Issue - meetings

Report CSD21001

The regulations governing Members Allowances required the Council to approve a scheme of allowances each year, and the Committee considered the proposed scheme for 2021/22 to be recommended to full Council. The scheme was based on the 2020/21 scheme, with no increases in allowances proposed.

The Committee noted that Councillors serving on Appeals Sub-Committee meetings often had to take part in long meetings and deal with large volumes of paperwork in the same way as members serving on other “quasi-judicial” meetings. It was therefore proposed that a similar allowance be paid, per day, for Appeals Sub-Committee meetings. The Committee was informed that these costs could be covered within the existing budget.

Councillor Gareth Allatt suggested that the roles of the Chairman of Audit Sub-Committee and Chairman of Pensions Investment Sub-Committee involved significant responsibilities and workloads and the levels of these allowances should be enhanced. The Chairman responded that this should be taken into account for the next year’s review.

RESOLVED that

(1) Members Allowances, and the Mayoral and Deputy Mayoral allowances, remain at the same levels for 2021/22.

(2)  A “quasi-judicial” allowance be paid for attendance at Appeals Sub-Committee meetings at the same rate per day as for Plans and Licensing Sub-Committee meetings.

(3) Council be recommended to approve the updated Members Allowances Scheme and the Mayoral and Deputy Mayoral allowances for 2021/22.