Agenda item

Pursuant to Cabinet Minute No. 81, the Senior Democratic and Scrutiny Officer submitted a report detailing the recommendations of the Independent Remuneration Panel (IR Panel) following its recent review of the Members’ Allowances Scheme. The Council appointed the IR Panel earlier in the year to consider Members’ allowances as a statutory requirement of the Local Government Act 2000. The IR Panel last carried out a comprehensive review in 2015.

Andy Watterson, who chaired the panel, attended Council to present the panel’s recommendations.

The IR Panel’s report recommended increases to the Basic Allowance along with the Special Responsibility Allowances (SRAs) for the Chairs of Planning, Appeals and Regulatory and Standards and Audit Committees, and the Vice Chairs of Planning and Appeals and Regulatory Committees. The Panel’s report also recommended the introduction (or re-introduction) of three SRAs: Chair of Licensing Committee, Vice Chair of Standards and Audit Committee and Deputy Leader of the main opposition group. In addition, the Panel recommended that the SRA for the Vice Chairs of Scrutiny Committees be reduced. The overall cost of implementing the Panel’s recommendations amounted to an additional £10,057 a year compared to the current scheme, although this reduced to £5,303 whilst the Chair of the Appeals and Regulatory Committee was also the Chair of the Licensing Committee.

RESOLVED –

1.   That the IR Panel’s recommendations be approved with the exception of the Special Responsibility Allowances for the Deputy Leader of the main opposition group and Vice Chair of Standards and Audit Committee.

2.   That the changes to the members’ allowances scheme be introduced with effect from 1 April, 2020.

3.   That the IR Panel’s report be published in the press and on the Council’s website, as set out in paragraph 6 of the officer’s report.

4.   That a supplementary estimate to meet the additional costs be approved.

5.   That Full Council expresses both its appreciation and thanks to the members of the IR Panel for the thorough and efficient way in which they carried out the review.

6.   That the basic allowance, special responsibility allowances, subsistence allowance and Mayoral Allowance be updated annually in line with the annual percentage pay increase given to Chesterfield Borough Council employees as agreed for each financial year by the National Joint Council for Local Government Staff until 31 March, 2023 unless the Council has before then sought a further recommendation from its IR Panel on their application in this scheme.