describes this – SCANDALOUS
not to mention extortionate pensions.
Public sector jobs are a joke, money for old rope, majority
of these employees wouldn’t be employed in the private sector.
HOW MANY OF THESE WORKERS ARE SHIRKING FROM HOME.
The NHS are no different, many of Doctors Surgery staff have
been shirking from home on full pay for the last 6 years.
No wonder when you phone it takes 45 minutes for someone to
answer the phone and weeks to get an appointment.
GET THEM ALL BACK TO WORK, IF THEY CAN WORK FROM HOME
LET’S BE HONEST THEY ARE NOT NEEDED!, TO BE HONEST A.I
COULD REPLACE MANY OF THESE JOBS.
Fully agree except for one point; NHS consultants probably have a skill or a talent.
This is before pensions of ten’s of thousands and perks are added. Nobody on a council covering a small island warrants this kind of wage. If all these people were made redundant nobody on the island would notice any difference.
One words sums up this nonsense – SCANDALOUS
We are in the worst financial position this country has ever been in
and this lot are screaming off the tax payers
Anyone who accepts a senior role within Isle of Wight Council should be contractually obliged to live here. If they don’t it shows they aren’t really invested in the Island and are only interested in the paycheck.
They are only in it for the pay check.
My other comment which is my true opinion on this
matter is currently waiting approval
PEOPLE DON’T LIKE TO HEAR THE TRUTH, SAD!
Under devolution, a lot of those positions mat well be restructured so the question of costs will become academic. Another bonus.
Too many persons are employed unnesseccarily.
A.I could replace them all and do a better job,
therefore saving us tax payers millions of pounds.
“Lost for words”
Just sack the lot of them; nobody would notice the difference.
Salaries in the public sector,including all those that have been stolen from the public sector, should all be based pro-rata on that of the Prime Minister, his being the maximum permissable and all others being reduced to reflect their responsibilities in proportion to his. No bonuses just for doing your job. I’d say no one working for IoW Council is worth more than £28000 a year.
Absolutely no shirking from home, unless they are prepared to take a 50% pay cut; no exceptions.
Just sack the lot of them; nobody would notice the difference.
Salaries in the public sector,including all those that have been stolen from the public sector, should all be based pro-rata on that of the Prime Minister, his being the maximum permissable and all others being reduced to reflect their responsibilities in proportion to his. No bonuses just for doing your job. I’d say no one employed by IoW Council is worth more than £28000 a year.
Absolutely no shirking from home, unless they are prepared to take a 50% pay cut; no exceptions.