Agenda item

Report of the Chief Executive

The Chief Executive submitted a report (previously circulated) to agree to a review of the Council’s Members’ Allowances Scheme.

The submitted report stated that under the Local Government Act 2000, Councils are required to establish and maintain an Independent Remuneration Panel (IRP) to review and provide advice to their respective Councils on the allowances paid to Members, and that Darlington’s IRP last met in November 2019 and its current Members’ Allowances Scheme was implemented with effect from 1 April 2020. 

It was stated that almost four years had now elapsed since the last review, and it was considered appropriate that the Council’s Members’ allowances be reviewed again in 2023, with implementation effective from 1 April 2024. It was proposed that the Panel will meet in October 2023.

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 attached at Appendix A of the submitted report, be approved.

REASONS

(a)    To ensure that the allowances paid to members are appropriate for the office that is held; and

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