Independent Remuneration Panel
Minutes:
19.1 The Chief Executive introduced the report and highlighted the key elements within it. He went on to say that due to the difficulty of Councillors debating their own allowances, a Cross Party Panel had been formed to undertake an analysis of the Panel’s findings.
19.2 The Cross Party Panel’s recommendations were highlighted in the report in red, to draw attention to those areas where the Panel had deviated away from the recommendations of the Independent Remuneration Panel (IRP). The reasoning behind those recommendations were set out in paragraphs 3.4 to 3.12 in the report.
19.3 Finally the Chief Executive drew attention to the Terms of Reference of the IRP and informed Council that the IRP had been asked to look at the Scheme on the basis that a period of time had elapsed since the last review, and more specifically because the Council had adopted a Leader/Cabinet model and to consider whether any changes should be backdated to the implementation of the Leader/Cabinet model.
19.4 Councillor Ward MOVED the recommendations in the report and informed Council of two further amendments to the recommendations as follows:-
· that 2.1C be amended to reflect the current practice “that Babergh does not claim more than one SRA allowance” with the exception of the SRA for Group Leaders.
· that the increase in allowances be backdated to the start of the new municipal year (22 May2018).
19.5 Councillor Ward then went on to detail the history of the past reviews of the Independent Remuneration Panel informing Council that there had only been two minor changes to the allowances scheme within the past ten years. He also stated that Babergh had the lowest comparable allowance of all authorities that had been surveyed, at a time when Members’ workloads had increased over the years.
19.6 Councillor McCraw seconded the report and reserved the right to speak.
19.7 On the proposal of Councillor Simon Barrett and seconded by Councillor Ferguson an amendment to restrict the allowance for political group leaders to those groups with five members or more was tabled.
19.8 This was PUT to the vote and CARRIED.
19.9 On the proposal of Councillor Cresswell and seconded by Councillor Williams an amendment to delay the increase in Members allowances until after the May 2019 elections was tabled.
19.10 Under Part 3 Paragraph 18.5 of the Constitution a recorded vote was requested by five Councillors.
19.11 The amendment was PUT to the vote and LOST, the vote was recorded as follows:-
For |
Against |
Abstention |
Cllr A Bavington |
Cllr C Arthey |
Cllr F Lawrenson |
Cllr D Busby |
Cllr S Ayres |
|
Cllr L Cresswell |
Cllr M Barrett |
|
Cllr D Davies |
Cllr S Barrett |
|
Cllr A Ferguson |
Cllr P Beer |
|
Cllr J Hinton |
Cllr P Burgoyne |
|
Cllr J Nunn |
Cllr S Burgoyne |
|
Cllr S Plumb |
Cllr T Burrows |
|
Cllr S Williams |
Cllr T Campbell |
|
|
Cllr S Carpendale |
|
|
Cllr M Creffield |
|
|
Cllr B Gasper |
|
|
Cllr K Grandon |
|
|
Cllr B Hurren |
|
|
Cllr J Jenkins |
|
|
Cllr M Maybury |
|
|
Cllr A McCraw |
|
|
Cllr M Newman |
|
|
Cllr A Osborne |
|
|
Cllr J Osborne |
|
|
Cllr L Parker |
|
|
Cllr N Ridley |
|
|
Cllr H Steer |
|
|
Cllr F Swan |
|
|
Cllr J Ward |
|
Total 9 |
Total 25 |
Total 1 |
19.12 On the proposal of Councillor Bavington and seconded by Councillor Peter Burgoyne, an amendment to remove the wording “that with the exception of theSRA for Group Leaders” no Councillor will be entitled to claim more than one SRA was moved.
19.13 The amendment was PUT to the vote and LOST,
19.14 Under Part 3 Paragraph 18.5 of the Constitution a recorded vote was requested by five councillors for the amended recommendations as tabled along with the additional amendment as detailed in Minute 9.7 “to restrict the allowance for political group leaders to those groups with five members” as agreed.
19.15 The recommendations were PUT to the meeting and CARRIED.
19.16 The voting was recorded as follows:-
For |
Against |
Abstention |
Cllr C Arthey |
Cllr A Bavington |
Cllr A Ferguson |
Cllr S Ayres |
Cllr D Busby |
|
Cllr M Barrett |
Cllr L Cresswell |
|
Cllr S Barrett |
Cllr D Davis |
|
Cllr P Beer |
Cllr J Hinton |
|
Cllr P Burgoyne |
Cllr J Nunn |
|
Cllr S Burgoyne |
Cllr S Plumb |
|
Cllr T Burrows |
Cllr S Williams |
|
Cllr T Campbell |
|
|
Cllr S Carpendale |
|
|
Cllr M Creffield |
|
|
Cllr B Gasper |
|
|
Cllr K Grandon |
|
|
Cllr B Hurren |
|
|
Cllr J Jenkins |
|
|
Cllr F Lawrenson |
|
|
Cllr M Maybury |
|
|
Cllr A McCraw |
|
|
Cllr M Newman |
|
|
Cllr A Osborne |
|
|
Cllr J Osborne |
|
|
Cllr L Parker |
|
|
Cllr N Ridley |
|
|
Cllr H Steer |
|
|
Cllr F Swan |
|
|
Cllr J Ward |
|
|
|
|
|
Total 26 |
Total 8 |
Total 1 |
It was Resolved:-
(i) that the recommendations of the Independent Remuneration Panel (IRP) as reviewed by the joint, cross party panel of councillors be approved as set out below:-
a) That the Basic (Ward Representation) Allowance be set at £5,000.
b) That the Special Responsibility Allowances (SRA) be set at:-
Role |
Multiplier |
Amount |
Chairman of the Council |
1 |
£5,000 |
Deputy Chairman of the Council |
0.5 |
£2,500 |
Leader of Council |
2.5 |
£12,500 |
Deputy Leader of the Council |
1.25 |
£6,250 |
Chair of Planning Committee |
1 |
£5,000 |
Vice-Chair of Planning Committee |
0.25 |
£1,250 |
Chair of Scrutiny Committee |
1 |
£5,000 |
Vice-Chair of Scrutiny Committee |
0.5 |
£2,500 |
Chair of Joint Audit and Standards Committee |
0.5 |
£2,500 |
Planning Committee Members |
0.1 |
£500 |
Political Group Leaders (of at least five members) |
0.2 |
£1,000 |
Chair of Regulatory Committee |
0.5 |
£2,500 |
Vice-Chair of Regulatory Committee |
0.25 |
£1,250 |
Cabinet Member with Portfolio |
1.25 |
£6,250 |
Cabinet Member without Portfolio |
0.5 |
£2500 |
Lead Member |
0.5 |
£2500 |
c) That with the exception of the SRA for Group Leaders, no Councillor will be entitled to claim more than one SRA.
d) That the Travel and Subsistence Allowance be set at:-
· Mileage Rate 45p per mile
· Cycle Mileage Rate 27.7p per mile
· Passenger Allowance 5p per mile
e) That the Childcare and Dependants Allowance be set at:-
· Childcare Allowance up to £13 per hour (subject to a receipt)
· Dependants Relative Care/Specialist Nursing Care Allowance up to £30 per hour (subject to a receipt)
f) That the revised Member Allowance Scheme will take effect from the date of the Annual Council meeting (22 May 2018)
g) That the revised Basic Allowance be increased in line with the Local Government Officer pay awards until the scheme is next reviewed in 2022 or earlier.
h) That a revised Members Allowances Scheme incorporating the decisions of the Council be prepared by the Monitoring Officer. Further, that the Monitoring Officer be authorised to make any typographical and other minor / consequential amendments prior to publication of the final document.
i) That the Council formally records its thanks to the Independent Remuneration Panel for their work in preparing the report.
Supporting documents: