Agenda item

The Cabinet Member for Customer and Corporate Services, Councillor Jane Nightingale, presented a report to Council that detailed the recommendations of the Independent Remuneration Panel (IRP) following its review of the Members’ Allowance Scheme.

Council noted that each Local Authority was required by law to agree a Members’ Allowance Scheme and in doing so it must have regard to the recommendations of the IRP.  The Council was not bound by the IRPs recommendations, but if it chose not to follow any of its proposals, it was required to give reasons.

Councillor Nightingale informed Council that the Panel was recommending an increase of 2% on the current Basic Allowance, with effect from 1st April, 2018 which would be in line with that paid by other similar Authorities.  A number of changes had been made to the Special Responsibility Allowances and in developing these recommendations, the Panel had taken account of the responsibility, accountability, time and effort involved with each position. Details of the proposed Special Responsibility Allowances were included at paragraph 16 of the cover report and the rationale for any changes to SRAs were detailed in the report of the IRP attached at Appendix 1.

Members noted that in reviewing the scheme, the IRP had benchmarked with a wide number of Local Authorities, met with Elected Members and Senior Officers, and had received written feedback from Members.Councillor Nightingale added that the Panel was satisfied that the recommended Scheme was in line with allowances of similar and neighbouring Authorities. 

Following the presentation of the report, Members of the Council were afforded the opportunity to comment, with a number of Councillors querying as to whether or not they would be obliged to accept the raise in allowances. The Monitoring Officer informed Council that whilst the scheme had been agreed by the IRP, Members did not have to accept the increased allowance and were entitled to take whatever amount of the recommended allowance they wished.

RESOLVED that

(1)       the level of the basic allowance (base) for Members (including the Elected Mayor) be increased by 2% to £12,610;

(2)       the payment of special responsibility allowances to Members be as shown below:-

Elected Mayor                                         - Base x 4             £50,440

Deputy to the Elected Mayor                - Base x 1.25       £15,762

Cabinet Member                                    - Base x 1             £12,610

Chair of Committee:-

Planning                                                 - Base x 0.64       £ 8,070

Elections & Democratic Structures     - Base x 0.1         £ 1,261

Audit                                                         - Base x 0.6         £ 7,566

Licensing                                                - Base x 0.6         £ 7,566

Overview & Scrutiny Management     - Base x 0.6         £ 7,566

Scrutiny Standing Panels                    - Base x 0.25       £ 3,153

Vice-Chairs:-

Planning                                                 - Base x 0.27       £ 3,405

Licensing                                                                      - Base x 0.3            £ 3,783

Overview and Scrutiny Management - Base x 0.25       £ 3,153

Audit                                                         - Base x 0.19       £ 2,396

Leader of a Political Group:-

                        Membership (30 or more)                   - Base x 0.5   £ 6,305

  (15 to 29 inclusive)         - Base x 0.2         £ 2,522

  (5 to 14 inclusive)           - Base x 0.1         £ 1,261

  (0 to 4 inclusive)               ----                       £ Nil

Civic Mayor                                             - Base x 1             £12,610

Deputy Civic Mayor                               - Base x 0.1         £ 1,261

(3)       the payment of Co?optees allowances be as follows: -

Audit Committee                                       - Base x 0.05     £    630

Children & Young People O&S Panel     - Base x 0.05£    630

(If appointed as Panel Chair)                 - Base x 0.25     £ 3,153

Co-optee on any other Committee        - Base x 0.05     £    630

Co-opted Members on Audit Hearings Sub-Committee:-

All-inclusive attendance allowance per Hearing            £     150

Attendance allowance paid for attending the

Audit Committee meeting that considers the

Monitoring Officer’s Annual Report on complaint

handling and ethical governance activity                                   £       50

(4)       a special responsibility allowance continue to be paid at the current rate of £3,814 to a Member who represents the Council on the South Yorkshire Pensions Authority;

(5)       a special responsibility allowance be paid to a Member appointed by the Council as a representative on the South Yorkshire Police and Crime Panel (SYPCP) who is subsequently appointed as Chair or Vice-Chair of the SYPCP as follows:-

Chair of SYPCP                                                                    £  5,350

Vice-Chair of SYPCP                                                           £  2,675

(6)       the basic allowance to include travel and subsistence within the Borough, inclusive of any transport passes or car parking permits;

(7)       the inflationary index for determining annual increases in Members’ allowances for the next four years (from 2019/20 - 2022/23) be in line with the NJC pay award for Local Government employees; inflationary increases to the basic and special responsibility allowance to be applied separately;

(8)       all other elements of the Members’ Allowances Scheme remain unchanged; and

(9)       further to consideration and determination of recommendations (1) – (8) above, the Council gives authority to the Monitoring Officer to update the Members’ Allowances Scheme within the Council Constitution and resolves that the revised scheme should take effect from 1st April, 2018 and revokes all previous schemes on that date.