SIR – Concerning the article on Wednesday, October 7, entitled “Why is housing chief paid more than the PM?”.

I regularly work with Sanctuary Housing and I feel it important to bring to your attention how important it is to have organisations such as the Sanctuary group based in our city and the significant role that David Bennett (chief executive) is doing not only at Sanctuary but in the local community and nationally.

It is far too easy for the media to point the finger and make ridiculous comparisons between chief executives’ pay in the county and the bonuses of bankers in the square mile. However, these are the people who create wealth in our economy, who take the risks and therefore should be rewarded accordingly.

Sanctuary Group is the largest affordable housing provider in the country, managing more than 75,000 homes. It is a major employer (with more than 400 staff at the head office in Castle Street), and 5,700 people nationally.

In the past year companies have been struggling in the economic climate but with David’s leadership Sanctuary has designed a cost-effective strategy that has ensured that continued financial progress has been achieved, and even improved its international credit rating. Due to the fact that Sanctuary is a social enterprise this means it has more money to invest in developing housing or in community projects.

MIKE ASHTON,
Chief executive,
Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce