THE current chief executive of Oxfordshire County Council will receive a pay-out of nearly £260,000 as a plan to work more closely with a district council draws closer.

The county council is expected to formally agree to pick Yvonne Rees as its new joint chief executive with Cherwell District Council at a meeting this afternoon. Current county council boss Peter Clark is solely responsible for the county council.

Ms Rees is currently the joint chief executive of Cherwell District Council and South Northamptonshire Council but the latter authority will be abolished later as part of local government reorganisation in Northamptonshire.

As part of new closer working arrangements, Ms Rees will work for the county council and Cherwell council. Her annual salary will be £190,000. Of that, £115,900 will be paid for by the county council and will be subject to review in six months. Ms Rees’ current salary is £147,932.50.

Mr Clark’s redundancy payment will be only paid for by the county council. In council papers, it is noted he will receive a redundancy payment of £151,000, pension costs of £19,000 and pay in lieu of six months’ notice of £89,250.

His annual salary is £175,000.

It is understood he will leave his post in September; Ms Rees will start in her new joint job on October 1.

The implications for Cherwell council will be considered at meetings over coming months.

Mr Clark was selected as the council's head of paid service in July 2015 and appointed to the role that September, replacing Joanna Simons. He had formerly worked as the council’s chief legal officer.