Lewisham Council has advertised its vacant head of communications position for an eye-watering £600 a day – which equates to £144,000 a year.

The job, which was for a six to 12-month contract, is more than double the £71,280 annual salary expected for a department head at the council.

The head of communications is “the senior adviser to the mayor” and will assist on “all aspects of communication.”

It was vital they are able to “improve relationships with media while managing crisis situations” and responsibilities include “promoting the reputation of the council.”

It was posted by recruitment agency Reed for six days, but was removed following enquiries from our local democracy reporter.

This follows the appointment of former Southwark councillor Fiona Colley to the newly-created assistant director of strategy and communications, on a £100k salary, in January.

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A council spokesperson said the job posting was an “administrative error” and said she was thankful it had been brought to the council’s attention.

She said Reed had incorrectly set a salary range. 

This comes after Lewisham announced £30 million worth of cuts to essential services over the next two years, with more than £9.4 million worth of cuts agreed for this year – including to children and adult social care services.

Lewisham Lib Dems spokesperson Max Brockbank said it was an example of “when it comes to promoting the Labour council, money is no problem.”

He said the money could be better spent elsewhere.

“Funding is tight and it’s essential that every pound is well spent. But it seems that when it comes to promoting the Labour council, money is no problem. This comes on top of appointing an ex-Labour councillor to the £100k head of communications.

“Lewisham council should be focusing on the things that matter to all of us. For instance, the spending on this post alone could reverse the planned cuts to air quality work, where Lewisham has one of the worst pollution rates in the country,” he said.

The same job posting on the council’s website has a salary of £65,739 – £71,280 per annum.

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The council spokesperson said: “We are currently recruiting to replace our senior communications manager whose secondment recently ended. We are seeking an interim replacement whilst we review our communications strategy and service.

“We are advertising both via a recruitment agency and as a fixed-term contract/secondment opportunity to ensure the widest possible field, the best possible appointment and value for money for the council.”