EAST Riding Council's cabinet has approved spending £364,205 so a senior officer can take early retirement.

The money goes into the pension pot so that the council's £123,000-a-year corporate resources director Sue Lockwood can be paid her final salary pension.

The deal was agreed yesterday at a behind-closed-doors meeting of the cabinet.

Council human resources director David Smith refused to discuss the exact details of Mrs Lockwood's pension, except to state that the £364,205 would not be paid in a lump sum.

Mr Smith said: "That is the figure the council has to pay into the pension fund."

But he added that he was "not at liberty" to divulge the details of Mrs Lockwood's pension or her final salary, upon which it will be based.

"Anybody who retires early is entitled to a pension and a lump sum, but the details are personal to her," he added.

Yesterday, the Mail reported Mrs Lockwood would receive the money in a lump sum.

However, Mr Smith said this is a "misrepresentation", but did not disclose additional details and more explanation about the pension when pressed further by the Mail.

Mrs Lockwood, who lives in picturesque Hotham, is the third retiree from four top-paid officers who were handed £12,000 wage hikes after a pay review in late 2008.

Barry Adams, the authority's director of policy and strategy, was granted early retirement in March 2009.

And Huw Roberts, who was the council's project director for energy from waste, was allowed to take early retirement in August last year.

At the time of the pay hikes, senior councillors defended the rises by claiming they would help retain high-calibre staff.

Liberal Democrat Steve Sloan – the only member of a review panel to vote against the increases – said yesterday: "I stand by every word of what I said then and feel completely vindicated despite being criticised for speaking out.

"We were expressly told that by increasing these salaries we would be able to keep our best staff yet look what has happened.

"If we are now saying that it's fine for Sue Lockwood to leave early then what was the point of being told it was all about keeping our best staff ?"

The cabinet decision is expected to be challenged by opposition councillors through the call-in process.

That would see the issue being reviewed by a scrutiny commission before a possible full council debate.