Council chief executive received £280k ‘golden goodbye’

Martin Shipton

The final bill for council taxpayers’ following the departure of the former Caerphilly council chief executive Christina Harrhy can be revealed at an eye-watering £280,000.

Caerphilly council’s statement of accounts for 2024-25 show that this was made up of £98,656 in salary, £165,871 covering a settlement payout and lieu of notice payment with the rest made up by local authority pension contributions of £16,127, making a total of £280,654.

Ms Harrhy left her role in October 2024, just over six months into the 2024-25 financial year. It was reported at the time that she received a pay-off of £209,000. Ms Harrhy had been on long-term special leave for 11 months – on full pay – when she left the council.

In the previous financial year – 2023-24 – Ms Harrhy was paid £183,682 as chief executive for the full year. She was appointed chief executive of the Disused Tips Authority for Wales earlier this year at an annual salary of £120,000.

Lindsay Whittle, Senedd Member for Blaenau Gwent, Caerffili and Rhymni, who was leader of the Plaid Cymru group on Caerphilly council when Ms Harrhy left, said: “To say I am staggered is an understatement. It’s worse than I thought. This is the equivalent of a lottery win and people struggling with cost of living and higher council taxes will rightly be shocked.

“Christina Harrhy was the second chief executive to leave Caerphilly with a massive pay off. Voters in Caerphilly county will have the opportunity next May to have their say on Labour’s running of the local authority when council elections are held.”

Councillor Charlotte Bishop, the current leader of the opposition Plaid Cymru group on the council, said: “This revelation is a shock to me because we as councillors were not informed of the final total cost of the departure of the former chief executive.

“Given the public interest, I would have expected to be informed rather than having to rummage through the council’s lengthy statement of accounts.”

The saga of Ms Harry’s departure from the council has been characterised by secrecy.

Secret decision

In October 2024 Nation.Cymru reported how Ms Harrhy was to receive a payoff totalling £209,000 following a secret decision made by Caerphilly county borough councillors.

Members of the council chose to make the payment to her rather than go through a tortuous process to get rid of her that could have cost £520,000.

Councillors decided on the “cheaper” option at a meeting behind closed doors, voting by 43 votes to 14 with five abstentions to authorise the £209k payoff to Ms Harrhy.

All councillors were told at the meeting that if they spoke to the media about the deal they would be reported to the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales for breaching the local government code of conduct.

Such a finding would be likely to lead to their being suspended for months.

There had been talk within council circles for many months that she fell out with the authority’s then Labour leader Sean Morgan over the appointment of a senior officer. It is understood that allegations of bullying followed, but that an investigation carried out by the Local Government Association exonerated Cllr Morgan.

During an 11-month absence on “special leave” from the council, it is known that Ms Harrhy applied to be the chief fire officer at South Wales Fire and Rescue Service. She got to a short list of two, but failed to be appointed.

Because she was on special leave rather than sick leave, Ms Harrhy was entitled to full pay.

Independent investigator

Under an arrangement that applies to local authorities in Wales but not in England, councils that want to discipline their chief executive have to appoint an independent investigator to carry out an exhaustive inquiry. Experience has shown that this is much more expensive than an in-house investigation of the kind that would apply to all other council employees.

Speaking on an unattributable basis about the payoff for Ms Harrhy, one councillor told us at the time: “This is another terrible day for Caerphilly council. We were given two terrible options.”

A secret report disclosed to councillors at the time they were considering the options said respect for Ms Harrhy’s leadership skills was “low” among councillors and senior officers.

After leaving Caerphilly council, Ms Harrhy went to work for Blaenau Gwent and Torfaen councils as their joint director of economy.

Her appointment as chief executive of the Disused Tips Authority for Wales was announced by Huw Irranca-Davies, then the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs.

‘Commitment to public leadership’

In a written statement he said: “Christina brings over 30 years of experience as a public service leader within the Welsh public sector. Throughout her career, she has shaped public policy and strengthened service delivery across Wales, building high-performing teams and leading complex organisational change in environments where effective governance and public protection are paramount.

“I have every confidence that Christina will be able to hit the ground running in operationalising the Authority, putting in place the systems, partnerships, and safeguards necessary to establish and shape the Authority.

“Christina’s educational and professional background reflects both technical distinction and a sustained commitment to public leadership. Graduating with First-Class Honours in Civil Engineering then achieving Chartered Engineer status and Fellowship of the Institution of Civil Engineers.

“This appointment strengthens the foundations of an organisation that will be the first of its kind in the UK and a world leader in its field. The Authority will develop the knowledge, skills and innovation needed to manage Wales’s mining legacy during a period of significant climate change, creating opportunities for future generations and positioning Wales once again at the forefront of global expertise.

“The appointment of Christina as the CEO represents an important step forward in delivering the Authority’s mission and supporting safer, more resilient communities across Wales.”