Councillors Lowry and Reilly left the meeting at the beginning of this item.

Council agreed to suspend standing orders to enable Mr Duncan Currall (independent member of the remuneration panel which was proposed by the Lord Mayor and seconded by the Deputy Lord Mayor)

Councillors Lowry, Reilly, Stoneman returned the meeting following the vote.

The Lord Mayor proposed the report which was seconded by the Deputy Lord Mayor.

Following a contribution from Councillor Nicholson the Council agreed to approve the following amendments to the allowance scheme that:

1.    There are no changes to the Basic Councillors’ Allowance and that this will continue to rise in line with staff pay awards. As pay awards currently being negotiated refer to a single consolidated addition to NJC pay points, the Panel recommends that basic allowances should increase in line with the equivalent percentage increase to the mid-point of the pay spine (pay point 22).

2.    Excluding payments to Other Minority Group Leaders (recommendation 6 below), there are no changes to the Special Responsibility Allowances (SRAs) which will increase in line with staff pay awards (as above).

3.    The travel allowance for Councillors should remain the same as the locally agreed rates payable to Council staff, and that they be changed as and when the staff rates are changed.

4.    The list of approved duties is applicable to both Travel and Subsistence Allowance and Dependent Carers Allowances and Councillors undertaking approved duties may claim Travel, Subsistence and Dependent carers allowance unless remuneration and/or expenses are provided by the body to which the approved duty relates

5.    An annual stipend of £1500 is provided to Co-opted Members on Committees convened under the Local Government Act 1972.

6.    SRAs for Other Minority Group Leaders (excluding the largest opposition group) will be payable based on the number of members in the group. For groups of less than five members, the Leader of the group will receive an annual SRA of £1000, increasing by £1000 for every five additional Councillors.

7.    Facilities (group rooms etc) are offered to all Councillors. Groups with less than 5 members will share facilities with similar sized groups and non-aligned independent Councillors.

8.    An expenses fund not exceeding £2000 be established in the Lord Mayor’s office to cover necessary out of pocket expenses incurred by the Deputy Lord Mayor in the event that they are in receipt of a SRAs for another role and are therefore unable to claim the Deputy Lord Mayor’s allowance. Any claims from the fund will be made on receipt.

For: Councillors Aspinall, Haydon Coker, Dann, Evans OBE, Lowry, Hendy, Murphy, Penberthy, Rennie, Stevens, Tuffin, Tuohy, Mrs Beer, Darcy, Stoneman, Goslin, Nicholson, Smith, Mrs Bridgeman, Laing, Allen, Ms Watkin, Wakeham, Cresswell, Salmon, Hulme, Harrison, Patel, Carlyle, Raynsford, Holloway, Briars-Delve, Reilly Tippetts, Lugger, Poyser, Noble, McLay, Blight, Dingle, Gilmour, Moore, Penrose, Sproston, Stephens, McNamara, Dr Mahony and Kriznanac. (49)

Abstain: Councillors Partridge and Ricketts (2)

Against: (0)

Absent/did not vote: Councillors Mrs Loveridge, Shayer, Dr Cree, Bingley, Tofan, and Finn (6)