Chief executive of county council agrees to take temporary period of absence

The chief executive of a county council in Wales has agreed to take a period of absence with immediate effect.

Bryn Parry-Jones’s position has been under scrutiny since a report from the Wales Audit Office found that a decision by Pembrokeshire County Council to allow senior officers to receive payments equivalent to the employers’ pension contributions if they opted out of the Local Government Pension Scheme was unlawful.

Payments made to officers so that they could make their own arrangements for saving for retirement were also “contrary to law”, the Assistant Auditor General for Wales Anthony Barrett said.

In March this year Parry survived a vote of no confidence. In July, the council voted not to reclaim the money.

Pembrokeshire’s Leader, Cllr Jamie Adams, said: "This decision has been taken in view of the continuing speculation surrounding the chief executive's position.

"It has been reached by mutual agreement between Mr Parry-Jones and myself and I believe is in the best interests of the authority at the present time.

"There will be no further statements on this matter."