Issue - meetings

To consider the report of the Independent Remuneration Panel on Members’ Allowances.

The Committee considered the report of the independent panel on Members’ allowances following their review of the scheme.

Before moving the recommendations, Councillor Richard Samuel thanked the Panel which had been ably led by the Chair - Ronnie Alexander, for their incisive, wide ranging and professional report.

On a motion from Councillor Richard Samuel, seconded by Councillor Kevin Guy, it was

RESOLVED to

1.  Agree that, for the basic allowance:

a.  it be set at £8,951;

b.  it subsumes the homeworking allowance;

c.  it be index linked (meaning, the basic allowance and all SRAs be uprated annually on the basis of any headline percentage increase agreed by the National Joint Council (NJC) for Local Government as the pay award for staff on the national pay scale (Green Book) as set out at recommendation 18;

d.  the start of incremental increases be delayed until 2022/23, in recognition of the impact of Covid-19 on local residents;

e.  and, thereafter, in addition to increases due to index linking, be subject to additional annual increases of £750 per annum to be applied in 2023/24, 2024/25, 2025/26 and then a final uplift of £354 in 2026/27.

2.  Agree that, for the Special Responsibility allowances (SRA):

a.  They should be limited to no more than 50% of Members;

b.  The present reduction of 50% of a second SRA be removed so that this is paid in full, so this properly reflects the work undertaken and in particular, the additional performance management responsibilities addressed in the response to the Advisory comments;

c.  Note the Panel’s intention to review the current banding of allowances at an early opportunity;

d.  The inflationary uprating should apply to all SRAs.

3.  The Council Leader’s allowance should remain at £32,445 for 2021/22 subject to any inflationary uplift;

4.  The Deputy Leader’s allowance should remain at £19,484 for 2021/22 subject to any inflationary uplift;

5.  The Cabinet Members’ allowance should remain at £19,484 for 2021/22 subject to any inflationary uplift.

6.  The Chair of the Planning Committee allowance should remain at £14,314 for 2021/22 subject to any inflationary uplift.

7.  The Vice Chair of Planning Committee should receive an allowance of £3,578 for 2021/22 subject to any inflationary uplift;

8.  The Policy Development and Scrutiny Panel Chair’s allowance should remain at £7,952 for 2021/22 subject to any inflationary uplift;

9.  The Chair of Licensing Sub Committee’s allowance should remain at £5,052for 2021/22 subject to any inflationary uplift;

10.The Chair of Avon Pension Fund Committee should remain at £5,052 for 2021/22 subject to any inflationary uplift;

11.The committee member on the Avon Pension Fund Committee should remain at £3,817 for 2021/22 subject to any inflationary uplift;

12.Reject the IRP recommendations as noted at recommendation 20.

Reject the proposed change to the Group Leaders allowance in so far as this relates to the Leader of Council but accept the governance element for all  minority group leaders and continue to pay the allowance at the rate of £428 per member for  ...  view the full minutes text for item 10