Thanet councillors are poised to agree to a rumoured six-figure settlement with the authority’s former chief executive at a confidential meeting tonight.

Sue McGonigal resigned in January after a six-month absence during an investigation into a planning application.

That investigation cleared her of any wrong-doing and she was offered her £117,000 a year job back but decided to resign.

Now a compromise agreement – preventing either side from disclosing details of any financial settlement – is due to be signed off by councillors.

The deal is understood to be worth about £100,000.

Dr McGonigal, who joined the authority in 2007, was signed off in June 2014 as the council investigated events surrounding a planning application by East Kent Opportunities, an investment partnership between Thanet council and KCC.

That investigation concluded she had acted appropriately in her role representing the two organisations but she did not return to her desk and resigned in January.

She was replaced by Madeline Homer, who in April was appointed on a permanent basis as the new chief executive.

In an explanation of the need to keep the report about the former chief executive confidential, the council says “given the release of confidential material from previous meetings, it is essential this information remains restricted”.

However, details of the payout are likely to be set out in the council’s next set of annual accounts under transparency regulations.