Agenda item

Report of the Head of Finance and Resources - Members' Allowance Scheme

Minutes:

It was moved by the Mayor, seconded by Councillor Black, that the recommendations of the Joint Independent Remuneration Panel on Members’ Allowances be approved.

 

Amendment moved by Councillor McLoughlin, seconded by Councillor Mrs Blackmore, that there should be no change to the basic allowance for Members (£4,666 per annum) and that the broadband allowance of £11.17 per Member per month be retained.

 

AMENDMENT CARRIED

 

The substantive motion was then put to the vote.

 

SUBSTANTIVE MOTION CARRIED

 

RESOLVED:

 

1.  That there should be no change to the Basic Allowance for Members (£4,666 per annum).

 

2.  That the Special Responsibility Allowance for the Leader of the Council/Chairman of Policy and Resources Committee be reduced by 20% to £18,661 per annum to reflect the change in the role under the new governance arrangements.

 

3.  That the Chairmen of the Strategic Planning, Sustainability and Transport; Communities, Housing and Environment; and Planning Committees all be given a Special Responsibility Allowance of £7,464 per annum.

 

4.  That the Chairmen of the Heritage, Culture and Leisure; Audit, Governance and Standards; and Licensing Committees all be given a Special Responsibility Allowance of £3,732 per annum.

 

5.  That the Group Leaders’ Allowance (with the exception of the Leader) be held at £11,663 per annum to be apportioned dependent on the number of Members in each party as approved by Council at its previous meeting.

 

4.  That there be no change to the Special Responsibility Allowances for Co-opted Members of the Standards Committee and the Independent Person, currently set at £331 and £700 respectively.

 

5.  That there be no change to the Special Responsibility Allowances for the Chairman of Licensing Panel Hearings and Licensing Panel Hearing Members, currently set at £77 per session and £58 per session respectively.

 

6.  That there be no change to the Special Responsibility Allowances for the Mayor and Deputy Mayor.

 

7.  That there should be no Special Responsibility Allowance for Vice-Chairmen of Committees.  However, provision should be built into the Council’s Constitution which allows for a Vice-Chairman to be given the Chairman’s SRA allowance if the Chairman is absent for a significant period of time.

 

8.  That the broadband allowance of £11.17 per Member per month be retained.

 

9.  That the Dependent Carer’s Allowance be paid as detailed in the report of the Head of Finance and Resources.

 

10.  That there be no change to the current rates for Travel and Subsistence.

 

11.  That only the Leader of the Council be given a mobile phone for Council business use.

 

12.  That the changes to the Members’ Allowance Scheme be implemented with effect from the Annual Meeting of the Council on 23 May 2015.

 

13.  That all Members should receive Member development and training and that all Members should take up current and future training development opportunities to support the revised governance arrangements.

 

14.  That the new Democracy Committee should carry out an evaluation of the new system in due course and that the Members’ Allowances should be reviewed by the Joint Independent Remuneration Panel in the next eighteen months to two years.

 

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