Bournemouth Borough Council has come under fire for paying a recruitment agency four times the value of its transport chief’s salary to fill the position.
The council was charged £206,000 from agency Penna for James Duncan’s services in the £50,603 post between 29 January 2008 and 1 February 2009.
The council admitted the fee was ‘a lot’ but defended the action, saying it was the ‘market rate’ for quality. Mike Holmes, service director of planning and transport, said: ‘We do not want to be paying more than necessary but, after advertising twice, we have failed to attract the calibre of person necessary to fill the position.
‘It was always the intention to readvertise this post on conclusion of our equal pay review, which is now scheduled for this summer.’
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