Issue - meetings

Report of Head of Law and Governance

Purpose of report

To determine the levels of the allowances to be paid to Members for the forthcoming 2017/2018 financial year following the submission of the report of the Council’s Independent Remuneration Panel (IRP)

Recommendations

The meeting is recommended to:

 1.1        Consider the levels of allowances to be included in the 2017/2018 Members’ Allowances Scheme, and whether the Panel’s recommendations should  be adopted or modified in any way

1.2         Authorise the Head of Law and Governance to prepare an amended Members’ Allowances Scheme, in accordance with the decisions of the Council for implementation with effect from 1 April 2017.

1.3         Authorise the Head of Law and Governance to take all necessary action to revoke the current (2016/2017) Scheme and to publicise the revised Scheme pursuant to The Local Authorities (Members’ Allowances) (England) Regulations 2003 (as amended).

1.4         Thank the Independent Remuneration Panel (IRP) for its report and note that in accordance with the fees for IRP Members agreed at the 8 November 2016 Special Council meeting, a fee of £300 would be paid to Panel Members for the work carried out on this consultation.

Resolved

(1)          That, having given due consideration to the levels of allowances to be included in the 2017/2018 Members’ Allowances Scheme, the Panel’s recommendations (annex to the Minutes as set out in the Minute Book) be adopted without modification.

(2)          That the Head of Law and Governance be authorised to prepare an amended Members’ Allowances Scheme, in accordance with the decisions of the Council for implementation with effect from 1 April 2017.

(3)          That the Head of Law and Governance be authorised to take all necessary action to revoke the current (2016/2017) Scheme and to publicise the revised Scheme pursuant to The Local Authorities (Members’ Allowances) (England) Regulations 2003 (as amended).

(4)          That the Independent Remuneration Panel (IRP) be thanked for its report and it be noted that in accordance with the fees for IRP Members agreed at the 8 November 2016 Special Council meeting, a fee of £300 would be paid to Panel Members for the work carried out on this consultation.

The Head of Law and Governance submitted a report to determine the levels of the allowances to be paid to Members for the forthcoming 2017/2018 financial year following the submission of the report of the Council’s Independent Remuneration Panel (IRP)

In presenting the report, Councillor Wood, Leader of the Council, thanked the Panel for their hard work in producing the report and acknowledged the recommendations and the Panel’s reasoning.

Councillor Woodcock, Leader of the Labour Group, thanked the elected Members who had spoken with the Panel, the Panel members for the report and advised Council that the Labour Group were not in favour of the proposed increase.

Councillor Woodcock requested that a recorded vote be taken. Councillor Richards seconded the proposal.  

Having been proposed and seconded, a recorded vote was duly taken with members voting as follows:

Resolved

(1)          That, having given due consideration to the levels of allowances to be included in the 2017/2018 Members’ Allowances Scheme, the Panel’s recommendations (annex to the Minutes as set out in the Minute Book) be adopted without modification.

(2)          That the Head of Law and Governance be authorised to prepare an amended Members’ Allowances Scheme, in accordance with the decisions of the Council for implementation with effect from 1 April 2017.

(3)          That the Head of Law and Governance be authorised to take all necessary action to revoke the current (2016/2017) Scheme and to publicise the revised Scheme pursuant to The Local Authorities (Members’ Allowances) (England) Regulations 2003 (as amended).

(4)          That the Independent Remuneration Panel (IRP) be thanked for its report and it be noted that in accordance with the fees for IRP Members agreed at the 8 November 2016 Special Council meeting, a fee of £300 would be paid to Panel Members for the work carried out on this consultation.