A SENIOR officer is set to receive a one-off golden goodbye of more than £200,000 from Basildon Council.

The unnamed senior officer is reported to be receiving £153,000 in pension contributions, as well as a further £67,000 in redundancy payments after a management restructure.

The officer’s severance package could be approved in full by Basildon Council tonight during a private meeting.

A spokesman for Basildon Council said: “Approval will be sought from council for a severance package for a member of staff.

“This will be a closed discussion and the report is confidential.

“We are unable to disclose detail of any individual’s terms.”

A source told the Echo it is expected the payments to the officer will be paid out of Basildon Council’s budgeted reserves.

They said: “I cannot say who the officer is, however, they have been working for the council for a long time and I think they now want to go.

“This cash is going to help top up the officer’s retirement funding, I guess you could say it is a golden goodbye to them.

“If I were to receive that kind of money, I would certainly think it as that.”

The council declined to confirm the amounts.

The public and press have been excluded from attending the discussion on the officer’s severance.

Basildon Council claimed despite the large reported figure for the officer’s redundancy, the agreement will be a part of major plans which will result in huge savings for taxpayers in the longer term.

The council spokesman added: “We can say that this post has become redundant due to a wide-ranging management restructure that has already saved the council more than £500,000 a year.

“Furthermore, we can confirm that the policy of the council is to pay what it is statutorily and contractually required to pay in the event of redundancy, no more and no less.”

The council will meet at 7.30pm today where the severance package will be one of a number of items due to be agreed.