A RECRUITMENT search for a new chief finance officer for Herefordshire Council has been capped at £20,000.

The council has a statutory requirement to employ a section 151 officer to handle the on-going budget under increasing challenges.

Following the resignation of Peter Robinson in September and the appointment of an interim officer, a nationwide search will be made to fill the permanent post.

The council will pay a specialist agency to recruit a new officer, and the costs for recruitment are capped at £20,000.

Head of HR, Tracey Sampson, told an employment panel meeting: "The search last time cost us £25,000. It is reasonable to demonstrate we are driving costs down."

She said they are expecting the costs to be well under £20,000 and said the agency have the skills to find the right person.

Cllr Sebastian Bowen said the council need to stress it is a national search, not a local one. He added: "It is good value, not poor value."

Tony Johnson, leader of the council, said there will still be members of the public who will think the £20,000 is a lot of money.

He said: "When we are seeking to employ somebody as important as this, it is particularly important we get the right person in. The council gets through £1m a day in taxpayers money- we want someone who knows his left from his right to be in charge of that."

The role has been refined so it no longer includes Hoople MD designate or IT.

Cllr Anthony Powers queried whether the salary would be the same as before.

Ms Sampson said it would be, as the Hoople position was added to the role after the salary was agreed.

Herefordshire Council's pay policy statement 2016 said the section 151 officer is paid £98,221.

Cllr Powers also questioned whether the council would be able to recruit someone in the time frame and added: "It will be known that the previous postholder resigned in the circumstances he did."

But Alistair Neill, chief executive officer, said the council had a rising reputation both regionally and nationally and they had no trouble finding an interim officer.

Councillors agreed to approve the recruitment of a chief finance officer.

Following an FOI request, the council said Peter Robinson did not receive any severance pay.