Decision details

Decision:

To approve the following recommendation to full Council at its meeting on 3 December 2024:  

That the Council adopts the recommendations of the Joint Independent Remuneration Panel, as set out in the report submitted to the Executive, subject to the amendment of recommendations (2), (4) and (16) as follows:

(2)    That no councillor shall be entitled to receive at any time more than one two Special Responsibility Allowances (SRAs), and that where a councillor would otherwise be entitled to two three or more SRAs, then only the two higher-valued allowancesshould be received, and that this ‘Two SRA Only Rule’ be adopted into the Scheme of Allowances.

(4)     That the Leader of the Council should receive a Tier One Special Responsibility Allowance of 250% 200% of the Basic Allowance, £21,448 £17,158 per annum.

(16)    That, subject to a further review by the Joint Independent Remuneration Panel in 12 months’ time, a new Dependants’ Carers’ Allowance be included in the scheme of allowances as follows:

            Level 1 (a) – A £500 annual allowance for Councillors where there is one or more children aged 12 or younger that normally reside in their household and for whom they are caring.  This allowance would only be payable until the child’s 13^th birthday.  This allowance would be taxable.

Level 1 (b) – A £500 annual allowance for Councillors where there is one or more persons that normally reside in their household and for whom they are a registered carer.  This allowance would be taxable.

Level 1 – This will be paid to those councillors who necessarily incur expense in arranging for general care of (i) their children, aged 13 or under, or (ii) one or more persons that normally reside in their household and for whom they are a registered carer, to enable them to undertake any approved duty, up to a maximum of £500 per annum per councillor. The allowance shall be paid as a re-imbursement of incurred expenditure against receipts.

Level 2 – This shall be for specialist care based at cost upon production of receipts and requiring medical evidence that this type of care is required.  This allowance would not be taxable and shall apply for councillors with caring responsibility for persons of any age.  There shall be no limit to these claims, provided that they are made in respect of approved duties.  

Reason(s):

In order to comply with the requirements of The Local Authorities (Members’ Allowances) (England) Regulations 2003 (as amended).

Other options considered and rejected by the Executive:

To accept paragraphs 2, 4 and 16 of the Joint IRP report as presented.

Details of any conflict of interest declared by the Leader or lead councillors and any dispensation granted:

None.