To approve the councillors’ allowances scheme, having regard to the recommendations of the independent remuneration panel.

Council was asked to approve the councillors’ allowances scheme having regard to the recommendations of the independent remuneration panel.

The Assistant Director, Governance presented the report.

RESOLVED:

That: a)   the independent remuneration panel be thanked for its report; and

b)    having regard to the report of the panel, the following recommendations be approved:

1)    that the current method of calculating basic allowance be retained;

2)    a lower rate basic allowance be payable to all members unless all relevant mandatory training has been completed by 1 September, as set out in the draft councillors’ allowances scheme at appendix B to the report;

3)    the lower rate basic allowance be calculated using the estimated monthly average hours worked of 90, less a public service discount of 50%, multiplied by the Herefordshire median hourly earnings, multiplied by 12 (months);

4)    the assistant director governance be requested to develop a report, following consultation with group leaders,  on options for implementing a system of annual performance appraisal for elected members for consideration by the audit & governance committee;

5)    the special responsibility allowance for vice chairmen of overview and scrutiny committees be set at band 5;

6)    delegated authority be given to the assistant director governance, following consultation with the chairmen of general overview & scrutiny committee and health & social care overview and scrutiny committee, to establish and publicise a set of criteria against which eligibility for a special responsibility allowance of £500 for chairing a task and finish group would be assessed when the committee appoints any such chairman;

7)    the remaining special responsibility allowances, as set out at appendix B to the report, continue unchanged;

8)    basic and special responsibility allowances be updated annually in line with the national joint council for local government services pay award for a period of not more than four years;

9)    the current schemes of travel and subsistence, and childcare and dependants’ carers’ allowances be retained;

10)  the current childcare and dependants’ carers’ allowance scheme be extended to parish councils if they wish to adopt such a scheme; and

c)         taking account of the above recommendations, the revised councillors’ allowances scheme at appendix B to the report be adopted.