FOUR departing council directors are to get a combined payout of almost £800,000. Housing boss Tom McKenzie, planning and environment director David Porch, education director Michael O'Neil and social work director Jim Dickie will each leave North Lanarkshire Council with an average of around £200,000. Councillors are to be asked next week to back a shake-up involving the departure of four of the seven departmental directors. Under the restructuring the number of directors will be cut and the heads of service will also be reduced from 23 to 21. The move is expected to save around £460,000 a year. Gavin Whitefield, council chief executive, said: "These one-off costs will be recovered within less than two years as a consequence of the direct savings." Publication date 17/11/06