Agenda item

Report of Assistant Director Law & Governance and Monitoring Officer

Purpose of report

To determine the levels of the allowances to be paid to Members for the forthcoming 2026/2027 financial year and proposed changes to the Members’ Allowance Scheme, following the consideration of the report of the Council’s Independent Remuneration Panel (the “Panel”) attached at Appendix 1. 

Recommendations

Council resolves:

1.1           To consider the levels of allowances to be included in the 2026/2027 Members’ Allowances Scheme, and whether the Panel’s recommendations (as set out at paragraph 3.1 of this report and section 2) should be adopted or modified in any way.

1.2           To authorise the Assistant Director Law and Governance to prepare an amended Members’ Allowances Scheme, in accordance with the decisions of Council for implementation with effect from 1 April 2026. 

1.3           To authorise the Assistant Director of Law and Governance to take all necessary action to revoke the current (2025/2026) Scheme and to publicise the revised Scheme pursuant to The Local Authorities (Member’s Allowances) (England) Regulations 2003 (as amended). 

1.4           To thank the Independent Remuneration Panel for its report and confirm a fee of £300 for each Panel Member for the work carried out on this review; and to delegate authority to the Assistant Director of Law & Governance to apply the same final percentage increase to the IRP fee, in line with the staff pay award (when agreed), for any reviews carried out in 2026/2027.

Resolved

(1)          That having given due consideration, the following levels of allowance be included in the 2026/2027 Members’ Allowance Scheme:

·         That the Basic Allowance be increased in in line with the 2026/2027 staff pay award, when agreed, rounded up to give 12 equal payments and backdated to 1 April 2026.

·         That the current combined Special Responsibility Allowance covering both the Chair of the Licensing Acts Committee and Chair of the General Licensing Committee end, and separate SRAs be introduced for the Chair of each Committee at the current combined SRA level.

·         That all Special Responsibility Allowances be increased in in line with the 2026/2027 staff pay award, when agreed, rounded up to give 12 equal payments and backdated to 1 April 2026.

·         That the co-optees allowance be increased in in line with the 2026/2027 staff pay award, when agreed, rounded up to give 12 equal payments and backdated to 1 April 2026.

·         That the Independent Persons allowance be increased in in line with the 2026/2027 staff pay award, when agreed, rounded up to give 12 equal payments and backdated to 1 April 2026.

·         That Dependents’ Carers’ and Childcare Allowances remain at the current level, are paid on the basis of the actual costs incurred up to the maximum hourly rate set out below and to a maximum cap of 40 hours per month, subject to production of receipts and cannot be paid to a member of the claimant’s household:

o   Childcare: £10 per hour

o   Dependent Relative care - £20 per hour

·         That mileage remain at the current level in line with HMRC approved mileage rates, and if any adjustments are implemented by HMRC then the revised rates should be applied to Members’ travel allowances effective from the date of implementation by HMRC.

o   Bicycles: 20p per mile

o   Motorcycles (any cc) – 24p per mile

o   Motor Vehicles (any cc) – 45p per mile

o   Electric or similar specialised vehicles – 45p per mile

·         That the rates for subsistence allowance remain at the current level in line with the maximum staff subsistence levels, with claims permitted on approved duties of over 5 hours outside the district*, subject to the submission of receipts (*subsistence allowances cannot be claimed for any duties within the district as the basic allowance is deemed to cover all within district expenses).

o   Breakfast: £7.50

o   Lunch: £10.50

o   Tea / coffee: £4.00

o   Evening Meal: £12.50

·         That Democratic Services continue to book overnight accommodation if required.

·         That there be no change to the list of approved duties for which claims may be made.

·         That Non-Executive Director allowances be increased in in line with the 2026/2027 staff pay award, when agreed, rounded up to give 12 equal payments and backdated to 1 April 2026 and costs recharged to the relevant company.

(2)          That the Assistant Director Law and Governance be authorised to prepare an amended Members’ Allowances Scheme, in accordance with the decisions of Council for implementation with effect from 1 April 2026. 

(3)          That the Assistant Director of Law and Governance be authorised to take all necessary action to revoke the current (2025/2026) Scheme and to publicise the revised Scheme pursuant to The Local Authorities (Member’s Allowances) (England) Regulations 2003 (as amended). 

(4)          That the Independent Remuneration Panel (IRP) be thanked for its report and a fee of £300 be confirmed for each Panel Member for the work carried out on this review and authority be delegated to the Assistant Director Law & Governance to apply the same final percentage increase to the IRP member fee, in line with the staff pay award (when agreed), for any reviews carried out in 2026/2027.