Council bosses laid off as part of cost cutting measures and department mergers in the forthcoming budget have been handed £100,000 on top of huge contractual redundancy payouts.

Tony McDonald, director of environment and community services and Paul Robinson, director of children's services, are both receiving the hefty payouts after being made redundant.

Robert Langridge, assistant director of environment and community, is also receiving a large severance package following cuts made to his department.

Environment and community services responsibilities are transferring to the public health department, while children's services is merging with housing.

A general purposes committee agreed last Wednesday to award Mr McDonald a severance package of £124,958, including a discretionary additional payment of £35,702.

Mr Robinson will receive a £137, 040 severance package, with a discretionary payment of £32,529 and Mr Langridge a £105,942 severance package, including discretionary payment of £30,269.

The discretionary payments, which the council are not obliged to pay, add up to £98,500 which is six times the pay of a leisure centre cleaner salary of £15,549.

At the end of last year it was agreed outgoing director of housing Roy Evans, whose department is also set to be hit with wide scale job cuts, was granted a £152,182, including a £50,728 discretionary payment.

Combined the four men have been paid more than £520,000 as part of losing their positions.

Announcing that directors would lose their jobs last year Wandsworth Council said the removal of highly paid positions was part of finding much needed savings as it looks to cut £43 million from the coming year's budget.

Mr Robinson's annual salary, as of April 2013, was £162,745.70, Mr McDonald received £136,847.91 and Mr Langridge salary is £118,474.19.

The payments come ahead of a full council meeting this Wednesday when plans to slash millions from the budget will be discussed.

Youth services are being put out to tender to be run by a private company, while services such as school crossing patrols, meals on wheels, libraries and adventure playground staff have either been cut or privatised.

Twenty eight job posts are being slashed as part of the merger merging departments, and 44 from the housing department.

Mr Robinson's final day will be on March 21, while Mr McDonald and Mr Langridge will leave on June 30 this year.

A spokesman from Wandsworth Council said: "The council has implemented its contractual severance scheme arrangements in the normal way.

"Redundancy terms are exactly the same for all staff whether junior or senior."


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