The Employment Committee of Lancashire County Council met on Wednesday, 15th April 2026, to approve the extension of the secondment of the Chief Executive to the Lancashire Combined County Authority. The committee also approved remuneration policies and pay scales for Local Pensions Partnership Administration and Investments.

Extension of Chief Executive's Secondment to Lancashire Combined County Authority

The committee approved the extension of the partial secondment of the county council's Chief Executive and Head of Paid Service, Mark Winn, to the Lancashire Combined County Authority (LCCA) for a further 12-month period, from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027. Mr. Winn will continue to serve as the LCCA's Chief Finance Officer (Section 73 Officer). This arrangement is in place until the LCCA can recruit its own permanent staff.

Councillor Ged Mirfin expressed concerns about the potential impact of this extended secondment on Mr. Winn's workload and health, particularly in light of the rapidly changing agenda due to Local Government Reorganisation (LGR). He also voiced dissatisfaction with recent appointments to the LCCA.

Jacquie McGeachie, Interim Director of People Services, explained that the LCCA currently relies on constituent members for operational costs and that a meeting with the Minister was scheduled to seek capacity funding, potentially around £2 million. She noted that if successful, the secondment arrangement could be reviewed.

Councillor Azhar Ali OBE acknowledged Councillor Mirfin's concerns regarding workload but emphasised the need for all partners to collaborate during the infancy of new structures like the LCCA. He highlighted that the county council now has a strong senior management team in place, capable of managing the workload, and suggested a review of the arrangement in three to six months.

Local Pensions Partnership Remuneration Policies

In a part of the meeting closed to the press and public, the committee approved proposed changes to the remuneration policies and 2026/27 pay scales for Local Pensions Partnership - Administration and Local Pensions Partnership - Investments. Peter George, Head of Service Pension Fund Client, presented the report, stating that these approvals were necessary to facilitate the recruitment and retention of qualified staff within these companies, in which Lancashire County Council is a shareholder.

The approved changes include:

• The proposed changes to the Local Pensions Partnership Administration Remuneration Policy.
• The Local Pensions Partnership Administration pay grade structure for 2026/27.
• The Local Pensions Partnership Investments Remuneration Policy.
• The Local Pensions Partnership Investments pay grade structure for 2026/27.

The committee also confirmed the minutes of previous meetings held on 27 January 2026, 10 February 2026, and 16 February 2026. The next meeting of the Employment Committee was scheduled for Tuesday, 16 June 2026, at 1pm.