Agenda item

Report of the Managing Director

The Managing Director submitted a report (previously circulated) requesting that Members give consideration to a review of the Members’ Allowances Scheme.

The submitted report stated that the Council’s Members’ Allowances Independent Panel was constituted to review the Council’s Members’ Allowances Scheme in 2003, when a full review of allowances was undertaken, and subsequently in 2006, 2008, 2011 and 2015. It was reported that Councils must establish and maintain an Independent Remuneration Panel which made recommendations about the allowances paid to Elected Members, including the level of basic allowance for all Members, and on whether a dependant’s carers allowance, travel and subsistence allowances, and co-optees allowances, etc. should be paid, and the levels of such allowances.

The submitted report outlined that the Local Authorities (Members’ Allowances) (England) Regulations 2003 states that Councils must not rely on any index-linked figure for longer than a period of four years, and therefore, as the current indexing came into effect on 1 April 2016, a revision was required to introduce a new scheme with effect from 1 April 2020.

The submitted report outlined details regarding the composition of the Independent Remuneration Panel, the terms of reference, and a proposed date for the initial meeting.

RESOLVED – (a) That the Membership of the Council’s current Independent Remuneration Panel be confirmed,

(b) That a review of the Council’s Members’ Allowances Scheme be undertaken by the Council’s Independent Remuneration Panel, and

(c) That the Terms of Reference for the Panel, as detailed in Appendix A of the submitted report, be approved for the review.

REASONS – (a) To ensure that the allowances paid to Members are appropriate for the office that is held.

(b) To ensure that this Council reviews its Members’ Allowances Scheme to meet legislative requirements.