REVEALED: The 11 Blackburn town hall staff on more than £100k

The figures were revealed as part of the 12th annual Town Hall Rich List compiled by lobbying group the Taxpayers’ Alliance.

As well as salary, pay packages can include benefits in kind, expenses, bonuses, redundancy payments and employer’s pension contributions.

Harry Catherall

In 2015/16, only eight workers had received more than £100,000 in remuneration from the council.

But for the year 2017/18, 11 council employees took home more than £100,000.

According to the latest figures, outgoing chief executive Harry Catherall took home £173,000 with £154,000 in salary and £19,000 of employer pension contributions.

Denise Park

And deputy chief executive Denise Park - who this month takes over as chief exec - received £131,000 in salary as well as a further £16,000 in pension payments – £147,000 in total.

Both totals were lower than last year when Mr Catherall and Ms Park took home £182,000 and £151,000 respectively.

READ MORE: Blackburn with Darwen Council chief exec steps down after 40 years at town hall 

Other council directors earning more than £100,000 included

• Children’s services - Jayne Ivory
• Environment and leisure director - Martin Eden
• HR, legal and corporate services - David Fairclough
• Public health - Dominic Harrison
• Adults and prevention - Sayyed Osman

Sayyed Osman

Mr Osman last month engaged in a Twitter debate with his employers over the accessibility of local authority gyms for teenagers and their parents - although some of the tweets were later deleted.

A Blackburn with Darwen Council spokesman said pay for Mr Catherall and Ms Park was higher in 2016/17 because both were paid extra as returning officers for the local authority for the police and crime commissioner and council elections as well as the EU referendum.

Pendle and Ribble Valley Councils both had two employees receiving more than £100,000 and no-one getting more than £150,000.

Dominic Harrison

Rossendale Council had one worker getting more than £100,000 and no-one on more than £150,000.

Lancashire County Council had 15 employees on more than £100,000 and four getting more than £150,000.

In 2017-18 there were at least 2,454 council employees across the UK who received total remuneration in excess of £100,000. That’s 148 more than in 2016-17, and the highest number since 2013-14.

Blackburn Town Hall

John O’Connell, chief executive of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: “The average council tax bill has gone up by more than £900 over the last 20 years and spending has gone through the roof.

“Disappointingly, many local authorities are now responding to financial reality through further tax rises and reducing services.

“There are talented people in the public sector who are trying to deliver more for less, but the sheer scale of these packages raise serious questions."