Agenda item

Councillor K. May presented the Independent Remuneration Panel Recommendations 2025/26 report for Council’s consideration. The report detailed the recommendations made by the Worcestershire Independent Remuneration Panel (IRP) regarding Members’ allowances for 2025/26.

Members were informed that the IRP had met during 2024 to review both the basic allowance paid to all Councillors as well as the Special Responsibility Allowances (SRAs) paid to some Councillors who had been appointed to particular positions of responsibility. The panel comprised of independent representatives of the community and reviewed the allowances paid to all Councillors serving District Councils in Worcestershire apart from Wyre Forest District Council.

Members were asked to note that in considering the report from the IRP, the Council was not obliged to approve their recommendations. However the proposals did need to be considered.

It was noted that prior to the Council meeting, the appendix to the report was reissued in a Supplementary Papers 2 pack. This was because the multipliers provided by the IRP in their report were old versions, although the figures payable were correct.

Clarification was provided that, as agreed earlier in the municipal year, it was anticipated that the Chairman’s allowance would be increased to a multiplier of one times the basic allowance.  However, this was not something that the IRP would have considered.

Following the presentation Members discussed the recommendations as shown in the report. There was a detailed discussion in respect of the multiplier for the Chairman of the Audit, Standards and Governance Committee. It was suggested that this should be increased due to the complex work undertaken by the Chairman of the Audit, Standards and Governance Committee. This had been more apparent in recent years particularly as the Chairman was now also expected to attend Finance and Budget Working Group meetings, which increased the number of meetings attended over the municipal year. Furthermore, the Committee undertook more detailed work since the Council had received the Section 24 Notice in 2023. It was proposed that the multiplier be increased to 0.3, which was in line with the multiplier for the Chairman of the Licensing Committee. Some Members expressed concerns that this was contrary to the recommendations made by the IRP. There were also Members who commented that this was not good practice, as the IRP were an independent panel and their advice should be considered. However, it was noted that this had not always been the case and that in previous years Members had amended the IRP recommendations.

As a result of the discussions as outlined in the preamble above, an amendment to the recommendations was proposed by Councillor J. Robinson and seconded by Councillor R. Hunter as follows:

‘That the multiplier for the allowance of the Chairman of Audit, Standards and Governance Committee be increased to 0.03, in line with the chairman of the Licensing Committee.’

On being put to the vote this amendment was lost.

[It was noted that Councillor H. Rone-Clarke did not take part in the vote on the above amendment in his role as current Chairman of the Audit, Standards and Governance Committee.]

There were further detailed discussions regarding the Chairman of the Licensing Sub-Committee. It was suggested that there be an increase to the multiplier for this role. Some Members did not agree and stated that this was not an opportunity to look at increasing the multiplier for all roles for elected Members. If that were the case, then a future increase for Members’ Allowances across the board would potentially need to be increased in order to attract younger elected Members in the future.

A potential increase was discussed and although some Members expressed the view that there were some inconveniences involved in attending Licensing Sub-Committee hearings in the day,this should not automatically result in an increase in the multiplier for this role. Members highlighted that other similar roles were provided with a multiplier such as the Chairman of the Appointments Committee, Chairman of the Electoral Matters Committee and Chairman of a Task Group.

As a result of the discussions, an amendment was proposed by Councillor R. Hunter and seconded by Councillor J. Robinson as follows:

‘That the multiplier for the Chairman of Licensing Sub-Committee hearings be increased to 0.03 to bring it into line with the Chairman of the Electoral Matters Committee.’

It was noted by some Members that the IRP had already reviewed the potential to pay an SRA to Licensing sub-Committee members, as this had been requested by Bromsgrove Members earlier in the year.  However, the IRP had established that this practice did not take place at any other Council within the County.  Furthermore, Bromsgrove District Council, did not hold the largest number of Licensing Sub-Committee meetings in the County, with far more such meetings taking place in Redditch where Members were not reimbursed with an SRA.

On being put to the vote the amendment to the recommendation was lost.

In summing up, the Leader noted that all Members carried out many duties and committed a large amount of time to their roles. This would need to be looked at in order to attract new and younger elected Members in the future.

The recommendations as written in the report were proposed by Councillor K. May and Councillor P. Whittaker.

RESOLVED that [JB1] 

1)          Council approve a Basic Allowance for 2025/26 of £5,826, representing a 5.58% increase.

2)     Council approve a range of Special Responsibility Allowances as set out in Appendix 1.

3)     Travel allowances for 2025/26 continue to be paid in accordance with the HMRC mileage allowance.

4)     Subsistence allowances for 2025/26 remain unchanged.

5)     The Dependent Carer’s Allowance remains unchanged.

6)     Travel and subsistence payments made by Parish Councils to councillors (where they are paid) are made in accordance with the provisions set out in this report.