The City Council will be asked to consider the report of the Independent Remuneration Panel and approve the recommendations contained in the report.

Councillor Pete Smith (Deputy Leader) proposed the recommendations of the Independent Remuneration Panel for Council approval, Councillor Evans OBE (Leader) seconded the proposal.

Following a debate and vote the council agreed –

1.         the eight recommendations from the Independent Remuneration Panel on the level of Members’ Allowances from 2018/19 onwards as follows:

Recommendation 1: Having reviewed the Bands for the Special  Allowances, the Panel recommends a change to the existing Band 5 to be a quarter of the basic allowance. For 2018/19 this will be £2,697.

Recommendation 2: The Panel recommends the four Scrutiny Committee Chairs each receive a Special Responsibility Allowance at Band 3, which is £10,788 for 2018/19.

Recommendation 3: The Panel recommends the four Scrutiny Committee Vice-Chairs are not remunerated and therefore will not attract a Special Responsibility Allowance.

Recommendation 4: The Panel recommends, in recognition of the role of Vice-Chairs of Licensing and Taxi Licensing, which are quasi-judicial committees, that they receive a Special Responsibility Allowance at new Band 5, £2,697.

Recommendation 5: The Panel recommends the role of Chair of the Health and Wellbeing Board should, in principle, be remunerated. On the basis of the evidence the Panel considers the role should be remunerated at Band 4 which is currently £5,394 for 2018/19.

Recommendation 6: The Panel recommends an increase in the Special Responsibility Allowance for the Chair of Audit and Governance Committee from the current Band 4, £5,394 for 2018/19, to Band 3, £10,788.

Recommendation 7: The Panel recommends the proposed new role of Assistant Cabinet Member be remunerated with a Special Responsibility Allowance at the new Band 5 level of £2,697 for 2018/19, on the expectation that:

·         the number of roles is restricted to a maximum of four at any one time;

·         a rolling programme of development for the Assistant Cabinet Members be introduced, in the context of the broader approach to Member development and succession planning; and

·         evidence is provided to the next review of the Panel on the effectiveness of the Assistant Cabinet Member role.

Recommendation 8: The Panel recommends in the interests of parity, the subsistence rates for officers and Members continue to be linked as articulated in the ‘Plymouth Book’.

2.         to note the next full review of member allowances will take place by 2021; and

3.         to delegate to the Monitoring Officer responsibility for undertaking the necessary updates to Appendix One of the Council’s Constitution to reflect the agreed member allowances from 2018/19.

For the motion (27)

Councillors  Mrs Aspinall,  Haydon,  Coker,  Dann,  Evans OBE,  Hendy,  Lowry,  McDonald,  Morris,  Murphy,  Parker-Delaz-Ajete,  Penberthy,  Rennie,  Singh,  P Smith,  Stevens,  J Taylor,  Tuffin,  Tuohy,  Vincent,  Winter, Wheeler,  Mavin, Buchan, Goslin, Corvid  and Derrick.

Against the motion (22)

Councillors  Ball,  Mrs Beer,  Bowyer,   Mrs Bowyer,  Churchill,  Darcy,  Deacon,  Downie,  Drean,  Fletcher,  Foster,  James,  Jordan,  Kelly,  Leaves, Mrs Leaves, Nicholson,  Mrs Pengelly,   Wigens, Mrs Loveridge,  Cook and R Smith.

Abstentions (1)

Lord Mayor 

Absent / Did Not Vote (6)

Councillors Dr Mahony, Mrs Bridgeman, Neil, Carson, K Taylor and Mrs Johnson.