COUNCILLORS have expressed disgust at the pay and perks package offered to senior management taking up posts in Cornwall's new super council.

The Cornish council tax payer will foot the bill for relocation packages totalling thousands of pounds.

Officers who maintain homes outside the county could claim up to £100 in a weekly allowance, estate agents fees of up to £8,510, furniture storage costs up to £780 and all removal costs. The council will also pay for fortnightly rail tickets for the new officers to see spouses, civil partners or dependant relatives.

There will be five senior officers with director level posts at the new council who will be offered the packages under the terms of their contract.

Leading councillors last night lambasted the council executive for wasting public money at a time of economic crisis and for failing to fill the positions with Cornish talent.

All of the directors will be paid six-figure salaries with Kevin Lavery, the new chief executive, earning £200,000 a year.

Graeme Hicks, county councillor and leader of Kerrier District Council, sits on the Implementation Executive overseeing the transition to unitary status. He said: "My constituents are losing their jobs and having their houses repossessed while these people are living a life of luxury.

"I'm fed up of hearing that we have to pay the money to attract the right calibre of candidate. We have the right calibre in the county already and I know officers from county council and district councils are disgusted at what's going on.

"All of these people have an extremely good relocation package – it's absolutely disgraceful."

One councillor, who asked not to be named, said he had been told that one of the newly-appointed officers, Gill Steward, told the appointments panel that her family will remain in London while she is working in Cornwall.

Ms Steward's appointment as director of communities is expected to be officially announced today.

The councillor said: "How committed to the job are you if you are not prepared to move your family down here. It seems wrong that someone has been appointed to that position who doesn't want to live in Cornwall full-time. The salaries are excessive when you look at Cornish wages and the bolt-on packages."

The Taxpayers Alliance, a national organisation that campaigns for lower taxes and better government, was critical of the policy.

Mark Wallace, campaign director, said: "I think this is an excessive package that will cost taxpayers a huge amount.

"The idea that senior managers might have homes hundreds of miles away and be paid extra for temporary residence is quite shocking – how on earth can these staff be expected to understand the service quality for local people if they also live somewhere else?"

The news comes on the back of yesterday's revelation in the WMN that the former chief executive at County Hall, Sheila Healy, could reportedly receive up to £500,000 in a secret golden handshake, according to councillors.

A spokesman for One Cornwall said: "The newly appointed corporate directors have been offered the approved Cornwall County Council relocation package. This includes an allowance of up to £75 a week (£100 per week during the period May 1 to September 30 inclusive) for a period of up to 52 weeks.

"This also includes one second class rail fare every two weeks for a period of up to 52 weeks, based on the most economic fare. Gill Steward will be moving down to Cornwall when she takes up her position of corporate director. Gill will still have family ties in London and will probably visit during weekends and holidays."

Ann Kerridge, chairman of the Implementation Executive customer first group, said: "I was on the interview panel for the position of corporate director of communities.

"Gill was an outstanding candidate and I am positive she will do an excellent job. I am disappointed that details about her personal life have been highlighted. We are all entitled to have a personal life."