Opposition figures in Caerphilly have questioned the county borough council’s spending on top officer salaries, accusing the local authority of “empire building”.

Plaid Cymru councillor Colin Mann argued money would be better spent on frontline services rather than executives.

But the council’s leader has fought back, accusing Plaid of making “misleading and inaccurate statements”.

Caerphilly’s Plaid group claimed council spending on top officers had increased by 41% between the two most recent years on record.

The financial accounts for 2023/24 – which are the most recent available – also showed the amount the council paid out in redundancies more than doubled from the previous year, with one payoff in the range of £80,000 to £100,000, Plaid said.

“Back in 2023, I warned that the appointment of two more top officers at a cost of........

© South Wales Argus