Restricted: Job Applications for the Head of Paid Service of Folkestone & Hythe District Council

On April 1st 2018, Dr Susan Julia Priest became the Head of Paid Service (HoPs). Being elevated to top job in the Council brought her an extra £10,000 on top of her previous salary of £101,994.  Altogether with her pension contribution of £13,485 her Total remuneration, including pension contributions is now £125,479.

As an aside, the former Chief Executive and Head of Paid Service total remuneration, including pension contributions was £134,492 in 2015/16. So why is Dr Priest earning less? Any discrimination going on here?

Moving on, to become numero uno Dr Priest (pictured) went up against her Colleague Tim Madden (pictured) the s151 Officer (responsible for the money) for the position of Head of Paid Service. Both had to had to submit an Expression of Interest for the the position of HoPs.

 

In March 2018 both candidates dutifully prepared and presented their EoI’s to personnel to be considered prior to interview.

You can read both of them at your leisure.

Dr.Susan Priest Expression of Interest for the Head of Paid Service

Tim Madden Expression of Interest for Head of Paid Service

Dr Priest made it clear, she is experienced at championing and representing the Council at senior levels, having acted on behalf of the Council Leaders and Chief Executives of the East Kent Growth Board and have prepared strategic investment plans for lobbying and influencing. Here activities have directly led to significant investments (of some £67m) being made by SELEP in to Folkestone Seafront and projects across Kent more broadly. She has also been a Trustee of the Creative Foundation and a Director of Oportunitas Ltd, among other positions she has held.

Dr Susan Priest is Head of Paid Service of Folkestone & Hythe District Council and is currently the person in charge. Her job title is mentioned two hundred and sixteen times in the constitution. And below are her immediate subordinates.

In 2012 as an Executive director of SEEDA a now defunct quango, Dr Susan Priest received more than £170,000 in compensation for the loss of her role, which totalled about £135,000-a-year.

After a handsome taxpayer handout (not means tested) Dr Priest arrived at  the South East Local Enterprise Partnership in April 2012. Here she gained significant business and political acumen and technical judgement in setting strategy and policy, analysing information, securing funding opportunities, and influencing at national, regional and local levels while delivering interventions in support of strategic and local growth plans. After an eighteen month stint she moved on and arrived out our Council. She was brought on board by the former leader of the Council, Robert Bliss.

14 months on since her appointment, she has overseen the controversial Folkestone Seafront development s73 planning application. She has overseen the outline planning application for Princes Parade and she will oversee the Otterpool Park development at some point during this year.

For our new Cllrs elected to the chamber in May’s election, it is wise to know who Dr Priest and Tim Madden are. What they have done, where they have come from and what drives – this is important. It will help Cllrs better understand why they recommend what they do to their political masters, and perhaps give an indication of their motivations and priorities.

The Shepwayvox Team

Journalism for the People NOT the Powerful