To determine the Scheme of Allowances to take effect on 1 April 2017 until 31 March 2018 having regard to the recommendations of the Independent Remuneration Panel.

81.1           The report of the Head of Democratic Services, circulated at Pages No. 26-34, attached the report of the Independent Remuneration Panel following its consideration of the Council’s Member Allowances Scheme. The report set out a number of recommendations made by the Panel which the Council was asked to consider when agreeing its Scheme of Allowances for 2017/18.

81.2           The Mayor invited the Chair of the Panel, Mr Richard Blamey, to address the Council. Mr Blamey explained that the current Panel had been appointed in February 2015 and he had been the Chair for much of that time. He was also a member of Gloucestershire County Council’s Independent Remuneration Panel so he had quite a lot of experience of local authority allowances. This had been his second opportunity to address Tewkesbury Borough Council in relation to the Member Allowances Scheme for which he was grateful. Mr Blamey explained that, since the Panel’s appointment, it had met over 30 Councillors and analysed a huge amount of data. The Panel had found meeting with Councillors extremely helpful as it provided a much better understanding of the role and duties that they undertook and the Panel looked forward to meeting more Members throughout the forthcoming year. In terms of the Basic Allowance, Tewkesbury Borough was still the highest in the country; however, the Panel did not think it appropriate or fair to recommend a cut in that allowance. In terms of Special Responsibility Allowances, the Council’s payments were on the low side so they were recommended for an increase; he felt it should be borne in mind that, even with that increase, they remained low in comparison to others. The Panel was recommending a new Special Responsibility Allowance for Support Members of £175.00 per year which would act as recognition for the additional work that they undertook to support their Lead Members. The cost of the recommendations equated to a 1.3% increase on the overall allowances budget.

81.3           During the discussion which ensued, a Member questioned whether the comparison data that the Panel had looked at had taken account of the fact that Tewkesbury Borough ran a Committee system rather than a Cabinet system. In response, Mr Blamey advised that the Panel had been very thorough so had looked at data across the country and then ‘drilled down’ to look at the like for like authorities. In relation to the Scheme proposed being for a period of one year, a Member questioned whether the Panel would start its deliberations again soon and, in response, Mr Blamey indicated that the Panel would meet as many Councillors as it could and look at the data over the year to enable it to make a recommendation in 2018.

81.4           In proposing the recommendations of the Panel, the Leader of the Council thanked the Panel for the work that it had undertaken and the very thorough way it had conducted its research. He felt that its recommendations would result in a fair and reasonable Allowances Scheme and he hoped the Panel would return again as its members were now well versed in how the Council ran its business. The Deputy Leader echoed those sentiments and seconded the proposal. 

81.5           During the discussion which ensued, a Member felt that the inflationary increase was unfair when the Council’s Basic Allowance was already higher than others; she therefore proposed, and it was seconded, that recommendation 4.2 of the Panel’s report, which recommended that the Council consider including an inflationary increase within the Medium Term Financial Strategy for the Members’ Allowances budget, be removed. The seconder of the amendment agreed that this did not feel appropriate in the circumstances in terms of the Basic Allowance and, overall, he would not support an increase in the Special Responsibility Allowances either.

81.6           In debating the amendment, a Member suggested that the recommendation at 4.2 was merely asking that an inflationary increase be included in the Medium Term Financial Strategy rather than actually agreeing an annual increase; he felt this seemed sensible as the Medium Term Financial Strategy was the document used to help the Council plan its future finances. Mr Blamey agreed that the Panel had raised this so that the Council knew it was an issue rather than suggesting that it would wish to recommend an annual increase in allowances paid.

81.7           Upon being put to the vote the amendment that recommendation 4.2 be removed from the Panel’s report, was lost. Accordingly, it was proposed, seconded and

                  RESOLVED          1. That the recommendations of the Independent                                                         Remuneration Panel for the 2017/18 Scheme of Allowances                                 be AGREED as follows:

·           That the Basic Allowance payable to all Councillors remain at £7,200.

·           That the following Special Responsibility Allowances be payable:

       Leader of the Council          £8,800pa

       Deputy Leader                    £6,600pa

       Lead Members (7)              £4,400pa

       Committee Chairmen (5)    £2,200pa

Planning Committee          

Licensing Committee

Overview and Scrutiny Committee

Audit Committee                            

Standards Committee

       Mayor                                  £2,200pa

Deputy Mayor                     £1,350pa

Support Members (9)          £175pa

2.   That all other aspects of the Scheme of Allowances remain unchanged.

3.   That Officers’ consider including an inflationary increase             on the Member Allowances budget within the Medium Term Financial Strategy to allow greater scope for amending the Scheme in future.