NINE Hampshire council bosses have gold-plated pension pots worth more than £1m, the Daily Echo can reveal.

County chiefs are bracing themselves for new “full disclosure regulations” forcing local authorities to publish what the top earners get in pay, pensions, redundancy pay-offs, bonuses and special allowances.

The changes mean councils will no longer be able to refuse to provide this information.

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The Government’s aim is to control spiralling council pay and make local authorities more transparent. But a report to be considered by council leader, Councillor Ken Thornber, today recommends asking Whitehall for pensions to be kept secret.

The report says “just nine” of the thousands of employees who belong to Hampshire Pension Fund, a local government final salary scheme, have pension pots in excess of £1m.

Officers say it could be “misleading” to publish savings pots because sums vary depending on length of service and age as well as pay. They argue this will make comparisons between officers and other councils confusing.

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