Agenda item

Members received a report of the Independent Remuneration Panel for Worcestershire District Councils setting out its recommendations to Bromsgrove District Council arising from its review of Members’ Allowances for 2012/13.

The Panel’s report recommended that, in view of the continuing exceptional economic circumstances the Basic Allowance should remain unchanged at £3,676 and that Special Responsibility Allowances should also remain unchanged with the exception of reduced Allowances for the Leader of the Council and the Chairmen of the Planning and Licensing Committees for the reasons set out in the report.

The report emphasised that, had it not been for the economic situation, the Panel would have recommended that Basic Allowance be increased to £4,200. The report also illustrated, for information, the levels of Special Responsibility Allowances if these had been based on this higher level of Basic Allowance and the Panel’s ‘standard’ multipliers that it considered were   appropriate for the various positions.

At the request of Councillor P. M. McDonald, the Chairman agreed that the meeting be adjourned to allow Members to consider the document which had been tabled setting out the Leader’s proposals on the matters.

The meeting stood adjourned from 6.45 p.m. to 6.55 p.m.

Having reconvened, it was moved by Councillor R. Hollingworth and seconded by Councillor Mrs. M. A. Sherrey:

1.      That Basic Allowance be increased to £4,200.

2.      That Special Responsibility Allowances be based on a Basic Allowance of £4,200 and current Bromsgrove District Council multipliers.

3.      That the recommendations set out in (iii) to (v) of the Panel’s report be approved.   

Councillor Hollingworth stated that it would be for each individual councillor to decide if they wished to take increased allowances and that he would not take his increase.

An amendment was moved by Councillor P. M. McDonald and seconded by Councillor L. C. R. Mallett that the Basic Allowance be increased to £4,200 and that Special Responsibility Allowances be based on the multipliers recommended by the Panel including its recommended reductions for the Leader and the Chairmen of the Planning and Licensing Committees. Having been put to the vote the Chairman declared the amendment to be lost.

Prior to the motion (as proposed by Councillor R. Hollingworth) having been put to the vote, Councillor P. M. McDonald indicated that the Labour Group would abstain from the vote. Having been put to the vote, it was  

RESOLVED:

(a)         that Basic Allowance be increased to £4,200;

(b)         that Special Responsibility Allowances be based on a Basic Allowance of £4,200 and current BDC multipliers, as shown below;

(c)         that the recommendations set out in (iii) to (v) of the Panel’s report be approved, namely:

·              that travel allowances for 2012/13 continue to be paid in accordance with the HMRC rate (currently 45p per mile);

·              that subsistence allowances for 2012/13 remain unchanged;

·              that the Childcare and Dependent Carer’s Allowance remain unchanged.