The Council considered a report in respect of the proposed Members’ Allowances Scheme for 2024/25, as recommended by the Independent Remuneration Panel (IRP).
It was moved by Councillor Richard Henry and seconded by Councillor Jeannette Thomas that the recommendations of the Independent Remuneration Panel set out in the report be agreed. In moving the motion, Councillor Henry asked that the next IRP Review should include benchmarking information with comparator authorities which, like SBC, still possessed their own Housing stock.
Following debate, and upon the motion being out to the vote, it was RESOLVED:
1. That the report of the Independent Remuneration Panel be noted and, subject to Members’ consideration, that the findings of the report form the basis of the formal Members’ Allowances Scheme for 2024/25, including:
· with the exception of the proposal for the Majority Opposition and Minority Opposition Group Leaders set out below, the Basic Allowance and Special Responsibility Allowances remained unchanged from 2023/24, and
· the Special Responsibility Allowances payable to the Majority Opposition and Minority Opposition Group Leaders be combined, and be re-distributed pro rata to the number of Members in their respective Groups.
2. That, in accordance with the recommendations of the Panel regarding payment of Dependant Carers’ allowances, the hourly rates remain unchanged from 2023/24, but that the scheme be changed from a monthly maximum of 20 hours to a maximum of 360 hours over the year (with the Leader having discretion to increase this maximum allowance where demonstrably necessary).
3. That, in the light of Resolutions 1. and 2. above, the draft formal Members’ Allowances Scheme, as shown at Appendix B to this report, be approved for 2024/2025.
4. That an Independent Remuneration Panel be reconvened in the Autumn of 2024 to consider the Members’ Allowances Scheme for 2025/2026 onwards.