Moves to approve the early retirement of an East Riding Council director and award her a £360,000 lump sum payout have been criticised as "scandalous".

Corporate resources director Sue Lockwood is the third senior officer at the authority to have applied for early retirement within 16 months of receiving inflation- busting pay rises.

At the time of the awards, the council claimed the £12,000-a-year increases were aimed at retaining high-calibre staff.

Since then, senior directors Huw Roberts and Barry Adams have both been allowed to take early retirement with enhanced pension packages thanks to their 2008 pay increases.

Mr Adams was granted early retirement 12 months ago while Mr Roberts was allowed to retire early in August last year with what is believed to be a six-figure lump sum payment.

Councillors on the authority's cabinet were today due to consider funding the early retirement of Ms Lockwood, who is believed to be in her mid-50s.

If agreed, she would receive a £364,205 lump sum on top of an annual pension thought to be worth at least £60,000.

The early retirement lump sum would have to be paid from existing council service budgets.

Trevor Saunders, of the East Yorkshire Eye pressure group, said: "All council pensions are heavily subsidised by the council taxpayer.

"These gold-plated pensions for council directors who take early retirement are nothing short of scandalous."

Andrew Allison, of the Hull and East Riding Taxpayers' Alliance, said the proposed payout to Mrs Lockwood – the wife of former council chief executive Darryl Stephenson – was "ridiculous".

A council spokesman said all retirements were dealt with in accordance with the nationally agreed local government pension scheme.

Councillor Stephen Parnaby, leader of the council, said: "The council is committed to making cost savings where possible while also continuing to provide a huge range of services to residents.

"To do this we need to recruit and retain top-quality staff and must have in place a salary scheme which is comparative to other local authorities and private sector equivalents."

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