Decision details

Members' Allowances Scheme 2016-17

Decision Maker: Council

Decision status: Recommendations Approved

Is Key decision?: No

Is subject to call in?: No

Decisions:

The Council considered the report on the recommendations of the Independent Remuneration Panel on the Members’ Allowances Scheme 2016-17.

 

It was proposed by Councillor I.T.E. Harvey and seconded by Councillor A.C. Harman that the following recommendations of the Independent Remuneration Panel, outlined in the tables below, be approved:

 

Allowance

Current amount for 2015/16

Number

Recommended Allowance for 2016/17

Recommended Allowance Calculation

 

Basic (BA):

£3938

39

£4550

-

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Special Responsibility:

 

 

 

 

 

Leader of the Council

 

£9037

1

£9100

200% of BA

Deputy Leader

 

£6001

1

£6060

66% of Leader’s Allowance

Cabinet Members

 

£3012

61

£4550

50% of Leader’s Allowance

Planning Committee Chairman

 

£3012

1

£3600

40% of Leader’s Allowance

Licensing Committee Chairman

 

£3012

1

£3200

35% of Leader’s Allowance

Overview and Scrutiny Committee Chairman

 

£3012

1

£3200

35% of Leader’s Allowance

Audit

Committee Chairman

 

£3012

1

£2500

25% of Leader’s Allowance

 

 

 

 

 

Opposition Group Leader

 

£3012

1

£3100

-

 

 

 

 

 

 

Co-Optees’ Allowance

£1000 (Chair)

£500 (Vice-Chair)

1

1

£1000 (Chair)

£500 (Vice-Chair)

-

 

                                                 

1 Based on the existing Cabinet and excluding the Leader and Deputy Leader

 

Allowance for expenditure incurred in relation to Approved Duties (Schedule 1 to Scheme)

Current amount for 2015/16

Recommended Allowance for 2016/17

 

Dependants’Carer’s Allowance

 

Reimbursement of actual costs incurred

unchanged

 

 

 

 

Travelling and Subsistence Allowances

 

 

Motor Mileage Allowance (per mile)

 

Cars

 

 

 

Motorcycles

 

Cycle

 

 

 

 

Up to 999cc – 46.9p

1000cc – 1199cc – 52.2p

1200cc and over – 65p

 

24p

 

Nil

 

 

 

unchanged

 

 

 

unchanged

 

20p

 

 

Day Subsistence Allowance

 

 

Reimbursement of actual costs incurred

unchanged

 

 

That no changes be made to the Scheme of Members’ Allowances in relation to the rules on claiming Special Responsibility Allowances.

 

That the minor clarification made to the original list of Approved Duties which was put before the Council in 2015/16.

 

 

 

The following amendment to the Basic and Special Responsibility Allowances was moved by Councillor S.C. Mooney and seconded by Councillor H.R. Williams:

 

Allowance

Current amount for 2015/16

Number

Recommended Allowance for 2016/17

Recommended Allowance Calculation

 

Basic (BA):

£3938

39

£5785

-

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Special Responsibility:

 

 

 

 

 

Leader of the Council

 

£9037

1

£13,306

230% Basic Allowance

Deputy Leader

 

£6001

1

£8,782

66% of Leader’s Allowance

Cabinet Members

 

£3012

61

£6,653

50% of Leader’s Allowance

Planning Committee Chairman

 

£3012

1

£5,322

40% of Leader’s Allowance

Licensing Committee Chairman

 

£3012

1

£4,657

35% of Leader’s Allowance

Overview and Scrutiny Committee Chairman

 

£3012

1

£4,657

35% of Leader’s Allowance

Audit

Committee Chairman

 

£3012

1

£3,327

25% of Leader’s Allowance

 

 

 

 

 

Opposition Group Leader

 

£3012

1

£3100

-

 

 

 

 

 

 

Co-Optees’ Allowance

£1000 (Chair)

£500 (Vice-Chair)

1

1

£1000 (Chair)

£500 (Vice-Chair)

-

 

The amendment was carried.

 

The Mayor then invited councillors to vote on the substantive motion proposed by Councillor S.C. Mooney.

 

The substantive motion was carried.

 

Resolved that the following recommendations of the Independent Remuneration Panel and the amended figures to the Members’ Allowances Scheme 2016-17 be approved and back-dated to 1 April 2016:

 

Allowance

Current amount for 2015/16

Number

Recommended Allowance for 2016/17

Recommended Allowance Calculation

 

Basic (BA):

£3938

39

£5785

-

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Special Responsibility:

 

 

 

 

 

Leader of the Council

 

£9037

1

£13,306

230% Basic Allowance

Deputy Leader

 

£6001

1

£8,782

66% of Leader’s Allowance

Cabinet Members

 

£3012

61

£6,653

50% of Leader’s Allowance

Planning Committee Chairman

 

£3012

1

£5,322

40% of Leader’s Allowance

Licensing Committee Chairman

 

£3012

1

£4,657

35% of Leader’s Allowance

Overview and Scrutiny Committee Chairman

 

£3012

1

£4,657

35% of Leader’s Allowance

Audit

Committee Chairman

 

£3012

1

£3,327

25% of Leader’s Allowance

 

 

 

 

 

Opposition Group Leader

 

£3012

1

£3100

-

 

 

 

 

 

 

Co-Optees’ Allowance

£1000 (Chair)

£500 (Vice-Chair)

1

1

£1000 (Chair)

£500 (Vice-Chair)

-

 

1 Based on the existing Cabinet and excluding the Leader and Deputy Leader

 

Allowance for expenditure incurred in relation to Approved Duties (Schedule 1 to Scheme)

Current amount for 2015/16

Recommended Allowance for 2016/17

 

Dependants’Carer’s Allowance

 

Reimbursement of actual costs incurred

unchanged

 

 

 

 

Travelling and Subsistence Allowances

 

 

Motor Mileage Allowance (per mile)

 

Cars

 

 

 

Motorcycles

 

Cycle

 

 

 

 

Up to 999cc – 46.9p

1000cc – 1199cc – 52.2p

1200cc and over – 65p

 

24p

 

Nil

 

 

 

unchanged

 

 

 

unchanged

 

20p

 

 

Day Subsistence Allowance

Reimbursement of actual costs incurred

unchanged

 

 

That no changes be made to the Scheme of Members’ Allowances in relation to the rules on claiming Special Responsibility Allowances.

 

That the minor clarification made to the original list of Approved Duties which was put before the Council in 2015/16.

 

 

Reasons for the decision:

·         There has been no increase in members’ Basic Allowance for 8 years; 

·         Members’ responsibilities have increased substantially in that time;

·         To take into account the changes of the responsibility of the Leader since the Council adopted the “strong leader” and Cabinet form of governance;

·         The IRP proposal to reduce the Leader’s Special Responsibility Allowance from 2.3 times to 2.0 times was counter intuitive;

·         To attract and retain people from a more diverse range of backgrounds to stand as candidates for election as Councillors;

·         To deliver a Council chamber that more accurately reflects the socio-economic profile of the Spelthorne local population;

·         To give compensation for loss of Local Government Pension Scheme to which councillors were no longer entitled;

·         To help councillors to fulfil their role as councillors with more funds at their disposal;

·         That the highest allowance available, the Leader’s Special Responsibility Allowance is still lower than the lowest pay grade available to Spelthorne Council employees.

Report author: Gillian Scott

Publication date: 23/08/2016

Date of decision: 21/07/2016

Decided at meeting: 21/07/2016 - Council

Accompanying Documents: