Despite years of budget cuts and efficiency savings in local government, one area of spending never seems to be affected: the pay of senior executives. A report earlier this week from the TaxPayers’ Alliance disclosed how the number of town hall bosses paid more than the Prime Minister has actually increased recently. In 2015/16, 539 council staff in England and Wales took home at least £150,000 in pay and other benefits – 53 more than the year before.

The study also found that 2,314 council employees were paid £100,000 or more – an increase of 89 on the previous year. Some employees will have moved into higher pay brackets through promotion or inflation-linked packages. But since local authorities are supposed to be doing more for less, this trend is hard to explain other than to conclude that executives are looking after themselves at the expense of local people.

As we report, council bosses who are happy to pay themselves excessive salaries have no compunction in shutting down playgrounds and blaming budget cuts. How expensive can it be to maintain a playground? Moreover, the long-term impact on healthcare costs of obesity among children needs to be taken into account when removing the few areas they have in which to exercise. Since 2014, hundreds of playgrounds have shut with many more earmarked for closure.