They were billed as the four council chiefs who would help improve vital services while saving the taxpayer money.

But a little more than 18 months after they were hired, independent experts have publicly questioned the “visibility” of Brighton and Hove City Council’s £125,000-a-year strategic directors.

Inspectors from Investors in People, which grants a national standard to thousands of bodies across the country, raised questions about the roles.

The assessors added that the system, which cost at least £1m to set up, was “confusing” to staff.

The local authority said it accepted the feedback and maintained the role was “evolving” as it looked to tackle the demands to save tens of millions of pounds in the coming years.

The report, which the local authority paid an undisclosed sum for, was compiled after interviews with members of staff at all levels.

The council retained its Investors in People mark.

The Argus reported similar criticisms of the roles from city leaders in January.

The report said: “People throughout the organisation have very high regard for their line managers. Many people, however, find the senior management structure confusing.”

The report added: “Within [individual departments], there is a high degree of senior management visibility, which people appreciate. People would welcome similar interaction with strategic directors.”

Competence It added: “There is no suggestion that competence or ability is lacking, but the assessor’s observation is that currently Brighton and Hove’s managers are managing and developing their people better than they are leading them.”

Since the report was compiled in March the number of director positions has been cut from four to three as the council looks to make savings in senior management costs.

David Murray, the strategic director for communities, will receive a pay-off when he steps down from the role in September.

Charlie Stewart, strategic director for resources, recently announced he was leaving the role to take up another post in Stoke. The local authority is currently recruiting for a replacement.

In response to the specific points, a council spokeswoman said: “The position of strategic director posts will never be static and has been evolving in response to the changing circumstances and the demands and aspirations of the city. The number of strategic directors is reducing but people are needed at the top to lead.

“Strategic directors have welcomed the feedback and are currently getting out and about in the organisation delivering senior managers’ forums to raise their visibility and improve the connection.”

The spokeswoman added that, to create a clearer structure, all heads of service now report directly to a strategic director.

When asked if the role provided value for money, the council spokeswoman said: “We retain layers of management as long as they continue to make a real contribution to effective decision-making and service delivery.”

She added the local authority had a relatively low number of staff paid more than £50,000.

Council leader Jason Kitcat said he was “delighted” the local authority had retained its title as Investors in People. He added: “The findings are now part of the people strategy which the chief executive and I will take forward.”