Richmond and Kingston residents will foot the bill for a £52,000 send-off for the chief executive of the boroughs’ children’s services as he prepares to enter semi-retirement.

Nick Whitfield, who heads Achieving for Children (AfC), announced his decision to reduce his workload initially to four days and then three days a week in an email to headteachers on June 15.

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Mr Whitfield will remain the chief executive of AfC but relinquish the position of director of children’s services, which will be filled internally by Richmond and Kingston councils.

As part of the deal the two local authorities will jointly give Mr Whitfield a one-off payment of £52,125, as recommended in a cabinet report by leader of Richmond, Lord True.

In a statement Mr Whitfield thanked the councils for accepting his request for semi-retirement, saying it would allow him to ensure AfC survives ‘challenging financial times’.

He also said the move mean he will to work for AfC longer than he intended to otherwise.

The leader of Richmond’s opposition, Councillor Gareth Roberts, questioned the size of the payment especially, he said, because the semi-retirement was requested rather than enforced.

Cllr Roberts said: “Many residents will be justifiably concerned at the size of this one off payment.

“Given that this partial retirement was requested rather enforced, one would have hoped that the Tories would have been able to negotiate a better deal but evidently they were told to go whistle. “A massive payment to an individual will stick in the throat for many residents.”

Cllr Roberts also criticised the Conservative-led council for presenting the decision as being made already, despite the fact it still needs to be officially approved.

He said: “This episode calls into question the accountability of AfC.

“This decision will be approved by council next week yet it has already been presented as a fait accompli by AFC in an email to staff and school heads.

“The decision has been taken and the council and cabinet has been reduced to little more than a rubber stamp.”

In his report, Lord True also recommended the new director of children’s services will receive a salary in the range of £118,842 to £127,038.

Mr Whitfield said the new director of children’s services would be appointed in the ‘coming weeks’, and have control over the ‘day-to-day’ operations for services in Richmond and Kingston.

He told headteachers he will also be holding a ‘flexible retirement function’ at a date to be announced.