Mayors write to Yorkshire Water with ‘serious concerns' over undisclosed CEO pay
The Government recently barred six water companies from paying bonuses to executives because of failings over pollution as part of its response to public fury at widespread sewage spills, crumbling infrastructure and rising bills.
Yorkshire Water, which was recently given the green light to raise average annual household bills by 41% to £607 by 2030, was among six companies banned from paying bonuses.
Yorkshire Water chief executive Nicola Shaw (House of Commons/PA)
Yorkshire's four metro mayors – Tracy Brabin, Luke Campbell, Oliver Coppard and David Skaith – alongside the co-chairs of the Yorkshire Leaders Board asked chair of Yorkshire Water Vanda Murray for an urgent meeting to discuss the undisclosed payments to Ms Shaw, first reported by the Guardian.
In the letter, they called payments 'wholly unacceptable' and demanded 'clear answers' on behalf of Yorkshire's customers and communities.
'As elected representatives of Yorkshire's communities, we share the public dismay at these revelations,' they wrote.
'The additional payments to Ms Shaw must be viewed against Yorkshire Water's consistent pattern of poor performance.'
The mayors said the concealment of payments to Ms Shaw from annual reports and her own public statements that she would decline bonuses demonstrate a 'fundamental breach of trust'.
'This contradiction between public statements and hidden payments is especially galling for customers who are being asked to pay more,' they wrote.
The letter went on to cite the company being ordered pay £40 million for excessive sewage spills, while not one river in the region is considered to be in good overall health by regulators – and customers are set to see bills hiked.
At a time when Yorkshire Water customers are facing a 41% increase in bills alongside environmental failures and customer service shortcomings, the news that the Chief Executive has received additional payments is wholly unacceptable.
As Yorkshire mayors, we have requested an… pic.twitter.com/Kzt0dquyL7
— Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire (@MayorOfWY) August 8, 2025
Last week, Yorkshire Water was also fined £865,000 at Sheffield Magistrates' Court for illegally discharging chlorinated water resulting in the death of local wildlife.
Elsewhere, the mayors told Ms Murray that they wish to discuss the board's strategy for rebuilding public trust and its commitment to transparent reporting of all executive pay.
'We believe Yorkshire Water's customers and communities deserve clear answers about how their money is being spent, why executive rewards continue to rise, and how this aligns with the sharp increase in bills and declining service standards,' they wrote.
On the payments, Yorkshire Water said it complied fully with Ofwat's requirements on pay disclosure and bonus payments – and that the Kelda Holdings payments were paid by shareholders rather than bill payers.
A spokesperson said: 'We understand the strength of feeling on the items outlined in their letter and welcome the opportunity to meet with the local mayors and council leaders to discuss these in more detail.'
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