Issue - meetings

Report by the Director of Law & Governance and Monitoring Officer

Each year, Full Council is required to adopt a Scheme of Members’ Allowances to apply from 1 April of the following year. In particular, it must set the amount of a Basic Allowance payable to all members and may make payments for Special Responsibility and Co-opted Members’ Allowances.  Accordingly, this report asks members to adopt a Scheme of Allowances to apply from 1 April 2026. 

The Council is RECOMMENDED to adopt a Scheme of Members’ Allowances for the financial year 2026/27, and in so doing to consider the following options, either:

1)                  To adopt the recommendations of the Independent Remuneration Panel made in November 2025 and as set out in Annex 1 to this report; OR

2)                  To adopt any particular recommendations of the Independent Remuneration Panel as the Council may determine; OR

3)                  To agree alternative values for any of the allowances, as the Council may determine; OR

4)                  If the Council does not wish to accept the Panel’s recommendations at this time, in whole or in part, or to substitute alternative amounts, to agree a status quo Scheme of Allowances for 2026/27 for any unchanged aspect; AND

5)                  That in any event, the Council adopts an annual index for a four year period (whereby if no other changes occur to a Scheme, then the Members’ Allowances may increase in relation to that index for a period of no more than four years), and that this should relate (as in previous years) to the annual pay award for local government staff. If adopted, the increase will be in line with the percentage rise in overall employee costs for Oxfordshire County Council arising from 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.

Recommendations 1 and 5 were approved with 44 votes in favour, 17 abstentions and no votes against.

Council considered a report of the Independent Remuneration Panel proposing a Scheme of Members’ Allowances to apply from 1 April 2026 for a maximum of a four-year period. The report set out options in relation to implementation covered in recommendations 1 to 4, of the report.

The Chair noted a correction in Appendix 1 to the report, page 99 in the agenda pack, in the list of scrutiny chairs in the table, “Health” should be replaced by “People”.    The Chair also reminded Members that Annex 2 to the report, the Equality Impact Assessment, was published in an Addenda.

Councillor Liz Leffman moved recommendations 1 and 5 in the report, for approval.  These were seconded by Councillor Neil Fawcett.  Following discussion, an electronic vote was taken.  Recommendations 1 and 5 were approved with 44 votes in favour, 17 abstentions and no votes against.

RESOLVED:

1) That the recommendations of the Independent Remuneration Panel made in November 2025, and as set out in Annex 1 to the report, be adopted.;

5) That the Council adopts an annual index for a four year period (whereby if no other changes occur to a Scheme, then the Members’ Allowances may increase in relation to that index for a period of no more than four years), and that this should relate (as in previous years) to the annual pay award for local government staff. The increase will be in line with the percentage rise in overall employee costs for Oxfordshire County Council arising from 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.