A KC is to be drafted in to review how early retirement packages handed out to senior Glasgow City Council officials, including the former chief executive, were approved.

Annemarie O’Donnell received a £357,845 ‘in year’ contribution to her pension when she left the council earlier this year.

Elaine Galletly, former Director of Legal and Administration, received a £223,065 pension contribution and £59,971 for ‘compensation for loss of office’.

READ NEXT: Chief executive of Glasgow City Council to step down

It has emerged that no politicians approved the terms of the payouts.

After the payments were revealed, the council leader, Susan Aitken, City Treasurer, Ricky Bell, and Labour group leader, George Redmond, raised concerns, the Daily Record reported.

Susan Aitken has now told the new Chief Executive, Susanne Miller, to change the process to see councillors given a role in approving pay-outs.

Aitken, Bell and Redmond were not aware of the scale of the payouts until the 2023/2024 Annual Account Remuneration Report was published.

Details of payments to another two officials are reportedly also part of the review.

Ms O’Donnell announced In January this year she was intending to step down once a successor had been appointed.

A spokesperson for Glasgow City Council, said: “Glasgow City Council has never had a process whereby enhanced terms for individual senior officers are approved by councillors, and therefore it was not approved by the Leader or any member of the administration.

“The Leader has instructed the chief executive to put in place a new process to ensure that councillors are at the very least consulted in advance of any such service reform and have a role in approving them.

“She has also instructed the chief executive to look into whether our existing approval processes have been properly followed.

“The chief executive has alerted the council’s external auditors and is engaging a KC to carry out a review of the full circumstances leading to the approval of these payments.”