CONCERNS have been raised about costs to Southampton taxpayers as the chief executive of the city council is due to leave next month.

Southampton City Council has confirmed that chief executive, Sandy Hopkins will be leaving at the end of February.

It comes just three years after she took on the role having previously led both Havant Borough Council and East Hampshire District Council.

According to the city council’s pay policy, she currently earns £189,180 annually.

However, opposition councillors have raised concerns that the “restructuring” at the local authority is coming as a “huge cost” to taxpayers.

Leader of the council, Cllr Daniel Fitzhenry, said: “Since taking control of the council in May 2021, we have reviewed our vision for the city and the council. We believe that realising the changing ambitions and overseeing this next phase of delivery now requires a different style of leadership from our role of chief executive.

“Therefore, we have agreed that Sandy Hopkins will be leaving at the end of February and of course I wish her every success. I would like to put on record my thanks to Sandy, who has done a fantastic job over the last three years.

“Sandy has led the council’s excellent response to the unprecedented challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic whilst also driving improvements in the organisation and ensuring day to day services and longer-term aims were delivered including our city’s bid to be UK City of Culture in 2025.

“To ensure continuity, an internal candidate will be selected to cover the acting up arrangements until a full recruitment process has been undertaken.”

In addition to a degree in English and History, Ms Hopkins has a Masters in Business Administration and a Diploma in Marketing.

Leader of the opposition, Cllr Satvir Kaur, told the Echo: “As a Labour group we would like to thank Sandy Hopkins for all her hard work and commitment to Southampton.

“This unnecessary restructuring is coming at a huge cost to local taxpayers, at a time when Conservatives are putting leisure centres like St Mary’s under threat.

“It is a situation and cost that can be easily avoided, but instead acts as yet another example of this new Conservative council’s determination to waste taxpayers’ money.”

This comes as the Tax Payers' Alliance's Town Hall Rich List 2021 shows that at least 2,802 people employed by local authorities in 2019-20 received more than £100,000 in total remuneration with the top 20 highest paid all earning over £270,000.

Cllr Leggett, shadow cabinet member for customer services and transformation, said: “When discussed by the governance committee earlier this week it was clear the Conservatives have no idea what they’re doing.

“The leader of the council claims he wants a new style of leadership, but failed to articulate what this new style is.Why should tax-payers be paying for more Conservative incompetence?”