Agenda item

To consider the report of the Head of Legal & Democratic Services (attached).

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 2020. At that time it had been agreed that allowances would be reviewed again in 2024.

The IRP had met on 23 and 24 January 2024 and had been comprised as follows:

• Lucy Brown – Chief Executive, Disability Initiative
• Mark Palmer – Development Director, South East Employers (Chair)
• Mark Selby – Director, Project Beyond Consortium

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.

The Panel had adopted the same approach to calculating allowances as its previous review in 2020, namely applying a formula to calculate the basic allowance and the tiered approach taken in respect of calculating Special Responsibility Allowances (SRA). There had been changes proposed to the tiered approach, with the inclusion of Tier 6 SRA for some chairing roles. 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 Shaun Macdonald and seconded by Councillor Shaun Garrett that (xii) of the recommendation be amended by replacing the proposal not to pay group leaders with less than 10% of the Council’s membership a SRA, with a SRA equivalent to 50% of the Political Group Leaders with 10% or more of the Council’s membership’s SRA, equating to £2,655 per annum per 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 £5,834 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 a 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 £15,168 per annum;

(v)   a Special Responsibility Allowance of 50% of the Leader’s Special Responsibility Allowance be paid to the Deputy Leader as a Tier 2 role, equating to £7,584 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 £6,067 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 Chair of Planning Applications Committee and Political Group Leaders with 10% or more of the Council’s membership, equating to £5,309 per annum per role;

(viii)  a Special Responsibility Allowance of 30% of the Leader’s Special Responsibility Allowance be paid to all Tier 5 roles, namely the Chair of Performance & Finance Scrutiny Committee and the Chair of Audit, Standards and Risk Committee, equating to £4,550 per annum per role;

(ix)  a Special Responsibility Allowance of 25% of the Leader’s Special Responsibility Allowance be paid to all Tier 6 roles, namely the Chair of External Partnerships Select Committee, the Chair of Licensing Committee, and the Chair of the Employment Committee, equating to £3,792 per annum per role;

(x)   a Special Responsibility Allowance of 30% of the Mayor’s Special Responsibility Allowance be paid to the Deputy Mayor, equating to £1,820 per annum;

(xi)     a Special Responsibility Allowance of 40% of the Chair of Planning Application Committee’s Special Responsibility Allowance be paid to the Vice Chair of the Planning Applications Committee, equating to £2,123 per annum;

(xii)   a Special Responsibility Allowance of 50% of the Political Group Leaders with 10% or more of the Council’s membership, be paid to the Political Group Leaders with less than 10% of the Council’s membership, equating to £2,655 per annum per role;

(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:

a.        Childcare – Up to £13.00 per hour, with no monthly maximum claim;

b.        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 Panel’s recommendation that the Dependants’ Carers’ Allowance should be actively promoted to prospective and new councillors be endorsed;

(xix)  the parental leave policy for councillors set out in the existing Members’ Allowances Scheme be continued;

(xx)   The basic allowance, Special Responsibility Allowances and the Dependants’ Carers Allowances (Childcare) be increased annually in line with the percentage increase in staff salaries until 2028, at which time the Scheme be reviewed again by an Independent Remuneration Panel; and

(xxi)  The new scheme of allowances be implemented with effect from the beginning of the 2024/25 financial year, at which time the current scheme will be revoked.