Salary shock for clerk as he takes up new post

BLANDFORD’s departing town clerk Trevor Savage was displeased to find his salary posted for the world to see on a government consultation website just days before he moved to a new post in Sherborne.

The £40,000 per annum figure was quoted in a post on the Government’s Savings Challenge website which invites the public to come up with ideas for reducing expenditure.

The post suggested savings which might be achieved if the various agencies operating in Blandford did not have to rent premises and were gathered together in a single publicly owned building.

It added that it was ridiculous to have a town clerk on £40,000 plus to administer the town council.

While not happy at having his salary broadcast to the world, he supported the thrust of the contribution.

Mr Savage, 51, said: “I would have loved to have been able to orchestrate such a move.

“But there simply is not the room in the town council offices or other buildings, and it is something which is not really within the town council’s capability.”

He said the salary was within the scale of salaries offered to public servants in line with his experience, the size of the authority and level of responsibility.

He pointed out that rationalisation of public service property was something the DT11 community partnership was seeking to address by finding premises in which they and a number of other voluntary organisations could be brought together.

During his term of office, Mr Savage has led the authority through a number of difficult issues, not least the “Tough Choices” agenda introduced by North Dorset District Council when it sought to transfer services and facilities to other authorities and organisations.

Under his direction the council also in 2007 drew up its first strategic and action plans, and in 2008 was the first in North Dorset to be designated a Quality Council.

Employees gathered for lunch at the Crown on Thursday to wish Mr Savage farewell and present him, amongst other gifts, with a T-shirt bearing the slogan “I love BF” (Blandford Forum).

Mr Savage’s successor, who still has to work out his notice with their previous authority, is due to be introduced to councillors at their planning meeting on Monday.

Mr Savage applied for the vacancy at Sherborne which was advertised shortly after his move from Tisbury to near the West Dorset town.

He began work there yesterday picking up the reins left by Valerie Todd who retired after 15 years with Sherborne Town Council.

He said: “It was a difficult decision to leave Blandford, but when I saw the job advertised in Sherborne it seemed like a logical progression.

“I am very happy to have got the job and my first impressions of Sherborne are that it is a very nice town.”

Eighty guests recently attended Mrs Todd’s farewell party. Sherborne’s mayor, Jane Smith, said Mrs Todd had provided loyal and dedicated service to the council.