Agenda item

Report by the Corporate Director - Commercial Development, Assets & Investment and Monitoring Officer (CC11).

This report presents the recommendations of the Independent Remuneration Panel following a recent full review of the Council’s Members’ Allowances Scheme. 

The Council had asked that a review be undertaken during this Autumn to help shape a Scheme of Allowances to apply from 1 April 2020. The last full review of the allowances agreed by Members was in December 2014. The Independent Remuneration Panel have now met and are recommending some changes to the Scheme as set out in the report.

The Council is RECOMMENDED to consider the following recommendations of the Independent Remuneration Panel and in so doing agree a Scheme of Allowances:

1.          that the Basic Allowance payable to all councillors increase from £11,014 to £12,000 per annum;

2.          that, in addition to the Basic Allowance, a Special Responsibility Allowance (SRA) be paid as follows:-

a.         Leader of the Council – raise to three times the Basic Allowance:  £36,000

b.         Deputy Leader of the Council – keep at twice the Basic Allowance: £24,000

c.         Cabinet Members – keep at 1.6 times the Basic Allowance: £19,2000

d.         Leader of the Opposition – increase to 1 times the Basic Allowance: £12,000

e.         Shadow Cabinet – keep at 0.25 times the Basic Allowance: £3,000

f.           Chairs of Scrutiny Committees (Performance, Education) – keep at 0.6 times the Basic Allowance: £7,200

g.         Chair of the Planning and Regulation Committee – keep at 0.6 times the Basic Allowance: £7,200

h.         Chair of the Audit & Governance Committee – keep at 0.6 times the Basic allowance: £7,200

i.           Chair of the Pension Fund Committee – keep at 0.6 times the Basic allowance: £7,200

j.           Chair of the Remuneration Committee – no allowance

k.          Chairman of the Council – keep at 0.85 times the Basic Allowance: £10,200

l.           Vice-Chairman of the Council – keep at 0.25 times the Chair’s Allowance: £2,550

m.       Third Party Leader – no allowance but review in 2021/22

n.         Locality Meeting Chairman – increase from 0.05 to 0.10 times the Basic Allowance: £1,200

o.         Police and Crime Panel Member – no allowance

p.         Police and Crime Panel Chairman – keep at 0.6 times the Basic Allowance: £7,200 but invite the Council to review with the Police and Crime Panel members the principle as to whether all authorities should contribute to this cost

q.         Police and Crime Panel Vice-Chairman – no allowance

r.          Chair of the Oxfordshire Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee – keep at 0.6 times the Basic Allowance: £7,200

s.         Chair of the Horton Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee - keep at 0.45 times the Basic Allowance: £5,400

t.           Adoption & Fostering Panels – introduce an allowance for member attendance at each of £100 per Panel with a cap of £1,200 per year.

3.          a cap be introduced such that no individual member of the Council should be entitled to receive more than two Special Responsibility Allowances at any one time;

4.          a Co-optees’ Allowance continues to be payable to an independent co-opted member of the Audit & Governance Committee when the co-opted member serves as Chairman of the Audit Working Group, equivalent to Committee/Scrutiny Committee Chair: £7,200;

5.          the Council’s Basic and Special Responsibility Allowances and the Co-optees’ Allowance to the Chairman of the Audit Working Group be amended annually by reference to the annual Local Government Pay Award for staff and that this should take effect from the date on which the award for staff similarly takes effect; however, if the above increases are agreed, the pay award should not be applied to any increased allowances in 2021/22 but from 2022/23;

6.          that Child and Dependant Carer’s Allowances be increased:-

a.      Child Care:  the hourly rate is equivalent to the Oxford Living Wage, capped at £1,200 per year, payable on production of receipts

b.      Dependent Carer: the hourly rate is twice the Oxford Living Wage capped at £2,400 per year, payable on production of receipts;

7.          the Council retains, for members, the travel and subsistence scheme that is applicable to officers.  Overnight accommodation to be booked by officers where possible; when alternative accommodation arrangements are to be used, this should be approved by the relevant officer.

8.          the amounts for Basic Allowance, Special Responsibility Allowances and Co-optees’ Allowances be rounded to the nearest pound when first set.

2)         If Council does not wish to accept the Panel’s recommendations at this time, in whole or in part, Council is RECOMMENDED to agree a status quo Scheme of Allowances for 2021/22 for any unchanged aspect with the proviso that the newly elected Council after May 2021 is asked to revisit the matter during the 2021/22 Council Year.

The Council had asked that a review be undertaken during this Autumn to help shape a Scheme of Allowances to apply from 1 April 2020. The last full review of the allowances agreed by Members was in December 2014. The Independent Remuneration Panel had now met and were recommending some changes to the Scheme as set out in the report.

Council had before it a report which presented the recommendations of the Independent Remuneration Panel following a recent full review of the Council’s Members’ Allowances Scheme. 

Councillor Hudspeth Moved and Councillor Heathcoat seconded that the Council adopt recommendation 2 as set out in the report and on the face of the Agenda, to allow the new Council following the May elections to give full consideration of the issues.  In moving the report, Councillor Hudspeth thanked the Independent Remuneration Panel for their work and report which would be considered by the new Council after May.

Following debate, the Motion was put to the vote and was carried nem con.

RESOLVED: (nem con) not to accept the Panel’s recommendations at this time, in whole or in part, and to agree a status quo Scheme of Allowances for 2021/22 for any unchanged aspect with the proviso that the newly elected Council after May 2021 is asked to revisit the matter during the 2021/22 Council Year.