If you get it, your rewards will be: £195,000 salary. A car loan scheme and...a FREE Swindon Card!

SWINDON'S new council boss can expect a pay packet of at least £195,000 and a free Swindon Card.

The council yesterday launched its hunt for a replacement for outgoing chief executive Sir Mike Pitt.

The application pack for the council's top job says the successful candidate can look forward to a salary of £170,000 a year but "more will be available for an exceptional candidate."

On top there is a potential 15 per cent performance bonus taking total pay to £195,500, 30 days holiday entitlement, a car loan scheme, an onsite nursery and a free Swindon Card.

For all these things, the borough gets a person "required to work the hours necessary for the perform-ance of the full range of duties, including attendance at council and committee meetings, often held outside normal office hours.

"If appointed, you must undertake not to engage in any other business or take up any other additional employment or appointment without the express consent of the council," the application form says.

Applications close on June 5 with initial interviews starting on June 12.

Council leader Mike Bawden (Con, Old Town and Lawn) said Sir Mike had agreed to stay on until his replacement was appointed.

He said the council expected that most applicants would come from unitary author-ities, London boroughs or the civil service.

Sir Mike has agreed to stay on until September 30 if necessary.

But Coun Bawden said that he did not expect the offer of a free Swindon Card to sway potential candidates.

"A person of that sort of salary is not going to worry about a Swindon Card," he said.

He said that the card was given to all council staff.

Coun Bawden said candid-ates would be attracted by the challenges facing Swindon, including the town centre regeneration and dealing with the 35,000 new houses expected by 2026.

In the "plan ahead" included in the job application pack, Sir Mike said "a lack of clear vision" had held the town back.

"The first point I want to make is about the sheer potential and challenge of this job," Sir Mike said.

He added: "Swindon is an exciting place, with enormous possibilities.

"As a community it will be a significant player by any measure, with 250,000 citizens by 2026, and our vision of becoming the best business location in the UK' will really help to stamp a modern identity on the town."