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THE CHIEF executive of Braintree District Council is being paid almost £200,000 a year, an annual “rich list” report has found. The number of council high-earners paid more than £100,000 a year has been revealed in the annual Town Hall Rich List by the Taxpayers Alliance. The list looks at how many local authority employees across the UK are paid more than £100,000 a year.
The 2025 report mentioned six members of staff at Braintree Council, with the highest paid being chief executive Dan Gascoyne on £195,552. A spokesman for Braintree Council said: “We are open and transparent about senior salaries and publish the figures in our yearly statement of accounts. “These roles come with a lot of personal responsibility and required expertise to provide the best possible service for our residents and businesses.
" Report - Braintree Council said it is open and transparent and publishes senior salaries in its yearly statement of accounts (Image: Newsquest) Meanwhile, 58 Essex County Council personnel raked in more than £100,000 due to salary, pensions and bonuses. Only seven of the 58 members of Essex County Council to earn more than £100,000 a year were disclosed in the list. The rich list does not always have access to the names and titles of each authority staff member.
Chief executive Gavin Jones received £259,809, executive director for corporate services Nicole Wood earned £220,156, and Pam Parkes, executive director for people and transformation, earned £212,185. Nicolas Presmeg, the executive director for adult social care took home £210,263, and executive director for economy, investment and public health Tom Walker earned the same. Executive director for children, families and education Helen Lincoln earned £211,953, and executive director for climate, environment and customer services Mark Ash earned £208,541.
Finances - All the council's salaries are subject to regular independent review, a spokesman said (Image: Google Maps) A spokesman for Essex County Council said: “Essex County Council is one of the largest local authorities in England and the largest in the East of England. “Over the past ten years, we’ve continually improved the services people rely on, while at the same time keeping council tax in check. “We have a track record of strong financial management, having saved hundreds of millions of pounds over the past decade by transforming council services.
“This is underlined by a number of our employees being sought to provide expert advice and guidance to other local authorities. “We need professionals of the highest calibre if we are going to continue this success. “To attract the best talent in the country to help us deal with the challenges faced by public services, we need to offer an appropriate level of salary and remain competitive with the private sector.
“All the council’s salaries are subject to regular independent review and measured against the public and not-for-profit sector. “We have also undertaken a review of our staffing costs and structure, and our total employee expenses are less than those of other comparable local authorities.”.
