THE man who was responsible for the controversial street light switch off in Essex was given a £116,000 golden goodbye.

Robert Overall, who was the executive director for highways at Essex County Council between 2008 and 2014, left the Tory administration last June just months after the lights went out around Colchester, Tendring and the Braintree areas.

He was head of the transport department when the original part-night lighting decision was made in June 2011, and was paid £116,663 as “compensation for loss of employment” in 2014/15.

County Hall hopes to save £1.4million a year by switching off the lights.

In a bid to turn the street lights back on, Colchester Council offered to pay up to £185,000 to Essex County Council, while Tendring Council set aside £160,000.

Julie Young, leader of the opposition Labour group at County Hall, said: “During the pilot of part-night lighting, he would have had a major part in terms of overseeing policy.

“I think it was felt at the time he did not fit in with the new model of being a commissioning authority and the traditional role of highways director was phased out.

“We thought he had disappeared from the council, but £116,000 is a significant sum to pay one person. That’s probably his pay for a year and he’s probably in another job, while being £100,000 better off.”

Mike Mackrory, leader of the Lib Dems, added: “This amount of money has shocked me as I thought it was a mutual decision as he was having health problems.

It’s a huge sum of money, because the job he is doing is still clearly there.

“I’m not sure it meets the criteria of the definition of redundancy.”

David Finch, Essex County Council’s leader, said the payment to Mr Overall was a redundancy package, but his role in 2014/15 – as director for place commissioning – was given to Sonia Davidson-Grant.

Mr Overall, who has since pursued a career in consultancy, was paid £28,667 from April to June, and took home £193,804 in 2013/14 – the last year he was highways boss and the year street lights were turned off.

Mr Overall also acted as deputy chief executive at the authority up until his departure.

He was one of two people to be paid more than £100,000 to be made compulsory redundant last year.