Former Olympic chief receives £373,000 pension

MORE THAN £2.8 million was paid to officials at the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) in the form of exit payments in 2012-13.

A total of 144 staff were given redundancy payments after being given per manent contracts, despite the authority winding down in 2014.

Dennis Hone, the ODA’s chief executive received an £80,000 exit payment and an immediate pension of £373,000.

The ODA’s annual report and accounts said Mr Hone, now chief executive of the London Legacy Development Corporation, was entitled to statutory redundancy pay and a terminal bonus equivalent to 60% of his salary.

It said: “The remuneration committee decided to award a terminal bonus of 49% of his salary and to defer 50% of the bonus until the completion of the sale of EastVillage.”

The ODA’s director of transport, Hugh Sumner, also received £73,000 in exit payments, while director of venues and infrastructure, Simon Wright, received £72,000.

An ODA spokesman said: “We needed to recruit and pay for the best talent from the private and public sectors, requiring people in many cases to give up secure long-term jobs elsewhere , with no certainty of the project’s success or getting a job after the games.

“The exit payments for staff other than our former chief executive, Dennis Hone, are limited to statutory redundancy pay, any leave they were unable to take before their employment ended, and, where appropriate, payment in lieu of notice.”

Picture: PA. Dennis Hone.