NEW data has revealed that 25 officers at Cornwall Council received six figure salaries.

Since 2007, the TaxPayers’ Alliance has compiled an annual list of local authority employees receiving salaries of over £100,000.

It says local taxpayers have borne a significant share of the burden, with the average band D council tax in England rising by 79 per cent between 2005/06 and 2024/25.

In 2026/27, Cornwall Council’s council tax precept has risen by 4.99 per cent and is set to do so each financial year until 2029 at least.

The data revealed the details of the salaries earned by Cornwall Council chiefs, with 17 of the 25 officers not named.

  • Kate Kennally, chief executive – £201,661 (£239,479 including expenses and pension component)
  • Sophie Hosking, strategic director for neighbourhoods (since retired) – £166,434 (£198,556 including pension)
  • Alison Bulman, strategic director for safe and caring communities – £158,177 (£188,706 including pension)
  • Phil Mason, strategic director for sustainable growth and place – £158,177 (£158,443 with expenses)
  • Kathryn Billing, service director (Resilient Cornwall) and chief fire officer- £147,493 (£202,951 including pension)
  • Kate Evan-Hughes, strategic director, Together for Families – £138,078 (£164,727 including pension)
  • Tracie Langley, chief operating officer (position vacated in 2025) – £117,425 (£118,220 with expenses)
  • Director of public health for Cornwall and Isles of Scilly (position vacated in 2025) – £112,514 (£128,508 with expenses and pension)
  • Seventeen undisclosed officers with salaries in the range of £102,500 and £152,000 each

The council has a debt of around £1.3-billion and regularly lobbies the Government for more financial support. It has had to make £59-million savings in its current budget, which has included job losses.

A spokesperson for the council said: “Cornwall Council is one of the largest unitary councils in the country and has a spend of £1.2-billion each year – bigger than some FTSE companies – with a workforce of more than 5,000 directly employed staff delivering a wide range of services to the people of Cornwall.

“As an organisation, the council’s leadership team is accountable for managing a huge and complex variety of functions and services that benefit and impact on the daily lives of more than 560,000 people.

“These include protecting vulnerable children and adults, managing more than 7,500 kilometres of roads, the Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service and community safety, public health, public protection, economic development and some responsibilities for schools.

“Given the scale of the responsibilities held by senior officers, it is important to make sure that the council attracts the highest calibre of professional. Therefore, when setting the salaries for its senior officers, the council takes proper account of relevant labour market information and, in particular, the salaries for local government officers of roles of a similar scope, scale and complexity.

“Periodically the council undertakes local pay reviews to ensure its grading and pay structure is positioned appropriately in the labour market and to ensure the council’s pay arrangements help the council achieve its business plan.”