Conwy County Council leaders' pay criticised as excessive

Council leaders in North Wales receive a salary of £71,025, roughly £30,000 more than the leader of Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council in England, which pays its leader just under £42,000. Conwy Town Council councillor Gary Willetts described the pay gap as “unsustainable” and called the pension contributions to North Wales councillors “obscene”. The higher remuneration reflects a pay structure set by the Democracy and Boundary Commission Cymru, unlike England where individual authorities set their own salaries. Recent adjustments raised the Conwy leader’s salary from £66,727 to £71,025, the deputy leader’s from £46,709 to £49,717, and basic councillor pay from £19,771 to £21,044. By comparison, the leader of Chester City Council earns £47,647 and Anglesey council leaders receive £67,079. Critics argue the disparity offers poor value for taxpayers and urge a review of the Welsh pay system.