Former Wessex Water Chief Executive Received Bonus Despite Government Ban on Performance Pay
Colin Skellett, the former chief executive of Wessex Water, received a £170,000 performance-related bonus from YTL Utilities (UK) despite a government ban on such pay for the 2024-25 financial year. Wessex Water made this payment to Skellett for his work from July to September 2024, covering three months as he stepped down after leading the company for 36 years.
The government imposed the bonus ban on chief executives and finance directors of Wessex Water and five other companies following a criminal sewage-failure conviction in November 2024, which resulted in a £500,000 fine. However, Ofwat permitted Skellett to retain the bonus, stating it pertained to another segment of the parent company's business and was not connected to the regulated Wessex Water operations.
Up to June 2025, Skellett's total pay from YTL Utilities (UK) amounted to £693,000, including the £170,000 bonus. Over the past decade, his remuneration from YTL UK has reached £8.4 million, including £3.4 million in bonuses. When combining all his roles over the last ten years, his total earnings stand at £12.6 million.
Skellett has served as a director of YTL Utilities (UK) since May 2002 and is responsible for YTL UK group businesses, including the Brabazon New Town project—a significant housing, office, and arena development located north of Bristol. Wessex Water operates as part of YTL Utilities (UK), which is Malaysian-owned and controlled through a Jersey-based parent. The company incurred an additional £11 million fine in November 2025 for further sewage failures.
