An investigation by the Taxpayers’ Alliance has found that the former Chief Executive's estate was paid £142,733 after Mr Marchant’s death in 2021.

Elliot Keck, investigations campaign manager at the Taxpayers' Alliance said: "Castle Point Council have serious questions to answer regarding the nature of this payment. This looks to be a highly unusual use of taxpayers' money, with a six-figure sum paid out based on seemingly spurious grounds with little transparency. The council needs to be completely open about how, when and why this payment was made and the justification behind it." 

Rebecca Harris has expressed her concern about unelected officials making decisions with taxpayer money about pay and conditions, she has commented: “This is deeply concerning. This is a very substantial sum of taxpayer money and if it was spent without the proper authority of elected Councillors then there should be serious consequences. The Council need to get to the bottom of this as soon as possible and be fully transparent to the public.”

CPBC paid the £147K “in lieu of annual leave”, which was agreed in Mr Marchant’s contract. The incumbent Conservative party leader in Castle Point, Cllr Beverley Egan, says she was also unaware of this contract awarded in 2005. Furthermore, she believes that until Andrew Sheldon (former council leader) first tried to investigate, no councillors were aware of the situation. 

Rebecca has called on the Council to publish the details of these investigations and make them public for the sake of local taxpayers.