A trio of senior officers at Kent County Council (KCC) were paid more than £200,000 last year, a survey of local government pay has revealed.

David Cockburn, KCC’s most senior officer, was paid £207,884 in 2020-21 but his overall remuneration once pension contributions and expenses were included was £263,371.

That secured the corporate director of strategic services 17th place among the country’s top 20 highest council earners.

The county council’s children’s services director, Matt Dunkerly, was the second highest paid official at County Hall, earning £204,228 but £247,393 once pension contributions and expenses were added.

The recently-retired director of growth, environment and transport, Barbara Cooper, saw her overall remuneration package total £225,293 including a salary of £174,000.

The figures come in an annual survey of salaries paid to local government’s most senior staff by the Taxpayers Alliance, a lobby group that campaigns on expenditure in the public sector.

Kent County Council had a total of 26 employees earning above £100,000, including its corporate board of directors.

There were 18 earning above £100,000, who are not named in the list, the same number as last year.

Andrew Scott, the council’s former director of public health who recently retired, earned £117,432. An unidentified executive director received a pay package of £152,500.

The issue of executive pay is sensitive at a time when many families are struggling with household bills, including council tax.

KCC appears to have exercised some restraint – in the previous year’s survey, there were two unidentified senior officers earning £192,500 but it seems they no longer work for the authority.

A KCC spokesman said: “These are important roles which require specialist knowledge and experience, and when we go out to recruit we have to pay the market rate for the job.

“There is no need for any resident to wait for the Taxpayers Alliance’s annual ‘rich list’ press release as our directors’ salaries are readily available online 365 days a year.”

Medway Council's chief executive Neil Davies saw his overall remuneration in the same year at £179,793 of which £145,044 was salary.

A second senior director, whose identity and job title were not provided, saw overall remuneration of £152,500.

In total, there were 13 senior staff earning more than £100,000.

Under transparency rules, councils are only required to provide names where earnings exceed £150,000 although some opt to identify them.