Some are making more in yearly pension contributions, than many people get in their annual salary. The council’s highest paid officers appeared on the Town Hall Rich List 2021 for 2019/20. Five Winchester City Council employees appeared in the list and 24 from Hampshire County Council. Winchester City Council’s chief executive Laura Taylor earned £120,000, plus £1,000 in expenses. Add in her pension, £19,000, and she cost taxpayers £140,000. Also appearing on the list is strategic director of services Richard Botham who last year earned £109,000, made up of a salary of £91,000, £3,000 expenses and £15,000 in his pension pot. Chas Bradfield, the council’s strategic director of place, earned £97,000, plus £2,000 in expenses and £16,000 pension, bringing his total to £115,000.
The progress made on Winchester Sport and Leisure Centre. Photos: Willmott Dixon THE cost of a swimming session at the new leisure centre has been labelled as totally wrong . A report submitted to cabinet shows that users will have to pay up to 40 per cent more than at River Park Leisure Centre. Juniors and disabled people will now pay £3 pound – a 33 per cent and a 40 per cent increase respectively. Seniors will no longer swim for free. Cllr Hugh Lumby said: I m sorry but increasing the price of sessions for juniors and disabled people is really disappointing – it s staggering, totally wrong.
VICTORIAN building in Winchester once threatened with demolition could become a new business centre. The disused Register Office on Station Hill is set to open as a new “flexible workspace” in the new year, councillors heard. It is part of the city council’s drive to boost business in the Covid-hit city centre. The former Registry Office, formerly the South Western pub, was set for demolition as part of plans to develop the Station Approach area, currently on hold. Andrew Gostelow, service lead economy and tourism, said talks were taking place with an unnamed “third party” and the M3 LEP.