Merseyside council set to get new 236k boss

There have been quite a few changes at the council over the last year

Wirral Council is set to get a new top boss if the local authority can fill the position at a key meeting next week. Former finance director Matthew Bennett is currently chief executive at the local authority on an interim basis.

Mr Bennett was appointed to the position by councillors in October 2025, shortly before it was announced the previous chief executive Paul Satoor was resigning. Mr Satoor was understood to have been off sick since June that year.

Now at a staffing committee on January 29, councillors will meet in private to appoint someone to the role on a permanent basis. This would be the latest leadership development at the cash-strapped local authority which has seen a number of significant changes over the last year.

In May 2025, a new council leader and deputy leader was elected with Rock Ferry councillor Paula Basnett taking on the council’s top political job. Cllr Julie McManus was elected as her deputy.

Over the summer, neighbourhoods director Jason Gooding took over as acting chief executive while Mr Satoor was absent. Former regeneration director Marcus Shaw was also absent from work in July before leaving the local authority in August.

According to the local authority’s unaudited accounts between April 2024 and March 2025, the money paid to Mr Satoor was £235,971. This includes a £34,151 pension contribution.

Whoever will be appointed to the top officer position in the council will have a difficult task ahead. The council is facing what could be a £30m budget black hole that needs to be closed.

Wirral Council will need to set a balanced budget before the new financial year in April 2026 or face declaring bankruptcy. Mr Bennett previously said the situation was dire and an initial funding announcement from the government did not reflect the challenges faced in Wirral, which has little backup reserves left.

Between 2027 and 2028, government funding for the local authority is also expected to decrease. Over the next three years, council tax could increase by £37m.

A number of key decisions have been made to try and balance the books following the findings of a taskforce appointed by Cllr Basnett last year.

These include changes to a council tax reduction scheme, home to school transport, as well as number of services for those in care.

It is the Local Government Association’s (LGA) view, similar to that of Wirral Council officers, that the council will need another bailout to balance its budget in 2026.

If the government does not provide this, the LGA see it as “likely” the council will declare bankruptcy and issued a Section 114 notice.

This would be the third time the council has asked for a bailout with £27.5m given to the council earlier this year. Bailouts in 2021 and 2025 have added nearly £40m to the council’s debt which will now need to be paid back from the budget for day to day services.