Agenda and minutes

(Director of Governance) To elect a Chairman of the Panel for the duration of the meeting.

RESOLVED:

That D. Jackman be elected as Chairman of the Panel for the duration of the meeting.

(Director of Governance) To declare interests in any item on the agenda for the meeting, pursuant to the Council’s Code of Member Conduct.

No declarations of interest were made by members of the Panel, pursuant to the Council’s Code of Member Conduct.

(Director of Governance) To confirm the minutes of the meeting of the Panel held on 20 July 2017.

RESOLVED:

That the minutes of the meeting of the Panel held on 20 July 2017 be taken as read and signed by the Chairman as a correct record, subject to the addition of the words ‘with the exception of the Leader of the Council’ after the words ‘Many of the members present at the meeting considered that the duties of the Chairman were much more time consuming then other positions’, in the eighth paragraph of Minute 21 (Chairman and Vice-Chairman of Council - Special Responsibility Allowance).

(Director of Governance) To consider the attached report.

The Democratic Services Manager reminded the Panel that the annual review of the Council’s Member Allowances Scheme commenced in September each year, in order to ensure that any recommendations for revision to elements of the Scheme could be considered by the time that the authority’s budget was approved for the following financial year.

To commence the review process for 2018/19, a general invitation had been extended to all elected and co-opted members on behalf of the Panel, to express any suggestions or concerns with regard to the current operation of the allowances scheme. It was reported that one representation had been received as a result of such invitation.

Members’ Allowances Scheme

The Democratic Services Manager reported that, at its meeting on 15 December 2016, the Council had agreed the implementation of 100% of the amount of Basic Allowance for each member with effect from the commencement of the 2016/17 municipal year, in line with the recommendations of the Panel over a number of years. It was noted that the Council had also agreed that, from 2016/17, consideration of the amount of SRA applied to the positions of the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Council be added to the responsibilities of the Panel and that the level of such SRA should therefore be considered as part of the Panel’s annual review of the Members’ Allowances Scheme.

Basic Allowance

The Democratic Services Manager reported that,in considering the recommendations of the Panel in December 2016, the Council had agreed that no change be made to the payment of the full amount of Basic Allowance of £4,300.00 per member per annum to be included in the Members’ Allowances Scheme, following an increase in the implementation rate of the Basic Allowance from 2016/17 in line with the recommendations of the Panel that the authority should implement 100% of the amount of Basic Allowance for each member, rather than the level of 80% previously applied.

The Panel did not consider it necessary to recommend any further changes to the application of Basic Allowance for 2018/19. However, members’ considered that it would be appropriate to continue to revisit the application of Basic Allowance as part of the annual review of the Members’ Allowances Scheme, notwithstanding that the implementation of any increase would be a matter for the Council to determine and that there remained a continued need for restraint in the setting of the authority’s annual budget.

Special Responsibility Allowance

The Panel did not consider that it was necessary to make any changes to the Special Responsibility Allowance (SRA) applied to various member positions for 2018/19, as there had been no change in such responsibilities since the review of the Members’ Allowances Scheme for the current year. However, the Panel wished to encourage the Council to increase the implementation level of the relevant allowances identified in the Members’ Allowances Scheme, in order to achieve the full amount of each allowance as soon as possible.

Independent Members - Annual Allowance

The Panel considered comments submitted  ...  view the full minutes text for item 10.

(Director of Governance) To consider any additional items of business for the meeting.

It was reported that there was no other business for consideration at the meeting.

(Director of Governance) To consider arrangements for future meetings of the Panel, if required.

The Panel agreed that its next meeting be held on a date to be arranged during October 2018, to commence the review of the Members’ Allowances Scheme for 2019/20.