Agenda item

To receive the report of the Independent Remuneration Panel

The Monitoring Officer reminded Council that it was required to agree a Members Allowance Scheme, including a Basic Allowance for all Councillors and Special Responsibility Allowances for certain roles within the Council’s structure.  An Independent Remuneration Panel (IRP) had been appointed last year and its report and recommendations had been published with the Council agenda. 

The Monitoring Officer advised that in agreeing a Members Allowance Scheme, Council must have regard to the IRP’s recommendations, but are not obliged to accept them.

Alan Ladley, member of the IRP, introduced the report and advised of the methodology and the evidence upon which the Panel’s conclusions and recommendations were based.  He summarised the recommendations, as set out in detail within the report: 5% increase in the Basic Allowance; 10% increase in SRA paid to the Leader; 10% reduction in the SRA paid to the Leader of the Minority Group; £50 per meeting payment to representatives on Outside Bodies; and, with regard to the Dependent Carers’ Allowance, the additional provision for specialist care at the WSCC domiciliary care rate of £20.53 per hour.

Councillor Ray Dawe, Leader of the Council, thanked the Panel for its work and recognised that the recommended increase in the Basic Allowance reflected the relatively low rate compared to other local authorities and proposed that the IRP’s recommendations be accepted.

However, in the light of the uncertainties caused by the pandemic, the Leader proposed that changes to the current allowance scheme be deferred for a year.  He therefore proposed an amendment to the second recommendation in the Monitoring Officer’s report, so that Council agree a Members Allowance Scheme effective from 2022/23 municipal year instead of 2021/22.   The motion was seconded by Councillor James Wright.

Councillor Frances Haigh, Leader of the Minority Group, and a number of Councillors, expressed their support to defer the decision for year and retain the current Members Allowance Scheme, given the financial difficulties and challenges arising from the pandemic for both the Council and its residents.  The motion was CARRIED. 

After some debate, Adam Ladley reiterated that any report or recommendations produced by the IRP would be reached independently; it was up to Councillors whether they accepted or amended any of the recommendations. 

Councillor Haigh proposed that the IRP review their findings by the end of April 2022 and an amended report be presented to Council for consideration.  The motion was seconded by Councillor Tony Bevis.  The motion was LOST.

It was noted that the IRP’s report recommended that they reconvene at least once a year during its four-year tenure to confirm or reassess recommendations and consider any appropriate changes.

RESOLVED

i)        To note the report of the Independent Remuneration Panel and the recommendations of the Panel at appendix 7 of their report;

ii)       That a Members’ Allowance Scheme for Horsham District Council be agreed, as recommended by the Independent Remuneration Panel, effective from the 2022/23 municipal year and, once implemented, to amend Part 6 of the Constitution accordingly, and authorise a supplementary estimate for any additional costs, as determined by the Director of Corporate Resources.

REASON

i)        There is a legal requirement that the Council has regard to the recommendations of an Independent Remuneration Panel when agreeing the level of Allowances paid to Members.

ii)       It is a function of Full Council to agree the level of Member Allowances.