Agenda item

The Leader presented the Independent Remuneration Panel (IRP) 2026/27 report for consideration by Council and thanked the IRP for the work undertaken in preparing the report.

In addition to the five recommendations made by the IRP there were three additional recommendations which proposed the following:

1. A Special Responsibility Allowance (SRA) using the multiplier of 0.03 of the basic allowance be introduced for payments to Vice-Chairman of Committees on a per meeting basis where Members were required to act in the absence of the Chairman of that particular Committee. This was based on parity of arrangements already in place for the Chairman of the Electoral Matters Committee
2. A Special Responsibility Allowance (SRA) using the multiplier of 0.03 of the basic allowance be introduced for payments to the Chairman of Licensing Sub-Committee hearings.
3. That the SRA of the Chairman of the Audit, Standards and Governance Committee be aligned with the Chairman of the Licensing Committee (approximately £35 per annum).

It was explained that given the relatively small multiplier being proposed to these new SRAs, it was not anticipated that the proposed recommendations 1 and 2 as detailed above would exceed £2,000 additional funding into the budget.

Following the presentation of the report and the additional recommendations Members expressed that they were pleased with the additional SRAs as detailed above, particularly as this had been suggested previously. In particular the additional SRA for the Chairman of Audit, Standards and Governance Committee given its importance for the Council.

Some Members expressed that they had been disappointed with some of the communications from members of the IRP. In addition to this it was noted that the panel seemed unbalanced in terms of Trade Union representation. It was important to recognise that currently there was not enough of an incentive for new Councillors to stand in elections as the remuneration did not reflect the amount of time Councillors spent executing their Council duties.

The recommendations were proposed by Councillor K. May and seconded by Councillor S. Baxter.

RESOLVED that

1)    a Basic Allowance for 2026/27 of £6,095, representing a 4.62% increase from the previous year’s recommendations be approved.

2)    a range of Special Responsibility Allowances as set out in Appendix 1 be approved.

3)    travel allowances for 2026/27 continue to be paid in accordance with the HMRC mileage allowance be approved.

4)    subsistence allowances for 2026/27 remain unchanged.

5)    the Dependent Carer’s Allowance remains unchanged.

6)    a Special Responsibility Allowance (SRA) using the multiplier of 0.03 of the basic allowance for payments to Vice-Chairman of Committees on a per meeting basis where Members were required to act in the absence of the Chairman of that particular Committee. This was based on parity of arrangements already in place for the Chairman of the Electoral Matters Committee be introduced.

7)    a Special Responsibility Allowance (SRA) using the multiplier of 0.03 of the basic allowance for payments to the Chairman of Licensing Sub-Committee hearings be introduced.

8)    the SRA of the Chairman of the Audit, Standards and Governance Committee be aligned with the Chairman of the Licensing Committee multiplier of 0.3(approximately £35 per annum).