Committee Report Checklist
Stage 1
Report checklist – responsibility of report owner
|
ITEM |
Yes / No |
Date |
|
Councillor engagement / input from Chair prior to briefing – emailed to Cllr Sexton |
yes |
26/1/26 |
|
Commissioner engagement (if report focused on issues of concern to Commissioners such as Finance, Assets etc) |
yes |
7/1/26 |
|
Relevant Group Head review |
yes |
7/1/26 |
|
MAT+ review (to have been circulated at least 5 working days before Stage 2) |
yes |
7/1/26 |
|
This item is on the Forward Plan for the relevant committee |
yes |
9/2/26 |
|
Reviewed by |
|
|
|
Finance comments (circulate to Finance) |
n/a |
|
|
Risk comments (circulate to Lee O’Neil) |
yes |
7/1/26 |
|
Legal comments (circulate to Legal team) |
LH |
09/01/26 |
|
HR comments (if applicable) |
HR report |
|
For reports with material financial or legal implications the author should engage with the respective teams at the outset and receive input to their reports prior to asking for MO or s151 comments.
Do not forward to stage 2 unless all the above have been completed.
Stage 2
Report checklist – responsibility of report owner
|
ITEM |
Completed by |
Date |
|
Monitoring Officer commentary – at least 5 working days before MAT |
L Heron |
09/01/26 |
|
S151 Officer commentary – at least 5 working days before MAT |
T Collier |
09/1/26 |
|
|
|
|
|
Confirm final report cleared by MAT |
MAT |
21/01/26 |
Corporate Policy and Resources Committee
|
Title |
Pay Policy Statement 2026/27 |
|
Purpose of the report |
To make a recommendation to Council |
|
Report Author |
Debbie O’Sullivan/Angela Tooth, Human Resources Manager |
|
Ward(s) Affected |
Not applicable |
|
Exempt |
No |
|
Exemption Reason |
Not applicable |
|
Corporate Priority |
This item is not in the current list of Corporate Priorities but still requires a Committee/Council decision
|
|
Recommendations
|
Committee is asked to: Agree the Pay Policy Statement and recommend to Council for approval. |
|
Reason for Recommendation |
The Pay Policy Statement must be agreed by Council and be published by 31 March each year. |
1. Executive summary of the report
|
What is the situation |
Why we want to do something |
|
• Annual Pay Policy to be published to enable payments to be made for the next financial year 2026/27. |
• It is a statutory requirement to publish the Pay Policy by 31 March each year |
|
This is what we want to do about it |
These are the next steps |
|
• Recommend to Council that the Pay Policy Statement is approved |
• Full Council to consider and approve so the Pay Policy can be published in line with requirements. |
2. Key issues
2.1 Local authorities are required to publish an annual pay policy statement to increase transparency regarding the use of public funds to pay council staff. This requirement was set out in the Localism Act 2011 with guidance on items to be included issued by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government.
2.2 Pay Policy Statements must be agreed by full Council and be published by 31 March each year to apply to pay decisions during the next financial year.
2.3 The Pay Policy Statement must set out the Council’s policies on a range of issues relating to the pay of its workforce, particularly its senior staff and the lowest paid employees. The statement must set out the policies for the financial year relating to:
· Remuneration of its Chief Officers
· Remuneration of its lowest paid employees
· The relationship between the remuneration of its Chief Officers and the remuneration of those employees who are not Chief Officers
· The publication of and access to information relating to remuneration of Chief Officers.
2.4 The term ‘Chief Officer’ in this context is as set out in the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 (‘the Act’) and includes
· The Head of Paid Service (the Chief Executive)
· The Monitoring Officer
· Statutory and non-statutory Chief Officers under section 2 of the Act
· A deputy Chief Officer mentioned in section 2 of the Act
This is a wider definition than is usually understood by the term: in other contexts, the term Chief Officer at Spelthorne is used to mean posts on Management Team (Chief Executive and Deputy Chief Executives only).
2.5 It is up to the Council to determine who its lowest paid employees are, but they must give reasons as to why they have defined them as such. At Spelthorne the lowest paid employees are those in jobs paid at the lowest grade and apprentices.
2.6 The term ‘remuneration’ is defined as follows:
· The Chief Officer’s salary
· Any bonuses payable
· Any charges, fees or allowances payable by the Council to the Chief Officer
· Any benefits in kind to which the Chief Officer is entitled as a result of their office or employment
· Any increase in or enhancement of the Chief Officer’s pension entitlement where the increase or enhancement is as a result of the resolution of the Council
· Any amounts payable by the Council to the Chief Officer on the Chief Officer ceasing to hold office under or be employed by the Council other than amounts that may be payable by virtue of any enactment.
2.7 The statement must be approved by a resolution of Council before it comes into force. It can be amended by resolution after the financial year is underway but, if it is amended, it must be published on the Council’s website.
2.8 There has been no further guidance from the Secretary of State this financial year.
2.9 This explains the main criteria upon which the decision is to be based.
2.10 Employing authorities are also required to publish a policy on how they propose to exercise certain discretions under the Local Government Pension Scheme, Local Government Compensation Regulations and the Local Government Injury Regulations. As a minimum, an employing authority is required to publish a policy on the mandatory discretions within these regulations.
2.11 The Discretions Policy is an Appendix of the Pay Policy Statement and is attached as Appendix 2. The Policy includes the mandatory discretions for Award of Additional Pension and Inward Transfer of Pension Rights which are useful to be included.
3. Options appraisal and proposal
3.1 The draft Pay Policy Statement for 2026/27 is in the Appendix 1. It is proposed that the Council resolves to approve the Pay Policy Statement for 2026/27.
3.2 There are no options as it is a statutory requirement that the Pay Policy Statement for 2026/27 is published by 31 March 2026
4. Risk implications
Spelthorne needs to publish a Pay Policy Statement by 31 March each year in order to be able to pay and remunerate employees. Failure to do so will mean that it will breach its contractual and legal obligations to pay employees. It is a statutory requirement to do so and failure to meet this deadline will result in payments to staff not being made on time.
5. Financial implications
No direct financial implications to the Pay Policy Statement 2026/27. All pay decisions in the year must be in accordance with the published pay policy statement.
6. Legal comments
6.1 The Council has a statutory duty to provide a Pay Policy Statement for each financial year (section 38 of the Localism Act 2011). The Pay Policy Statement must comply with the relevant provisions in the Localism Act 2011 and give regard to any guidance issued or approved by the Secretary of State. The Pay Policy Statement that accompanies this report assists in discharging this statutory duty.
6.2 Arrangements for pay and employment must comply with relevant employment legislation, the Council’s Standing Orders, Scheme of Delegation, policies, procedures and arrangements, staff terms and conditions of employment and the regulations of the Local Government Pension Scheme. Arrangements for compensation for loss of office must comply with the Council’s Discretionary Policy.
6.3 The matters contained in the Pay Policy Statement include arrangements which are part of the contractual terms and conditions of employment, which cannot be changed without prior consultation.
6.4 Since February 2015 there is also a requirement to publish other information on senior salaries/posts following the government’s publication of the Local Government Transparency Code 2014. This information is published on the Council’s website alongside the Pay Policy Statement and is updated annually.
6.5 Approval of the Pay Policy Statement is a matter for the Council (Article 4 – para 4.1 of the Constitution) on the recommendation of the Corporate Policy and Resources Committee (part 3(b) of the Constitution).
Corporate implications
Spelthorne Borough Council is required to approve and publish Pay Policy Statement annually. The Council is an individual employer in its own right and has autonomy on pay elements that are appropriate to local circumstances. The provisions in the Localism Act 2011 and the guidance do not seek to change this or to determine what decisions on pay should be taken or what policies individual employing authorities should have in place. Rather, the provisions require that authorities are more open about their own local policies and how their local decisions are made.
7. S151 Officer comments
The Section 151 Officer has provided comments and input into the report on the pension fund within Appendix 1.
8. Monitoring Officer comments
8.1 The Monitoring Officer confirms that the relevant legal implications have been taken into account.
9. Procurement comments
There are no procurement implications arising directly from this report.
10. Equality and Diversity
The Pay Policy Statement is in relation to all staff and will be accessible by all staff.
Arrangements for pay will take into account the full scope of the job including the complexity of work, range of responsibilities and the skills and experience required to undertake them, having regard to the need for equal pay for work of equal value.
In accordance with the Equality Act 2010, reasonable adjustments are made to ensure safe working and to remove, prevent or reduce any obstacles there may be in carrying out a role.
11. Sustainability/Climate Change Implications
None
12. Other considerations
This is the last Pay Policy Spelthorne Borough Council will publish. From 2027 financial year, it will become part of West Surrey.
13. Timetable for implementation
The Pay Policy Statement for the 2026/27 financial year must be agreed by Council by 31 March 2026 and be published on the website. All pay decisions in the year will be in accordance with the published pay policy statement and any agreed amendments.
14. Contact
Angela Tooth and Debbie O’Sullivan
Background papers: There are none.
Appendices:
Appendix 1: Pay Policy Statement 2026/27
Appendix 2: Discretions Policy
.