Fears about the level of social landlords' pay were voiced by an anti-transfer MP this week, as news of the largest ever sum paid out for a departing chief executive emerged
Dr Lynne Jones, Labour MP for Birmingham Selly Oak, claimed housing associations' golden handshakes and high pay tendencies were worrying, given their increasing incidence.

Jones, one of the signatories of Jeremy Corbyn MP's recent early day motion on the "privatisation" of council housing, this week asked the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions to publish the names of the top three senior staff at RSLs who have taken over local authority housing stock, as well as their previous occupation.

She also requested the names of RSL chairmen to be made public, along with their current employment and interests.

Jones told Housing Today: "We have a situation where people at the third or fourth tier of local government are set up as chief executives of housing associations, and probably paying themselves as much as someone who is in charge of a large local housing department.

"I have deep reservations whether stock transfers are the best way forward for financial probity and accountability," she said.

Peter Hargrave's £290,000 compensation for loss of office as managing director at Flagship Housing Group is the highest pay-off to date. The group said the money - which included a £260,000 pension top-up, had been agreed following discussions with the Housing Corporation.

Recent signals from the Housing Corporation suggest it is taking a close interest in pay-offs.

It announced the first statutory inquiry for almost a decade into the size of Liver housing association's pot - intended for Liver's top three management casualties - to be made redundant through a merger with Grosvenor housing association (Housing Today, 5 October).

Source

Housing Today