Tom Rennie has been hired as a temporary 'transition' director to oversee the transfer of services back from Kier Group - formerly Mouchel - to the council, but his pay has been branded 'obscene'.

The agency worker is set to cost Bournemouth council £153,000 across nine months after the borough agreed to a £900-a-day contract.

The level of pay awarded to Tom Rennie as a temporary “transition” director has been branded “obscene” by an opposition councillor, while union GMB has called on the authority to "put a stop" to the appointment.

It represents a pro-rata package of £204,000 per annum, which eclipses chief executive Tony Williams’ pay of £125,000-a-year and is more than eight times the salary of an entry-level teacher.

The council has a policy of allowing the full council a vote on salaries above £100,000 – but says it did not apply in this case because it is hiring Mr Rennie's services from an agency.

Mr Rennie, who started on Monday, has moved between at least seven different public sector jobs in the last 10 years – and in 2011 it was reported that he cost Wolverhampton City Council £340,413 during a two-year stint as an £800-a-day IT contractor.

The Reading University graduate, who describes himself as a “strong leader” on his LinkedIn profile, is being charged with overseeing the transfer of services outsourced to Kier Group back into council control.

Details of his appointment have been revealed just days after the authority announced a 3.9 per cent council tax hike - the maximum increase allowed.

Chief executive Mr Williams said Mr Rennie had been hired on a contract running until October 7 following a “competitive interview process”.

“Bournemouth council chose this interim option because it gave the council the greatest opportunity to ensure the return of services, currently provided by Kier, as quickly as possible,” he said.

“The alternatives considered were to hire to a permanent position or engage an external consultancy.

“In light of the departure of the executive director for finance, the temporary recruitment of an interim director with the required skills and experience was deemed the best short-term solution.

“In this way the council is not liable for holiday, sick pay or pension contributions which it would be if a permanent post was created."

A council spokesman added that Mr Rennie, whose job title is service director – transition, will manage some other “strategic functions” while the authority finds a replacement for outgoing executive director of finance Ian Milner, who was paid £103,850 per annum.

The spokesman confirmed Mr Rennie has been hired via executive recruitment firm Penna and that the £900-a-day rate is inclusive of the agency fees and expenses.

“This level of pay is commensurate with the short-term executive nature of the role,” the spokesman said.

But Green councillor Simon Bull, one of only three opposition members comprising the Conservative-run town hall, told the Daily Echo: “We are making cuts to services and expecting residents to pay for more things – and then we are splashing out on what would seem to be an obscene amount of money on this position.”

And a spokesman for GMB said the union “frankly couldn’t believe it” when they first heard about the price of the contract.

The spokesman added: “We call on the chief executive and the leader of Bournemouth council to put a stop to this nonsense.”

Mr Rennie could not be reached for comment.

Who lives in a house like this...

MR RENNIE is currently trying to sell his "unique" countryside mansion.

Lancashire Telegraph >>>FOR SALE: Hoddlesden Hall could be yours for £800k

The 150-year-old Victorian building - complete with a wine cellar, six-seater hot tub and ceremonial canon - is on the market for £775,000.

Bournemouth council’s new £900-a-day contractor has spent thousands on renovating the three-storey Lancashire property, which consists of three bathrooms, five bedrooms, four receptions and a studio.

Its gardens comprise a tree-lined lane leading to the entrance with various lawns, terraces paved with Indian stone, cast iron feature lampposts, a water fountain and automated lighting on the pathways.

Mr Rennie purchased the property in 1998.

Keenans estate agents describe it as “historic” and “unique”.