£3m cut from Rotherham Council's top earners wage bill

THE number of big-earning officials at Rotherham Council has been slashed by more than a third over the last year, according to a report from the Taxpayers’ Alliance.

Figures released by the Alliance show that 74 people earned more than £50,000 in 2011/12, 50 less than in the previous year.

The wage bill for these staff was £4.9m, down from £3m the previous year.

Council leader Roger Stone said last week that the council had cut 1,000 staff since it began to slash its budget after the 2010 general election.

Cllr Stone said a pay freeze had been imposed across the authority and management roles had been cut by 19 per cent in the past two years.

The council has agreed its 2013/14 budget, which includes £20.2 million of reductions. It expects to continue making cuts until at least 2018.