Councillors have slammed a “disgraceful” deal that allows a town hall chief executive to cut short his working week but keep the same bumper pay and perks.

Three Rivers District Council voted on Tuesday night to allow Chief Executive Dr Steven Halls to reduce his working week to four days.

Dr Halls, who earns £116,181 a year, took up his role at the Rickmansworth based authority in 2003.

The council’s dominant Liberal Democrat Group claim the deal still represents good value, adding that Dr Halls has overseen strong improvements.

Opposition councillors, however, pilloried the decision - made at a behind closed doors meeting to which the Watford Observer was not allowed to attend.

Conservative councillor Tony Barton said: “Quite frankly we feel this is a disgrace. Given the current economic climate, when people are being pushed out of their jobs left,right and centre; when rate payers are struggling to pay their council tax - this is unacceptable.

“Nobody has anything against Stephen personally but we feel very strongly about this. I bet most employees would love a long weekend every week but they don’t have that option.”

The deal, claim the council’s dominant Liberal Democrat group, represents “the most economical” approach to retaining the services of man credited with having a very positive impact on the organisation, It is feared that without the deal Dr Halls, who’s family home is in Nottingham, would have left his position -leaving the council with a costly recruitment headache. His amended deal, its leaders claim, is the best economic decision available to them.

Liberal Democrat Council Leader Ann Shaw defended the deal, describing it as a the best option for taxpayers. She said: “This is not an easy option, but we have adopted an open honest approach to the proposal. We knew political criticism was inevitable - this is a radical plan.

“But we have considered it very carefully and we have no doubt that this new arrangement offers the best value to local residents both in financial and service terms. It is a sensible protection of the public interest. ”

Councillor Matthew Bedford, responsible for overseeing council spending, said the deal was necessary to stablise the organisation’s leadership as it undergoes continued structural changes.

After what has been described as a “heated” and “passionate” debate, the measure was agreed by majority decision.