COUNCIL leaders and their deputies will meet on Thursday evening to draw up a shortlist of applicants for the town hall's top job.

Head-hunters have been searching for a new chief executive to lead the authority since October.

Recruitment consultants Penna began advertsing the position in December - and the new boss should be in place by April.

The move has already caused rows at Wallasey Town Hall, which will no doubt resurface this week - although the meeting will be held behind closed doors.

Leader of Wirral Tory group Cllr Jeff Green has said the possibility of sharing a chief executive with another authority should have been explored before pressing ahead.

He then objected to the ruling Labour group's intention to increase the salary from £135,000 to £175,000 per year, slammimg the rise as “excessive” and saying the combined costs of pay and pension would result in “£1m over five years going to just one person.”

Labour council leader Cllr Phil Davies "profoundly disagreed" with the Conservative idea of sharing a CEO, believing Wirral is sufficiently large and important enough to merit its own chief.

And he told the Globe in November: "I don't think the proposed pay increase is excessive. The reality is we are going to want the best candidates for a competitive salary, otherwise they will be attracted by other authorities.

"Clearly, when we appoint the new chief executive their main task will be to generate more savings.

"They will have to deliver savings far in excess of their salary. In a way, it's an 'invest to save' move.

"It's not out of kilter with the level of salaries offered by neighbouring authorities; we need to offer the high salary to the best candidate.

"Wirral is second to bottom of the chief executive pay. In an ideal world you wouldn't want to pay that level of salary, but that's the situation we are in.

"Those critising the proposal need to get real."

A council spokesman would only say there has been "strong interest" in the job, although the number of people shorlisted for interview will be disclosed after the appointments panel meeting on Friday.

Graham Burgess, who held the job for two years and three months, surprised almost everyone at a meeting of the cabinet in October when he announced his intention to take early retirement.

He quit the council on New Year's Eve.