Former York Council director denies leaving for pension pay-out
Neil Ferris says he left over a deeply flawed restructure
A former York Council director has said a deeply flawed restructure saw him leave the job he loved but denied he was focused on securing a six-figure pension pay-out.
Neil Ferris told an employment tribunal hearing he desperately wanted to stay on as corporate director of place and he believed removing the role risked making little to no savings.
But he denied he had been unwilling to consider the offer of an alternative director of city development role or engage with the consultation process on the restructure.
The comments came during the second day of the tribunal hearing into the case brought by Mr Ferris against the council, on Wednesday, October 29.
Former Corporate Director of Place Mr Ferris, who oversaw major projects including York Central infrastructure, the Station Gateway scheme and flood defences worth £100m, left the authority in August 2024.
His departure followed a restructure which began in January last year with proposals to change the council’s senior officer structure.
The proposals included removing his post and four others and created three new roles and later the director of city development job he turned down before leaving.
The tribunal, presided over by Employment Judge Ian Miller, is set to rule on whether Mr Ferris is entitled to statutory redundancy payment.
It is also set to decide whether the role the council offered him was a suitable alternative or if he had been unreasonable in turning it down.
In his witness statement lodged as part of the proceedings, Mr Ferris said his 30-year career saw him reach the most senior levels of local government.
He claimed the director of city development role he was offered was cobbled together once the council became aware of the cost of removing his existing post.
Mr Ferris’ 55th birthday fell in July, meaning the council would have had to cover his early retirement costs if it made him redundant afterwards.
Council Chief Operating Officer Ian Floyd told the tribunal the pension strain cost would have been in the region of £350,000.
Mr Ferris claimed the offer of the director of city development job aimed to move him on while avoiding a large cost.
He added taking the job and going from being responsible for more than 700 staff to a 24-strong team which would have had a chilling effect on his career.
The tribunal heard a number of functions from the removed corporate director of place role would be transferred to other posts.
But Mr Floyd told the tribunal on Wednesday Mr Ferris’ tone in correspondence during the restructure was aggressive.
He added Mr Ferris had dismissed the director of city development role as a non-job and closed down the possibility of considering it.
The chief operating officer also said the director of city development was still a high-profile role that was designed to make the council more focused and shape relationships with other stakeholders.
Mr Floyd said the council had wanted to find a way to accommodate Mr Ferris.
Responding to the authority’s legal counsel Iris Ferber KC’s questions, Mr Ferris said offering him a post on the same level as staff who previously reported to him felt personal.
He added he had approached the process both as someone personally affected by it and from the standpoint of how it could impact on the council more broadly.
But he denied that he felt the whole process was a sham or that he was mainly motivated by his pension.
Mr Ferris said: “I’m not suggesting that the whole process is a sham, I didn’t consider the role suitable.
“My view was that the director of city development role was a role without substance that would have left me in an untenable position.
“The process was legitimate but the consequences were personal.
“My heartfelt desire was to have what I considered to be a suitable employment opportunity, my view was there wasn’t one.
“The process was deeply flawed because it wouldn’t deliver savings and because it flattened the structure while retaining corporate directors.”
The tribunal hearing continues.