Senior bosses go in Wolverhampton Council shake-up

Two officers on six-figure salaries at Wolverhampton City Council were today axed after failing to keep their jobs in a controversial shake-up.

One out of four director posts has been deleted along with 11 chief officers in a move that will save taxpayers £1 million a year.

Sources revealed that Steve Boyes, director for regeneration and enterprise, and Richard Hill, director of customer and shared services, failed to convince a panel of senior councillors that they should be allowed to stay.

The role of regenerating Wolverhampton will now be split between the remaining three directors.

Another director, £113,817-a-year children's services chief Roy Lockwood, has announced his retirement.

It leaves just Sarah Norman, the director of adults and community, still in the top team under chief executive Simon Warren. She made £111,816 last year. The news is a double blow for

Mr Boyes, who earned £121,073 in 2009-10 and filled in as chief executive between the departure of former chief executive Richard Carr and the arrival of Mr Warren last January.

He also sees today the collapse of his Summer Row shopping centre dream, which he has been working on for the past eight years. Mr Boyes joined the council 12 years ago.

Mr Hill, who earned £113,817, was appointed to the council in 2008.

Another director, Brian Bailey, earns £113,817 but he is in charge of pensions for all West Midlands local authorities and is unaffected by the move.