Latest news with #NealCockerton
BBC News
14-05-2025
- BBC News
Flintshire council accused of blackmail in Connah's Quay CCTV row
A town could be left without CCTV coverage because of a contract row between two council has threatened to "remove coverage" from Connah's Quay unless a previous bill for the service is settled by the town's Quay town councillors voted to stop payments in September after claiming there was no contract or agreement with one representative, Alan Manship, calling the threat to remove CCTV "more or less blackmail".Flintshire council said: "These discussions are part of an ongoing contractual matter between the two councils and as such should remain confidential while we work to reach a resolution." A new agreement has been signed for the 2025-26, including an upgrade of cameras, the Local Democracy Reporting Service Connah's Quay council said it was waiting for evidence of a legal agreement proving it was obliged to pay Flintshire council for the remainder of the 2024-25 financial year. In a strongly worded email read to town councillors, Flintshire council chief executive Neal Cockerton wrote: "Should payment not be forthcoming, I am minded to instruct that coverage is removed."Mr Manship said he felt this was "really out of order".Town council clerk Suzanne Wilson said she had held her role since 2022 and had "never signed anything".She added: "If you want payment from us we need proof of signature."The council paid about £6,600 from April to September 2024 when it voted to stop payments. CCTV has played a vital role in crime prevention and police investigations in Connah's 2017 murder of Matthew Cassidy by two drug dealers relied on images captured by CCTV to identify witnesses, two vehicles connected to the case and, ultimately, the killers and Crime Commissioner for North Wales Andy Dunbobbin, also a Connah's Quay town councillor, said: "It's important to note there is a responsibility on local authorities where councils have to have due regard of the need to reduce crime, disorder and anti-social behaviour."
Leader Live
12-05-2025
- Business
- Leader Live
Highest-paid council staff in Flintshire and Wrexham paid over £100k
The annual publication by the Taxpayers Alliance aims to keep track of how many senior council officials are earning above £100k per year by compiling data from councils across the UK. In Flintshire the officers' senior leadership team is made up of the Chief Executive and a team of six chief officers. Of those six earn north of £100k. The authority pays Chief Executive Neal Cockerton an annual salary of £144,000 - the 10th highest of the 18 Welsh councils reported in the list. Wrexham County Borough Council was one of 15 councils across the UK that did not provide the Taxpayers Alliance with 2023/24 accounts for scrutiny. On request however it did confirm that the Interim Chief Executive Alwyn Jones is currently paid £134,73. That places Wrexham 13th overall for CEO pay in Wales. All seven of Wrexham's chief officers earn more than £100k. A spokesperson for Flintshire County Council said that it was operating with one of the smallest teams in north Wales. 'The salaries of all our employees, including senior managers, are benchmarked against other local authorities in North Wales and across the border and are published on the Council's website every year as a matter of course. 'Flintshire is the largest local authority in North Wales yet has one of the smallest senior teams in the region," they said. "Our operating model does not follow the traditional two-tier model of directors and head of service of neighbouring local authorities (in England and Wales). "That means our chief officers are responsible for a larger portfolio and range of diverse public services. It is therefore important that salaries are set at a level which reflects the necessary specialist knowledge and experience, while also attracting and retaining staff with the skills to deliver vital public services to the people of Flintshire.' Wrexham Council said that its pay structure reflected the significant responsibilities that sit with the chief executive and chief officers. "Chief Executive is a demanding role that entails a high level of commitment and involves a number of legal responsibilities," said a spokesperson. "The post-holder is strategically, operationally and legally responsible and accountable for a vast range of public services across Wrexham, thousands of employees and a multi-million pound budget. "As a result, the salary has to reflect this, and it has to be competitive enough to attract the right candidates with the right experience, skills and commitment. "Similar to the Chief Executive role, the chief officer roles in the council are hugely demanding, with the post-holders helping to deliver a vast range of services for local people. Again, these roles come with specific legal and professional responsibilities depending on their areas of focus. "It's too early to say if efficiency savings will affect staff structures over the next couple of years, but it's worth noting that Wrexham already has fewer chief officers than many councils in England and Wales. "Whereas many councils have multiple tiers of senior management, Wrexham has a 'flat' structure which is more economical when you compare whole structures across local authorities."
