Agenda item

The Local Government Act 2000 required all local authorities to appoint an Independent Remuneration Panel (IRP) to advise on the terms and conditions of their Scheme of Councillors’ Allowances. The Local Authorities (Members Allowances) (England) Regulations 2003, as amended and the Guidance on Consolidated Regulations for Local Authorities, determined how the Panels were to operate.   A Members Allowances Scheme could apply for up to 4 years and indexed to the Retail Price Index (RPI), the Consumer Price Index (CPI) or another formula, for example in line with staff pay awards.

 

Members’ allowances had previously been reviewed in 2017. At that time it had been agreed that allowances would be increased by 1% in May 2017 and May 2018, with a further review to be held in late 2019.

 

The following comprised the IRP:

 

·         Lucy Brown – Chief Executive, Disability Initiative

·         Robin Lennie- Managing Director, Stihl

·         Paul Marcus – Managing Director, Eagle Radio Ltd

·         Mark Palmer – Development Director, South East Employers (Chair)

·         Mark Selby – EM3 LEP Growth Hub 5.

 

Robin Lennie had withdrawn from the Panel due to a potential conflict of interest.

 

The Council received the report of the IRP in relation to the proposed Council’s Members’ Allowance Scheme.   A separate report would be sent to Parish Councils on the IRP’s recommendations on Members’ allowances for those Councils.

 

The Council had to have regard to the IRP’s report when making a new Allowance Scheme, but did not have to agree with all or any of the elements thereof.

 

Members noted the Panel’s approach to calculating allowances, namely the formula used to calculate the basic allowance and the tiered approach taken in respect of calculating Special Responsibility Allowances (SRA).   Members also noted the IRP’s recommendation that the maximum number of SRAs at any one time should not exceed 50% of Council Members. The report also proposed that no councillor be entitled to receive at any time more than one SRA.

 

It was proposed by Councillor Rodney Bates and seconded by Councillor Victoria Wheeler that

 

(a)       the wording of recommendation (iii) be amended to read

 

            “the maximum number of Members receiving a Special Responsibility Allowances payable at any one time not to exceed 50% of Council Members, equivalent to 17 Members”

 

(b)       (xii) be amended so as to include “ group leaders with less than 10% of Council membership to receive an allowance at the Tier 5 role”.

 

The amendment was put to the vote and carried.

 

The recommendation, as amended, was subsequently put to the vote and carried.

 

RESOLVED that

 

(i)      a basic allowance of £5,288 per annum for all Members be agreed;

 

(ii)     no councillor be entitled to receive at any time more than one Special Responsibility Allowance;

 

(iii)    the maximum number of Members receiving Special Responsibility Allowances payable at any one time does not exceed 50% of Council Members, equivalent to 17 Members;

 

(iv)    a Special Responsibility Allowance of 260% of the basic allowance be paid to the Leader as a Tier 1 role, equating to £13,749 per annum;

 

(v)     a Special Responsibility Allowance of 60% of the Leader’s Special Responsibility Allowance be paid to the Deputy Leader as a Tier 2 role, equating to £8,249 per annum;

 

(vi)    a Special Responsibility Allowance of 40% of the Leader’s Special Responsibility Allowance be paid to all Tier 3 roles, namely the Mayor and members of the Executive, equating to £5,500 per annum per role;

 

(vii)   a Special Responsibility Allowance of 35% of the Leader’s Special Responsibility Allowance be paid to all Tier 4 roles, namely the Chairman of Planning Applications Committee and Political Group Leaders, equating to £4,812 per annum per role;

 

(viii)  a Special Responsibility Allowance of 27% of the Leader’s Special Responsibility Allowance be paid to all Tier 5 roles, namely the Chairman of Performance & Finance Scrutiny Committee, the Chairman of External Partnerships Select Committee, the Chairman of Licensing Committee, the Chairman of Audit & Standards Committee, and the Chairman of the Employment Committee, equating to £3,712 per annum per role;

 

(ix)    a Special Responsibility Allowance of 30% of the Mayor’s Special Responsibility Allowance be paid to the Deputy Mayor, equating to £1,650 per annum;

 

(x)     a Special Responsibility Allowance of 50% of the Chairman of Planning Application Committee’s Special Responsibility Allowance be paid to the Vice Chairman of the Planning Applications Committee, equating to £2,406 per annum;

 

(xi)    no Special Responsibility Allowances be paid to the Vice Chairman of the Performance & Finance Scrutiny Committee, the Vice Chairman of the External Partnerships Select Committee, the Vice Chairman of the Licensing Committee, the Vice Chairman of the Audit & Standards Committee, and the Vice Chairman of the Employment Committee;

 

(xii)   a threshold of 10% of the Council membership be required in order for a Political Group Leader to be eligible for a Political Group Leader Allowance (Tier 4 role); for Political Group Leaders with less than 10% of Council membership, a Tier 5 allowance be payable;

 

(xiii)  car and motorcycle mileage payments be at the maximum rate per mile that can be paid tax-free as defined by HM Revenue and Customs or the rate for officers, whichever is the lower;

 

(xiv)the amounts payable in respect of taxi travel, travel by air and European Travel, and the terms and conditions of those payments, be as those set for officers of the Council;

 

(xv)  eligibility for Travel and Subsistence Allowances continue to be payable to councillors and any co-opted members in connection with any Approved Councillor Duties;

 

(xvi)dependant carer’s allowances be paid as follows:

 

Childcare – Up to £11.00 per hour, with no monthly maximum claim, subject to the production of receipts;

 

Specialist Care – based on cost, subject to the production of receipts and evidence that this type of care is required;

 

(xvii)   eligibility for Dependants’ Carers’ Allowances continue to be payable to councillors and any co-opted members in connection with any Approved Councillor Duties;

 

(xviii)  the Members’ Allowances Scheme be amended to include the following provisions for parental leave for councillors:

 

a. All Councillors shall continue to receive their Basic Allowance in full for a period up to six months in the case of absence from their councillor duties due to leave relate to maternity, paternity, adoption shared parental leave or sickness absence

 

b. Councillors entitled to a Special Responsibility Allowance shall continue to receive their allowance in full for a period of six months, in the case of absence from their Councillor duties due to leave related to maternity, paternity, adoption, shared parental leave or sickness absence

 

c. Where for reasons connected with sickness, maternity leave, adoption leave, paternity leave or shared parental leave a councillor is unable to attend a meeting of the Council for a period of six months, a dispensation by Council can be sought in accordance with Section 85 of the Local Government Act 1972

 

d. If a replacement to cover the period of absence under these provisions is appointed by Council or the Leader (or in the case of a party group position the party group) the replacement shall be entitled to claim a Special Responsibility Allowance pro rata for the period over which the cover is provided;

 

(xix)The basic allowance, Special Responsibility Allowances and the Dependants’ Carers Allowances be increased annually in line with the percentage increase in staff salaries until 2024, at which time the Scheme be reviewed again by an Independent Remuneration Panel; and

 

(xx)  The new scheme of allowances be implemented with effect from the beginning of the 2020/21 financial year, at which time the current scheme will be revoked.