Agenda item

Council considered a report detailing the recommendations of the Council’s Independent Remuneration Panel (IRP) following its review of Members’ Allowances.

The Head of Democratic and Legal Support Services stated that the Panel’s report referred to the Chief Executive’s comments on the time and commitment of the Leader being perhaps more comparable to that of the Leader in a unitary council because of the local expectations of the role.  The report interpreted these comments as indicating support for the benchmark for allowances being that of unitary councils.  He advised that the Chief Executive had pointed out that this was not the intention.

The Head of Democratic and Legal Support Services also referred to Appendix 1 setting out the recommended Allowances and advised that the list had omitted the Chairman of Health Engagement Panel at £2,373.

The Leader commented that his Group would be accepting the IRP’s recommendations with a couple of minor amendments.  In doing so, he suggested the Panel be asked to take on board the following comments.  He suggested that the same Panel should be invited to review Allowances in 2011/12 in order that it could start its work earlier, as even by its own admission, there had been insufficient time to consider some aspects fully.  He also suggested that the Panel should be requested to include a mechanism in the review process for Members to seek clarity on its draft findings.  Finally, he also sought clarity on the issue of benchmarking and the need to go beyond the headline figures.

The Leader proposed, and the Deputy Leader seconded, that the IRP’s recommendations be approved, subject to Special Responsibility Allowance (SRA) for Development Control Committee members being payable to all of its members regardless of whether they were in receipt of another SRA.  Also, that the SRA for leaders of minority groups be set at a multiple of 0.1 of the Basic Allowance multiplied by the number of members within the group.  Finally, that the changes take effect from the start of the next civic year (i.e. the date of the Annual Council meeting – 18 May 2011) and not 1 April 2011 (with the existing allowance scheme being retained for the period 1 April to Annual Council Meeting date).

The Leader commented that he did not believe that the IRP intended to introduce a mileage allowance for development control site visits that could only be claimed by some members.  He suggested that it would be inequitable for a minority group leader of perhaps 3 Members to receive the same level of SRA as a minority group leader of perhaps 21 Members. 

Councillor M Wood supported these proposals and thanked the IRP for their work in such a short space of time.  He believed there were still many areas of unfinished work and hoped that the IRP might look at escalating petrol costs when considering mileage allowances in the next review.

Councillor M Newman opposed the Leader’s proposal in respect of the SRA for minority group leaders as he believed the proposition to be divisive.  He suggested that the IRP’s recommendations should be accepted fully.

In response, the Leader refuted this.  His proposal would take effect for the next Council and therefore could not be related to specific individuals.  He suggested that his proposal reflected the realities of managing different sizes of groups.

After being put to the meeting and a vote taken, the proposals, as now detailed, were CARRIED.

RESOLVED – that (A) the recommendations of the Independent Remuneration Panel be approved, subject to the following amendments:

(1)       the SRA for Development Control Committee members being payable to all of its members regardless of whether a member was in receipt of another Special Responsibility Allowance (SRA);

(2)       the SRA for leaders of minority groups be set at a multiple of 0.1 of the Basic Allowance multiplied by the number of members within the group;

(3)       the new scheme take effect from the start of the next civic year (i.e. the date of the Annual Council meeting – 18 May 2011) and not 1 April 2011 (with the existing allowance scheme being retained for the period 1 April to Annual Council Meeting date);

(B)      the Independent Remuneration Panel be thanked and invited to continue their work in 2011/12, with a request that the issues now detailed, be considered.