To consider the report of the Independent Remuneration Panel.

A report was presented that enabled consideration of recommendations from the East Lindsey Independent Remuneration Panel (IRP) in respect of the East Lindsey District Council Members’ Allowances Scheme (01 April 2020 to 31 March 2024).  The final report of the Panel and its recommendations were attached at Appendix 1 to the report presented, pages 235 to 258 of the Agenda refer.

 

Members noted that this was a process the Council followed every four years to set the allowances for Councillors.  All Councillors had been invited to contribute and a number had done so.  The Chairman of Executive Board in introducing the report proposed that the recommendations were accepted, but voiced some concerns that a number of valid proposals from Members to the IRP had not been included.

 

Following which, it was Proposed and Seconded

 

‘1.        That the Council consider whether to accept the following features into its Members’ Allowance Scheme (1 April 2020 – 31 March 2024) as recommended by the Independent Remuneration Panel:

 

                      I.        That the Basic Allowance be increased by £50 per annum;

 

                    II.        That the Special Responsibility Allowances for the Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Planning Committee be adjusted to reflect those paid to Chairmen and Vice Chairmen of the Council, Overview Committee and Audit and Governance Committee;

 

                   III.        That the Basic Allowance and Special Responsibility Allowances continue to be index linked to the Local Government Pay Award as agreed by the National Joint Committee for Local Government Services;

 

                  IV.        That the Dependants’ Carers’ Allowance continues to be paid up to and index linked to the National Living Wage;

 

                   V.        That mileage rates continue to be index linked to the HMRC approved mileage rates and that subsistence rates continue to be index linked to the ELDC officer subsistence rates;

 

                  VI.        That the criteria for mileage claims be clarified within the Scheme to reflect that the maximum claim be from the Member’s home address to the place of the approved duty and that mileage ordinarily incurred (e.g. commuting mileage) be deducted from any claims.

 

2.    That the Council approves its Members’ Allowances Scheme (1 April 2020 – 31 March 2024) whilst having regard to the recommendations made to it by the Independent Remuneration Panel’.

 

During discussion a Member stated that the special responsibility allowances cost between £80k - £90k per annum and specifically referred to the allowances paid to and the responsibilities of the Vice Chairman of the Committees.  It was highlighted that the report had referenced a lack of evidence to the Panel on the role of Vice Chairman and the Member queried the responsibilities of this role. 

 

Further to which an Amendment was proposed as follows:

 

‘That this Council takes up the offer of the Independent Remuneration Panel to look at the remuneration of specifically the Special Responsibility Allowance payable to Vice Chairmen in more depth and provide a further report back to the Council.’

 

It was highlighted that the Amendment was based on concerns regarding value for money and a lack of evidence provided to the Panel as to whether the role of a Vice Chairman was over and above that of other committee members.

 

The Amendment was duly seconded.

 

The Leader of the Labour Group in speaking on the Amendment acknowledged the importance of the IRP in setting allowances and considered that the role of a Chair or Vice Chair was dependent on the arena they were working in, whilst acknowledging the Scheme of Member Allowances banded together all of the posts, therefore supporting that the IRP reconsidered this particular issue.

 

During debate on the Amendment, the Portfolio Holder for Planning advised that he shared the concerns expressed by the Chairman of Executive Board. 

 

However, he did not advocate singling out the allowances paid to Vice Chairman and considered that the Amendment was not the best way to improve the recommendations at this stage.  It was stressed that the role of a Vice Chairman was to stand in as Chairman at any time and to attend Agenda setting and pre-Meetings as required, which he considered did involve a greater responsibility than that of other committee members.

 

The Chairman of Executive Board did not support the Amendment, he advised that whilst understanding the rationale behind the proposal, in his experience there were particular responsibilities attached to the role of Vice Chairman.  Members with specific issues were invited to contact the Chairman of Executive Board so consideration could be give to the possible re-engagement of the IRP.

 

A further point was made that this amendment resulted from a lack of data to the Panel and that the anecdotal evidence mentioned during debate indicated that the Panel would benefit from this evidence. 

 

Following which, upon being put to the vote the Amendment was declared lost.

 

Debate returned to the original proposal.

 

A Member queried if the IRP fully understood the roles and responsibilities of Chairman and Vice Chairman as he considered that the role of the Chairman of the Licensing Committee was extensive and devalued compared with the role of the Chairman of Planning Committee. 

 

Following which a second Amended was Proposed and Seconded:

 

‘That this Council takes up the offer of the Independent Remuneration Panel to look at the remuneration of specifically the Special Responsibility Allowance payable to the Chairman of Licensing Committee in more depth and provide a further report back to the Council.’

 

The Chairman of Executive Board repeated that he was willing to provide an assurance to invite the IRP back to provide a further report to enable all concerns to be raised collectively within the year.

 

A Member supported this proposal but asked for clarification as to whether any subsequent recommendations would be based on a one or four year term and asked for further clarification in terms of mileage paid, which she considered should specify was only payable from a home base within the district.

 

A further Member asked if the recommendations were approved today, whether this would prevent any further recommendations being put forward.

 

Further to which the Chairman of Executive Board advised that he was willing to change his original recommendation as follows:

 

‘1)        That the recommendations of the Independent Remuneration Panel be declined;

 

2)         That the Independent Remuneration Panel be invited to provide a further report to Council within one year based on feedback provided by the Leader of the Council.’

 

The Mover of the second Amendment withdrew his proposal.

 

The Chief Executive advised if Members were minded to support this amended proposal that it should be made clear that the current Scheme of Members Allowances should be retained in the interim to enable payments to continue.

 

The Portfolio Holder for Planning as seconder of the original proposition supported this change.

 

 

The amended Proposal when put to the vote was carried.

 

Following which it was

 

RESOLVED

 

1)        That the recommendations of the Independent Remuneration Panel that sought to make changes to the current scheme be declined;

 

2)         That the current Members Allowance Scheme, which includes:

 

•           That the Basic Allowance continues to be increased by £50 per annum.

 

•           That the Basic Allowance and Special Responsibility Allowances continue to be index linked to the Local Government Pay Award as agreed by the National Joint Committee for Local Government Services.

 

•           That the Dependants’ Carers’ Allowance continues to be paid up to and index linked to the National Living Wage.

 

•           That the mileage rates continue to be index linked to the HMRC approved mileage rates and that subsistence rates continue to be index linked to the ELDC officer subsistence rates.

 

 be retained for the year 2020/2021.

 

3)         That feedback be communicated to the Independent Remuneration Panel by the Leader of the Council and the Panel be invited to reconsider within a year to provide a further report to Council.

 

Upon being voted upon as the substantive Motion, it was declared carried.