BOSSES at one of the country’s top performing councils are set to get a pay rise as they continue to seek how to make about £1 million savings.

At a time when belts are being tightened and normal staff have had their pay frozen, the leader of Wychavon District Council has decided to reward top bosses and middle managers in the hope it will stop their heads being turned by better offers at other councils, public bodies or private companies.

Deputy managing director Vic Allison stands to gain the most as his wage is set to rocket to between £85,000 and £90,000 – an increase of between £11,500 and £12,000.

Managing director Jack Hegarty, who currently earns between £101,000 and £107,000, is in line for an £8,000 increase but he has decided he will only reward himself with that once he has overseen the extra £1 million savings over the next two years.

The pay of four other senior managers on annual wages of between £63,000 and £70,000 will remain the same but three middle managers earning between £40,000 and £45,000 will get a pay rise of between £5,000 and £7,000 if the council’s executive board agrees to the proposals on Tuesday.

Robert Oxley, campaign manager of the Taxpayers’ Alliance, said: “It’s indefensible for council fat cats to expect huge pay rises when council budgets are under such huge pressure.

“Councils have got to make savings, senior executive pay should be one of the first places where cuts should be made.

“These highly-paid staff should be taking a pay cut, not rewarding themselves with sky-high increases.”

Leader of the council, Coun Paul Middlebrough, admitted increasing the pay of senior and middle managers is “very controversial”.

He added he thought it necessary if the council is to retain key members of staff at a challenging time for all public bodies.

He said there are no hidden bonuses or extra costs and said the salaries of the senior management team have been frozen for the past three years while the total cost has reduced from £740,000 four years ago to £520,000 this year.

Over the last couple of years, fewer than 10 people have lost their jobs at the council, which employs about 200 people, but that does not take into account vacant posts that have not been filled.

Malvern Hills District Council confirmed its senior management had not had a pay rise for three years. Worcester City Council said no pay increase had been given there either, while Worcestershire County Council has also had a pay freeze for two years.