The managing director role at FuturePlaces, a council-owned company, was never advertised and was given directly to the preferred candidate of former council leader Drew Mellor, a report has revealed.
The investigation found that Gail Mayhew was promised the £150,000-a-year role, which also included private health care, before being the only person interviewed. In May 2021, months before her appointment, she invoiced the council for travel, accommodation, and legal advice.
Between July and November 2021 she was paid £900 a day as a consultant, above the usual £600 rate. Her company invoiced £57,600 for 64 days up to October, followed by £18,610 for that month alone, before she became a full employee in November.
Soon after her appointment, she proposed hiring senior staff including a chief operating officer and an engagement officer, with salaries of £145,000 and £100,000. The chief operating officer, Craig Beevers, was initially employed on a consultancy basis costing more than £104,000 before moving onto a direct salary of £145,000.
The report shows FuturePlaces recorded heavy losses, with taxpayers ultimately covering £5.3 million. It also confirms that by March 2023 the company had posted a loss of £3.25 million.
FuturePlaces was dissolved by BCP Council in December last year. A second part of the report will be published in October.
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