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Council and Democracy
Chief Executive
Philip Simpkins is the Chief
Executive of Bedford Borough Council. This page details his role as
well as his salary and expenses.
The Chief Executive Philip Simpkins was appointed in June 2009.
As Chief Executive, Philip is the principal policy adviser to the
Mayor and 40 Councillors and the statutory Head of Paid
Service accountable for the Borough Council’s £390 million budget
as well as the work of around 2,500 employees across the Council
(not including Borough schools) who deliver a wide range of
services to the community.
The role of Chief Executive is a permanent appointment which
requires the approval of the Full Borough Council following the
recommendation of a candidate for the role by the cross-party
Appointments Committee. Whilst employed as the Chief Executive,
Philip is unable to undertake other paid employment (other than the
role of Returning Officer) and is required to devote his whole time
service to the Borough Council, meaning that the Chief Executive is
expected to work such hours as are necessary to ensure the job gets
done. This routinely involves working evenings and weekends as well
as the standard Monday to Friday business week. The postholder is
‘on call’ at all other times, particularly to cover civil
contingency and emergency management requirements. No extra
payments are made for such extended hours.
The postholder is subject to a formal annual appraisal and
review by the Political Group Leaders of the Borough Council, on
behalf of the Mayor and all 40 Councillors to whom the Chief
Executive is accountable.
The Chief Executive receives a salary of £170,000. The
postholder is entitled to 37 days annual leave.
The Chief Executive pays 7.5 per cent of his salary into the
Local Government Pension scheme. The Council makes an employer’s
contribution of 21.9 per cent into the scheme; this means employees
contribute to the scheme from their own salary.
The postholder is able to reclaim a restricted range of
legitimate business expenses, including business travel. None of
this reimbursement is for profit and evidence of the expense and
why it was necessary must be provided before any payment is
made.
The Head of Paid Service is additionally the Council’s Returning
Officer. The responsibility of this role is one of a personal
nature distinct from duties as an employee of the Council. The fee
paid to the Returning Officer is determined by legislation for UK
and European Parliamentary elections and any national referendum.
The fee for those elections is met from Central Government funds
and so does not constitute a cost to the Council.
Where local elections (Borough and Parish
Council) occur a scale of fees and charges are determined in
advance by the Council, a matter which is the responsibility of the
General Purposes Committee. The Chief Executive has confirmed that
he does not wish to receive a remuneration for local elections.