Agenda item

The Council considered the report and recommendations of the Council’s Independent Remuneration Panel (IRP) on its review of Councillors’ Allowances, together with the separate recommendations of the Executive.  The Council had appointed the IRP for the purpose of reviewing the existing scheme of allowances, including making recommendations on the types of allowance and amounts to be paid.

The Lead Councillor for Regulatory and Democratic Services, Councillor Merel Rehorst-Smith proposed, and the Leader of the Council, Councillor Julia McShane, seconded a motion to adopt the IRP’s recommendations, as amended by the Executive.

Having considered the report including the Executive’s recommendations and, having regard to the recommendations of the IRP, the Council  

RESOLVED: 

(1)         That the Basic Allowance payable to all members of Guildford Borough Council be £8,579 per annum.

(2)    That no councillor shall be entitled to receive at any time more than two Special Responsibility Allowances (SRAs), and that where a councillor would otherwise be entitled to 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.

(3)         That the maximum number of recipients of SRAs at any one time does not exceed 50% of Council Members (24 Members).

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

(5)         That the Deputy Leader should receive a Tier Two Special Responsibility Allowance of 100% of the Basic Allowance, £8,579 per annum.

(6)         That the Members of the Executive (excluding the Leader and Deputy Leader), the Chair of the Planning Committee, should each receive a Tier Three Special Responsibility Allowance of 75% of the Basic Allowance, £6,434 per annum.

(7)         That the level of the Mayor’s Special Responsibility Allowance should also be at Tier Three (75% of the Basic Allowance, £6,434 per annum) for 2025-26 and that this allowance be reviewed again by the Independent Remuneration Panel in 12 months’ time.

(8)         (a) That the Chairs of the Overview and Scrutiny Committees and the Corporate Governance and Standards Committee, and Political Group Leaders (of groups comprising more than 10% of members overall) should each receive a Tier Four Special Responsibility Allowance of 50% of the Basic Allowance, £4,290 per annum.

(b) That, subject to the Council’s approval of the proposed new committees in agenda item 11 below, a Special Responsibility Allowance (SRA) be paid to each of the chairs of those committees equivalent to the level of SRA to be paid to the chair of the Corporate Governance & Standards Committee (Tier Four) with effect from the beginning of the 2025-26 municipal year, and that the Joint Independent Remuneration Panel be requested to submit further recommendations to the Council in 12 months’ time as to the appropriate levels of SRA payable in respect of the chairs of those committees.

(9)         That the Chair of the Licensing Committee, the Deputy Mayor, the Vice-Chair of the Planning Committee, and Political Group Leaders (of groups comprising less than 10% of members overall) should each receive a Tier Five Special Responsibility Allowance of 25% of the Basic Allowance, £2,145 per annum.

(10)    That the current Special Responsibility Allowance for Designated Licensing Sub-Committee Chairmen in respect of chairing Licensing Sub-Committee and Licensing Regulatory Sub-Committee meetings be set at £71 per meeting.

(11)    That, in relation to the Mayor’s and the Deputy Mayor’s allowances payable under Sections 3 and 5 respectively of the Local Government Act 1972 to meet the expenses of their offices:

(a)         the level of those allowances should remain unchanged at £8,000 and £2,000 per annum respectively and to note that no further review is required; and

(b)         with immediate effect, the cost of the Mayor’s travel arrangements for attending certain functions where it is inadvisable for them to drive themselves should be met from the Mayor’s Allowance.

(12)    That co-optees receive an allowance of 5% of the Basic Allowance, £429 per annum.

(13)      That the amounts currently payable to councillors and co-opted members whilst on approved duties in respect of motor mileage and cycle allowances should continue.

(14)      That councillors and co-opted members, whilst on approved duties, should continue to be reimbursed the cost of:

·      second class or any available cheap rate travel using public transport on production of proof of purchase of a valid ticket;

·      travel by taxi or private hire vehicle where no public transport is reasonably available or for reasons of health/ disability/safety; and

·      any reasonable parking charges incurred.

(15)    That the Day Subsistence and Overnight Subsistence Allowances be withdrawn and that the following be included in the new scheme of allowances:

“Subsistence Allowance:

Reasonable subsistence allowances will be paid for the “Approved Duties” within the Scheme (see Appendix 2 to the IRP’s report), provided that:

(a)    subsistence allowances are only payable for attending approved duties outside of the Borough;

(b)    refreshments are not provided as part of the meeting/ function attended.

(c)     meal allowances will be paid only where a member is undertaking an approved duty which involves their absence from home for a period exceeding four hours; and

(d)    all claims are accompanied by valid receipts.

Overnight Accommodation:

There is no set allowance for overnight accommodation. However, councillors should endeavour to stay in accommodation which provides good value for money but, if the reason for requiring overnight accommodation is to attend a training event, conference, or similar event, councillors may stay overnight at the venue being used for that event. Receipts must be provided with all claims for reimbursement of accommodation costs.  

Reimbursement of reasonable overnight accommodation costs will also only be payable for attending approved duties outside of the Borough.  

By way of guidance, it is considered that overnight accommodation costs ranging from £100 to £150 are deemed to be “reasonable”, dependent on the location. All overnight accommodation should be pre-booked by officers wherever possible. No claims for alcoholic drinks will be reimbursed.”

(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 – 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.  

(17)    That no changes be made to the Approved Duties for which Dependants’ Carers’ Allowance and Travelling and Subsistence Allowance should be payable.

(18)    That the Councillors’ Allowances Scheme be amended to include provisions that clarify that:

(a)     All Councillors shall continue to receive their Basic Allowance in full for a period up to six months in the case of absence from their councillor duties due to leave related to maternity, paternity, adoption shared parental leave or sickness absence. 

(b) Councillors entitled to a Special Responsibility Allowance shall continue to receive their allowance in full for a period of six months, in the case of absence from their Councillor duties due to leave related to maternity, paternity, adoption, shared parental leave or sickness absence.

(c)   Where for reasons connected with sickness, maternity leave, adoption leave, paternity leave or shared parental leave a councillor is unable to attend a meeting of the Council for a period of six months, a dispensation by Council can be sought before the expiry of that six-month period in accordance with Section 85 of the Local Government Act 1972.

(d) If a replacement to cover the period of absence under these provisions is appointed by Council or the Leader (or in the case of a party group position the party group) the replacement shall be entitled to claim a Special Responsibility Allowance pro rata for the period over which the cover is provided.

(19)    That the basic allowance, each of the SRAs, the Co-Optees’ Allowance and the Dependants’ Carers’ Allowance (Level 1) be increased annually in line with the percentage increase in staff salaries until 2027, at which time the Scheme shall be reviewed again by an independent remuneration panel. Where staff salaries are increased by way of a lump sum payment, the Allowances referred to above shall be adjusted by applying an average percentage increase.

(20)    That the removal by the Independent Remuneration Panel of its recommendation within its November 2023 report for a special responsibility allowance to the Chairmen of the two Executive Advisory Boards, and the resulting saving of £8,352 be noted.

(21)    That the new scheme of allowances, as set out in Appendix 3 to the report submitted to the Council and as amended to reflect the provisions reflected in this motion, be implemented with effect from the beginning of the 2025-26 financial year, at which time the current scheme of allowances shall be revoked.

(22)    That the Independent Remuneration Panel be requested to undertake during the coming year a further mini review of the special responsibility allowance in respect of the role of the Overview and Scrutiny Chairs and submit a further short report for the 2026/27 financial year.

(23)    That the Independent Remuneration Panel’s offer to review any new or significantly changed roles which might attract a special responsibility allowance as they arise and to make further recommendations to the Council, be welcomed.

(24)    That authority be delegated to the Strategic Director of Legal & Democratic Services to make minor non-financial changes to the wording or interpretation of the Member Allowances Scheme between formal reviews, after consultation with the Chair of the IRP and the relevant Lead Councillor.

Reason:

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