Issue - meetings

To consider the recommendations of the Corporate Policy Committee.    

In the interest of openness, Councillor S Gardiner declared that he was known to one of the members of the Independent Renumeration Panel.

The Corporate Policy Committee, at its meeting on 15 June 2023, had considered a report on the recommendations of the Independent Remuneration Panel in respect of a targeted review of Members’ Allowances undertaken in 2022 and for Council to invite the Panel to undertake a full review of allowances in 2023/2024.

The recommendations of the Committee were proposed and seconded and, following debate, a recorded vote was requested with the following results:

FOR

Councillors L Anderson, L Brathwaite, J Bratherton, M Brooks, C Browne, C Bulman, A Burton, C Chapman, D Clark, A Coiley, S Corcoran, L Crane, B Drake, D Edwardes, M Edwards, H Faddes, A Farrall, M Goldsmith, M Gorman, C Hilliard, D Jefferay, R Kain, N Mannion, G Marshall, A Moran, R Moreton, C Naismith, J Place, B Puddicombe, H Seddon, G Smith, John Smith, Julie Smith, J Snowball, R Vernon, M Warren, F Wilson.

AGAINST

Councillors S Adams, R Bailey, D Brown, L Buchanan, R Chadwick, J Clowes, P Coan, A Critchley, T Dean, S Edgar, A Gage, S Gardiner, E Hall, A Harrison, G Hayes, A Heler, T Jackson, H Moss, M Muldoon, C O’Leary, J Pearson, B Posnett, J Pratt, P Redstone, J Saunders, M Sewart, M Simon, L Smetham, L Wardlaw, H Whitaker.

NOT VOTING

Councillors J Bird, R Fletcher, M Houston, A Kolker, K Parkinson, J Wray.

The motion was declared carried with 37 votes for, 30 against and 6 not voting.

RESOLVED:

That Council approve that:

1.    Civic payments should remain at their current levels (Mayor £14,000 and Deputy Mayor £5,600)

2.    From 2023, civic payments should be subjected to the same uprating which may be applied to members’ allowances

3.    Special responsibility allowance (SRA) for the Chair of scrutiny committee should remain at £7,650

4.    In respect of the draft Parental Leave Policy for Councillors, basic allowance should continue to be paid to an elected Member during any period of parental leave

5.    In respect of the draft Parental Leave Policy for Councillors, special responsibility allowance payable to the elected Member during any period of parental leave should be discontinued and transferred to the Councillor who is undertaking the special responsibility in question

6.    Basic allowance should be increased by a flat rate of £500 and applied retrospectively for 2022-2023

7.    Special responsibility allowances (to include Mayor, Deputy Mayor and Scrutiny Chair) should be increased by 4.04% and applied retrospectively for 2022-2023

8.    A full review of the Members’ Scheme of Allowances should be undertaken by the new Independent Remuneration Panel, following its appointed by Council on 16 October 2023

(The meeting was adjourned at 1.20 pm and reconvened at 1.50 pm)

To consider a report on the recommendations of the Independent Remuneration Panel in respect of a targeted review of Members’ Allowances in 2022, and which proposes that the Panel be invited to undertake a full review of allowances in 2023/2024.    

The Committee considered a report on the recommendations of the Independent Remuneration Panel in respect of a targeted review of Members’ Allowances in 2022. The report also proposed that the Panel be invited to undertake a full review of allowances in 2023/2024.    

In response to a question by members regarding the impact of the Panel’s recommendations on the Council’s budget, the Director of Finance and Customer Services advised that funding had been brought forward to cover the cost.

RESOLVED (by majority)

That, having considered the recommendations of the Independent Remuneration Panel, the Committee recommends to Council that:

1.   civic payments should remain at their current levels (Mayor £14,000 and Deputy Mayor £5,600);

2.   from 2023, civic payments should be subjected to the same uprating which may be applied to members’ allowances;

3.    special responsibility allowance (SRA) for the Chair of scrutiny committee should remain at £7,650;

4.    in respect of the draft Parental Leave Policy for Councillors, basic allowance should continue to be paid to an elected Member during any period of parental leave;

5.    in respect of the draft Parental Leave Policy for Councillors; special responsibility allowance payable to the elected Member during any period of parental leave should be discontinued and transferred to the Councillor who is undertaking the special responsibility in question;

6.    basic allowance should be increased by a flat rate of £500 and applied retrospectively for 2022-2023;

7.    special responsibility allowances (to include Mayor, Deputy Mayor and Scrutiny Chair) should be increased by 4.04% and applied retrospectively for 2022-2023; and

8.    a full review of the Members’ Scheme of Allowances should be undertaken by the new Independent Remuneration Panel, following its appointed by Council on 16 October 2023.  

In accordance with Procedure Rule 2.34, Councillor A Harrison asked that the minutes of the meeting record that he voted against the motion.