Town Hall Rich List findings hit home in Canvey Island

The TPA team was out and about in Essex last week, talking to local residents on the streets of Canvey Island. 

According to our research for Town Hall Rich List 2025, not one but two senior executives at Castle Point Borough Council were among the top ten highest remunerated council employees across the country for 2023-2024. One received an astonishing £565,000, largely due to a £469,000 compensation package for loss of office; the other was the recipient of £339,000 with a pay-out of £236,000. 

Individuals we spoke to on Canvey Island’s high street were outraged by these figures. In our high street poll, almost every respondent voted “no” when asked whether they believed these council bosses deserved such high levels of remuneration.

 As council taxes have risen, so too have council boss salaries. A particular source of frustration for many of the residents we spoke to was the unfairness of council tax hikes at a time when many families are already under pressure from the wider cost of living crisis. One pensioner told us that she felt completely sidelined by the local authority, who she felt treated her as if she were unintelligent, and no longer a valuable member of the community. Another highlighted the ongoing scourge of potholes on local roads that the council has so far failed to repair despite their increased revenue from higher council taxes. One couple who had lived in the area since 1984 shared that they had finally “given up” on the local situation improving, and were about to move to another county.

We also invited the Canvey Islanders we spoke to to sign our petition calling on local authorities to prioritise responsible spending and put an end to excessive council tax increases.

Speaking directly to residents of such a mismanaged council as Castle Point has further reinforced the importance of our campaign to stop council tax hikes. It is clear that taxpayers across the country are demanding greater accountability, transparency, and value for money from local government, and we are determined to keep up the pressure on councils like Castle Point to deliver exactly that.