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 Finance and Assets, Customer Service, Councillor Joss Bigmore proposed, and the Leader of the Council, Councillor Caroline Reeves, 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 £7,405 per annum.

(2)         That the maximum number of recipients of Special Responsibility Allowances at any one time does not exceed 50% of Council Members (24 Members).

(3)         That the Leader of the Council continues to receive a Special Responsibility Allowance of 200% of the basic allowance, £14,810 per annum.

(4)         That the Deputy Leader receives a Special Responsibility Allowance of 50% of the Leader’s Special Responsibility Allowance, £7,405 per annum.

(5)         That the Members of the Executive, the Chair of the Planning Committee, the Chair of Overview and Scrutiny Committee and the Mayor receive a Special Responsibility Allowance of 40% of the Leader’s Special Responsibility Allowance, £5,924 per annum.

(6)         That the Shadow Leader’s Special Responsibility Allowance be withdrawn.

(7)         That the Chairman of the Licensing Committee, the Deputy Mayor, the Chairman of the Corporate Governance and Standards Committee, the Chairs of the Executive Advisory Boards and the Guildford Joint Committee Chair each receive a Special Responsibility Allowance of 25% of the Leader’s Special Responsibility Allowance, £3,703 per annum.

(8)         That the Vice Chair of the Guildford Joint Committee receive a Special Responsibility Allowance of 10% of the Leader’s Special Responsibility Allowance, £1,481 per annum.

(9)         That the Chairs of the Licensing Sub-Committees continue to be eligible to receive a Special Responsibility Allowance on a per meeting basis, currently £280 per meeting.

(10)      That Political Group Leaders continue to receive a Special Responsibility Allowance of 1% of the Basic Allowance per group member (£74 per councillor per annum).

(11)      That the role of Deputy Lead Councillor should not be awarded a Special Responsibility Allowance.

(12)      That co-optees continue to receive an allowance of 2.5% of the Leader’s Special Responsibility Allowance, £370 per annum.

(13)      That Travelling and Subsistence Allowance should continue to be payable to councillors and co-opted members in connection with any approved duties. 

(14)      That the amounts payable in respect of Travelling and Subsistence Allowance should continue to be the amounts which are payable to officers of the Council for travelling and subsistence undertaken in the course of their duties.

(15)      That Councillors should also be permitted to claim for reimbursement of any reasonable parking charges incurred whilst on approved duties.

(16)      That the Dependants’ Carers’ Allowance should be based on two rates. Rate one for general care be at a rate of £10.58 per hour, with no monthly maximum claim.  Rate two should be for specialist care based at cost upon production of receipts and requiring medical evidence that this type of care is required.

(17)      That no change should be made to the current eligibility conditions for receipt of the Dependants’ Carers’ Allowance, except that the duties for which this allowance is payable should be in accordance with the list of approved Councillor duties.  The Council should also actively promote the allowance to prospective and new councillors both before and following an election.

(18)      That the level of 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 should remain unchanged at £8,000 and £2,000 per annum respectively.

(19)      That the recommended duties for which Dependants’ Carers’ Allowance and Travelling and Subsistence Allowance should be payable should be amended to include councillor ward and constituency activities including attendance at ward surgeries.

(20)      That the Council considers the introduction of a policy to support parental leave for councillors as outlined in the Panel’s report.

(21)      That the basic allowance, each of the SRAs, the Co-Optees’ Allowance and the Dependants’ Carers’ Allowance be increased annually in line with the percentage increase in staff salaries until 2023, at which time the Scheme shall be reviewed again by an independent remuneration panel.

(22)      That the new scheme of allowances to be agreed by the Council in December 2019 be implemented with effect from the beginning of the 2020-21 financial year, at which time the current scheme of allowances will be revoked.

Reason: 

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