The cost of Dartmouth Town Council clerk Chris Horan's early retirement is going to run to £60,000.

The cash – payable over three years – will go to top up the town's clerk's pension pot to allow him to retire from the post he has held for almost 15 years.

Now the council is looking at carrying out a major shake-up in its staffing structure to cover the cost.

Its personnel committee chairman Chris Smith was adamant the retirement of the town clerk would be 'cost-neutral' to the town's taxpayers.

The council is now looking at offering the job of town clerk – with a changed job description – to the current assistant clerk Tracey Rowe.

The personnel committee met last week to make that recommendation to Monday's council meeting.

The only item on last Thursday's personnel committee agenda was the 'future strategy for council administration staff'.

The committee is also recommending that Ms Rowe job be advertised but with the new title of administrative officer.

Dartmouth's 55-year-old town clerk first applied to take early retirement on compassionate grounds more than a year ago.

As early as April last year, it was revealed that the bill for his retirement would be between £50,000 and £70,000 in payments to his pension fund.

On at least two occasions the council rejected Mr Horan's application. But at the beginning of this month – in a meeting that went ahead behind closed doors with the press and public excluded – councillors agreed to his early retirement.

The council issued a statement saying Mr Horan would be retiring in June this year and acknowledging his 'long and dedicated service' to the town.

There was no mention of any costings although the statement did add: 'Dartmouth Town Council, led by its personnel committee, will now undertake consultations with its existing employees, local organisations and professional advisers on the way forward for the efficient and cost-effective administration of its affairs and further announcements will be made in the coming months.'

Last week's meeting was the first step in a process believed to be aimed at saving the council £20,000 a year in administration costs.

Mr Horan was reluctant to speak about his early retirement or any costs involved.

Cllr Smith refused to comment on any pension payments saying: 'It is cost neutral. How it is cost-neutral, that doesn't really matter. The council policy was to allow early retirement as long at it is on a cost-neutral basis. I don't want to go into any figures at this stage because I don't think it is right.'

Of last week's meeting he said: 'This is the start of a consultative period on restructuring the administration of the council. It could take anything up to nine months.'