Issue - meetings

This report seeks Council’s approval of the Scheme of Members’ Allowances for 2022-23 Municipal Year, which will need to include any changes applicable following the changes to the Overview and Scrutiny function.

At the time of writing this report, the final outcome of the changes to the Overview and Scrutiny function were not known and therefore Council will be advised at the meeting of any consequential changes.

The Monitoring Officer reported that all Councillors had been granted a dispensation to vote on this item.

The Head of Democratic Services presented a report on the Members’ Allowances Scheme 2022-23, a copy of which had been circulated to each Member and a copy of which appears as Appendix 'C' to these Minutes in the Minute Book. He reported that whilst there were no proposed changes to the allowances at this point in terms of an increase. A previous decision taken by the Council was that allowances would be increased in line with the national pay award for employees which has yet to be determined for 2022-23 but would be backdated to 10 May 2022.  The Head of Democratic Services reported on the changes needed as a result of the decision taken on the Overview and Scrutiny function and asked that row J in Appendix 1 be removed. The net increase of the Chairs SRAs would be £5,143.

Councillor Mellor moved the amended recommendations as set out by the Head of Democratic Services which were seconded by Councillor Broadhead.

RESOLVED that

(a)       subject to the deletion of row J referring to the Overview and Scrutiny Board the schedule of Members’ Allowances, as set out in Appendix 1 to this report, be approved with effect from 10 May 2022;

(b)       the allowances as set out in the schedule be increased in accordance with the Employees’ National Pay Award when determined and back-dated to 10 May 2022.

Voting - Nem. Con

Councillor Bagwell, Coope and Bagwell left at 11.40 pm