Agenda item

Report of the Independent Members Allowances Remuneration Panel for 2024/2025, attached.

RESOLVED

(a) that the Report of the Independent Panel be welcomed and its Members be thanked for their work;

(b) that the Committee notes the Report’s conclusions and asks the County Council to accept the recommendations outlined below.

i.The basic structure of the current scheme is endorsed and retained.

ii. The Panel feels it important not to depart from its established formula of calculating the basic allowance and therefore the basic allowance increases to £15,082 to take effect from May 2024 and the multipliers be recalculated accordingly. This is based on the Panel’s standard formula and other benchmarking, as outlined at paragraphs 6.6 and 6.8.

iii.Careful consideration should be given, in the future, to the levels of allowances to ensure they keep pace with the economy generally.

iv.That based on the benchmarking and the evidence obtained, the Audit Committee Chair SRA be increased to a multiplier of 0.5 from its current rate of 0.25;

v.The overnight rate for London be increased to £180.00, in line with the methodology and reasoning outlined in paragraphs 6.12 and 6.13 and that a more suitable benchmark will be researched.

vi.The sustained reduction in the number of SRA's be welcomed and that the levels be kept below the 50% threshold, as is currently the case;

vii. That the information in Elections literature should be made clearer, especially with regard to the payment of allowances, the public sector discount and the status of access to the LGPS. These are matters that Group Leaders may wish to ensure are brought to the attention of prospective candidates;

viii.That the work being undertaken to support the LGA’s debate not hate campaign be supported and welcomed;

ix.That the Panel reiterate their desire that Group Leaders continue to take a robust approach to the performance management of their Members’ and places on record their thanks for the levels of reassurance provided by Group Leaders for dealing with performance issues; and

x.The Panel place on record their appreciation to Councillors for their continued Leadership and tireless working in their communities, especially given concerns raised throughout the Report, in terms of workload and added pressures of increased abuse and intimidation.

The Committee considered the Report of the Independent Members’ Allowances Remuneration Panel for 2024/25. 

The Chair of the Panel presented their Report, highlighting specifically that the conclusions and recommendations made had been based on sound evidence and that they had given consideration to the issues asked of them as well as the national position with the cost of living, the impact on communities as well as the operations and finances of the Council. She further thanked her Panel colleagues, Councillor’s and Officers for their support and contributions during the review.

Members welcomed the Panel’s acknowledgment in the Report that while historically there had been little scope for improvement, the structure of the County Council’s scheme remained fit for purpose with sound principles and noted that, in commending its Report to the Council, the Panel had not suggested any significant changes to the structure of the Council’s scheme.

The Panel had recommended that the basic allowance rise to £15,082, in line with their previously agreed formula. The Special Responsibility Allowance (SRA) multipliers would be readjusted accordingly. In the previous years, the staff pay award had been used as a benchmark but given this had been a lump sum payment of £1,925 for both 2022/2023 and for 2023/2024, it was felt this was not appropriate. They further recommended, based on the benchmarking and evidence obtained, that the Audit Committee Chair SRA be increased from a multiple of 0.25 to 0.50. No further changes were recommended to the SRA structure.

The recommended allowances (with effect from 2024) were set out in Appendix 1 of the Report.

The Panel further expressed views that information in Elections literature should be made clearer, especially with regard to the payment of allowances, the public sector discount and the status of access to the LGPS, with these matters being brought to the attention of prospective candidates.

The Committee placed on record its thanks to the Panel for their hard work and very comprehensive Report.

Members commented as follows:

·       the gender, age, and diversity profile of the Council was not truly reflective of local communities and the reasons for this; and

·       the impact of the cost of living on people choosing to stand for election, the difficulties of recruitment to the role as well as the current high workload of elected Members.

It was MOVED by Councillor Prowse, SECONDED by Councillor Whitton, and

RESOLVED

(a) that the Report of the Independent Panel be welcomed and its Members be thanked for their work;

(b) that the Committee notes the Report’s conclusions and asks the County Council to accept the recommendations outlined below.

            i.The basic structure of the current scheme is endorsed and retained.

          ii. The Panel feels it important not to depart from its established formula of calculating the basic allowance and therefore the basic allowance increases to £15,082 to take effect from May 2024 and the multipliers be recalculated accordingly. This is based on the Panel’s standard formula and other benchmarking, as outlined at paragraphs 6.6 and 6.8.

         iii.Careful consideration should be given, in the future, to the levels of allowances to ensure they keep pace with the economy generally.

         iv.That based on the benchmarking and the evidence obtained, the Audit Committee Chair SRA be increased to a multiplier of 0.5 from its current rate of 0.25;

          v.The overnight rate for London be increased to £180.00, in line with the methodology and reasoning outlined in paragraphs 6.12 and 6.13 and that a more suitable benchmark will be researched.

         vi.The sustained reduction in the number of SRA's be welcomed and that the levels be kept below the 50% threshold, as is currently the case;

       vii. That the information in Elections literature should be made clearer, especially with regard to the payment of allowances, the public sector discount and the status of access to the LGPS. These are matters that Group Leaders may wish to ensure are brought to the attention of prospective candidates;

      viii.That the work being undertaken to support the LGA’s debate not hate campaign be supported and welcomed;

         ix.That the Panel reiterate their desire that Group Leaders continue to take a robust approach to the performance management of their Members’ and places on record their thanks for the levels of reassurance provided by Group Leaders for dealing with performance issues; and

          x.The Panel place on record their appreciation to Councillors for their continued Leadership and tireless working in their communities, especially given concerns raised throughout the Report, in terms of workload and added pressures of increased abuse and intimidation.