Nottingham City Council’s senior pay arrangements and workforce pay structure for 2026/27 are set to be reviewed by councillors next week as part of its annual statutory pay policy process.
A report ahead of the council’s Appointments and Conditions of Service Committee meeting on 3 February 2026 introduces the Pay Policy Statement for 2026/27, which sets out how senior pay compares with the wider workforce and explains the authority’s approach to pay, conditions, and transparency.
The statement must ultimately be approved by Full Council by the end of March each year under the Localism Act 2011.
The data in the statement is based on pay levels as of 31 October 2025, after the implementation of national pay awards for 2025/26.
Pay Policy Statement 2026–27
The council’s Chief Executive received an all-inclusive salary of £202,040, which is 5.6 times the average pay of other council employees when allowances are included and 5.7 times when allowances are excluded. This represents an increase from the previous year’s ratio of 5.2:1.
Across the senior leadership team, the average Chief Officer salary was £144,617, compared with an average salary of £36,146 for non-Chief Officers, producing a pay multiple of 4.0:1. This is also higher than the ratio reported in the 2025/26 statement, when the figure was 3.6:1. The gap between median Chief Officer pay and median non-Chief Officer pay widened to 3.8:1, up from 3.6:1 the previous year.
For broader context, the council reported that its median pay multiple was 6:1 during the reporting period and that Nottingham ranked joint fifth among the UK’s core cities for the gap between the highest-paid and median-paid employees in 2025/26, with a ratio of 5.6:1.
The statement also sets out the position of the lowest-paid staff. The council defines its lowest-paid employee as someone on Grade B, Level 1, with a basic salary of £24,413, excluding apprentices paid at the national minimum wage.
The council says its lowest hourly rate exceeds both the national minimum wage and the national living wage.
The document confirms that Nottingham City Council does not pay bonuses or performance-related pay to Chief Officers and does not currently plan to introduce “earn-back” pay arrangements that would place a portion of senior salaries at risk. Incremental pay progression for senior leadership staff is linked to satisfactory performance, and incremental progression for Corporate and Strategic Directors is due to be introduced from 2026.
Additional payments to Chief Officers between April and October 2025 totalled £41,430, covering additional responsibilities, market supplements, mileage, and standby payments.
The council reported that no Chief Officer posts were receiving market supplements or recruitment and retention payments as of 31 October 2025.
The statement also outlines the council’s approach to recruitment, pay progression, termination payments, pensions, and re-employment of former Chief Officers, as well as its commitment to complying with tax legislation and national pay frameworks.
The council does not currently have shared senior management arrangements with other organisations.
Financially, the report states that the pay figures are based on existing salary levels funded within the council’s medium-term financial plan, with no additional financial implications arising directly from the Pay Policy Statement itself.
The committee is being asked to note the Pay Policy Statement before it is presented to Full Council in March 2026 for formal approval.
If approved, the statement will set the framework for senior pay and workforce pay policy for the 2026/27 financial year, as required by national legislation.
