Agenda item

This report incorporates the recommendations of the Independent Remuneration Panel (IRP) on their review of the Members’ Scheme of Allowances for 2020/21.

The report was deferred for consideration from the meeting of Council in June 2020 by the Chairman of Council due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

Following the change of political administration a further review was commissioned and undertaken by the same IRP to consider the role of the Lead Members. This forms part of a supplementary report.

The full year impact of implementing the IRP recommendations is £141,900.

The Council considered a report on the Members’ Allowances Scheme 2020, a copy of which had been circulated to each Member and a copy of which appears as Appendix 'B' to these Minutes in the Minute Book.

The report incorporated the recommendations of the Independent Remuneration Panel (IRP) on their review of the Members’ Scheme of Allowances for 2020/21. The report was deferred for consideration from the meeting of Council in June 2020 by the Chairman of Council due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

Following the change of political administration, a further review was commissioned and undertaken by the same IRP to consider the role of the Lead Members.

The Chief Executive advised members that in preparing the report the figures did not take account of the national pay award of 2.75%.  He reported that these allowances would be uplifted effective from 1 April 2020 and payment would be made to Councillors in December.

John Quinton, Chairman of the Independent Remuneration Panel (IRP) presented the Panel’s report.  He explained that it has been acknowledged that post the election in May 2019 a further review would be necessary as the governance structure developed and this had been undertaken in December 2019.  Mr Quinton reported on the method of consultation, the outcome of the review which suggested that there had been an increase in workload and that the basic allowance may be on the low side, and the recommendations from the IRP indicated that the basic allowance be increased.   Councillors were referred to paragraph 13.1 c of the report which referred to school admission appeals and with the consent of the Council asked to delete this reference in the Scheme of Members Allowances. Mr Quinton referred to appendix 2 and the proposals for the appointment of 6 Lead Members following the request from the Leader of the Council.  He outlined the consultation which included Group Leaders and reported on the key findings which were set out in paragraph 5 of the report.  Councillors were informed that the Panel had some concerns about the reporting arrangements, accountability and how success would be measured for the Lead Members and for that reason recommended an allowance of £5,000.  The Chairman thanked John Quinton for his report and asked him to pass on his thanks to the Panel.

The Leader of the Council shared the following revised proposal with the Council and based on the principles proposed a revised set of recommendations:-

1.     No increase in the Basic Allowance for 21/22 (IRP £1k or any further inflationary pay award)

2.      Linking any future increases to the Local Government National Pay Award but not starting before 22/23

3.      The Leader foregoing the additional Leader SRA in full for the length of this term

4.      The ten Cabinet members having a reduction of £2,000 each

5.      The introduction of an additional SRA for Lead Members of £10,000

6.      An increase in the SRA for the Chairman of Licensing Committee to be on par with the Chairman of Planning Committee.

Councillor Drew Mellor moved the following revised proposals which were seconded by Councillor Philip Broadhead.

RECOMMENDED that:-

(a)          Council notes the former decision of the Council to apply the Employees’ National Salary Award for 2020/21;

(b)          no members be entitled to a pension;

(c)          the basic allowance remains unchanged for 2020/21 at £12,844;

(d)          that the following special responsibility allowance be paid in recognition of the additional workload and levels of responsibility and accountability placed upon members appointed to these roles with immediate effect:-

(i)        Leader - Reduced to £18,550;

(ii)       Cabinet Members (including Deputy Leader) – Reduced to £18,550;

(iii)      Lead Members - £10,275 (New);

(iv)      Chairman of the Council - £10,275 (no change);

(v)       Vice-Chairman of the Council - £5,138 (no change);

(vi)      Chairman of Audit and Governance Committee - £10,275 (no change);

(vii)    Chairman of Planning Committee - £10,275 (no change);

(viii)   Chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny Board - £10,275 (no change);

(ix)      Chairman of the Children’s Services Overview and Scrutiny Committees – Reduced to £7,706;

(x)       Chairman of the Health and Adult Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committees – Reduced to £7,706;

(xi)      Chairman of Licensing Committee – increased to £10,275;

(xii)    Vice-Chairman of Licensing Committee - £2,569 (New);

(xiii)   Chairman of Appeals Committee - £3,083 (no change);

(xiv)   Chairman of Standards Committee - £3,083 (no change);

(xv)    Group Leaders - £3,083 (no change);

(e)          no SRAs be paid to vice-chairmen of committees (with the exception of the vice-chairman of Council and the Licensing Committee);

(f)           members may not receive more than one SRA (and may elect which SRA to receive) with the exception that a Group Leader’s SRA can be payable as a second SRA;

(g)          no increase be applied to the Basic and Special Responsibility Allowances for 2021/22, and subsequently increased in line with the Employees’ National Salary Award from 2022/23 onwards;

(h)          travel allowances continue to be paid to members in line with MAP for undertaking official business;

(i)            travel allowances be paid to members travelling to the BCP Council Offices for meetings and official business as set out in paragraph 12A of the current scheme of allowances;

(j)            subsistence allowances be paid to members as set out within paragraph 11.3 of the appended report;

(k)          carers’ allowance be paid to recompense the actual cost expended as set out within paragraph 12.2 of the appended report (and is not payable to a member of the claimant’s own household subject to the Monitoring Officer having the discretion to approve claims on a case by case basis);

(l)            an allowance of £1,028 per annum be paid to co-optees and independent members as set out in paragraph 13.1 of the appended report.

(m)         the Scheme of Members’ Allowances for 2020/21 be amended to transfer the entitlement of a special responsibility allowance to an elected vice-chairman where the relevant chairman is permanently unavailable to perform their duties.

Councillor Evans indicated that all Members had an interest and therefore she did not understand why the Council was debating the issue as it should be agreed as written.  She indicated that she was surprised by the proposed amendment by the Leader on his own paper and requested that it should be deferred which was seconded by Councillor Ann Stribley.  The Chairman following legal advice from Officers confirmed that only the Leader of the Council could defer this item. The Leader confirmed that he was not prepared to defer the item.

Mr Quinton, in response to a question on the revised proposal which was contrary to the IRPs recommendations reported that the IRP lives in an ‘ideal world’ and bases its recommendations on the evidence it receives whilst the Council lives in the real world and has budget responsibilities to consider and therefore every recommendations made by the IRP need to be considered in the context of the budget implications.

The Chairman requested that the Leader of the Council email his revised proposals to all Councillors.

Councillors discussed in detail the recommendations and advice of the IRP compared to the proposals from the Leader of the Council and commented on the timing of the submission of the revised recommendations, the budget implications and particular roles including the proposed allowances for the Lead Members.

The Monitoring Officer clarified that Councillors always had to vote on their own remuneration, and the reason for this was the Monitoring Officer gives a dispensation to vote which was provided for in law and in the Council’s Constitution.  The Monitoring Officer explained that this was not the Leaders report it was from the Monitoring Officer and the Head of Democratic Services and the IRP appointment was a requirement of the law.

Councillor Broadhead in seconding the proposal pointed out that this was a paper receiving the IRP recommendations and therefore needed to be amended if there were changes required.  He referred to the full year budget implications of the IRP recommendations of £150K and emphasised that this was not the right time to implement such changes at the time of the pandemic.  Councillor Broadhead confirmed the detail of the revised proposals which included a reduction in allowances for the Executive.

A Member referred to the proposed range of changes which he felt were not equitable.  Councillor Brooke highlighted that it was the wrong time to implement these proposals due to the pandemic, expressed concerns about the proposed level of the lead members allowances, how the lead Members SRA would be funded and the cost of the overall revised proposals. A Member highlighted that he felt that the Leader of the Council was trying to progress the issue quickly following a previous comment that the Lead Member roles would be funded from the Cabinet SRA.

A Member expressed her concern about the language being used by some Councillors during the meeting.    The Monitoring Officer addressed the Council and requested that when raising a point of order Councillors should identify the relevant part of the Constitution which was being breached.  The Chief Executive reported that the Council can only work within the Constitution and therefore Councillors must specify the procedural rule or statutory provision and the way in which it has been breached when raising a point of order.

The Monitoring Officer clarified that the IRP recommendations had not been moved and the Leader of the Council had proposed different recommendations and therefore it would be appropriate if a Member wished to propose an amendment.

Two Leader Members explained their role and the work that they undertake in working with the Leader and Portfolio Holders.  A Cabinet Member emphasised the level of work and commitment being demonstrated by Lead Members and supported the revised SRA being proposed by the Leader of the Council. A Councillor stressed that in accordance with the Constitution Councillors should have all the relevant information available to them before making a decision and felt that such information was not available in respect of the revised proposals circulated by the Leader of the Council.

Councillor Marcus Andrews proposed that the meeting be adjourned which was seconded by Councillor George Farquhar.

Clarification was sought on where this discussion would sit in light of the above proposal.  The Chairman reported that if the meeting was adjourned when the meeting was reconvened the debate would continue and those Councillors that had spoken would not be able to speak again.  

A Councillor raised a point of order that the ‘motion be put’.  The Chief Executive reported that as there was now a motion to adjourn the meeting that would be the motion that is put to the vote.

The motion to adjourn the meeting having been put to the vote was lost.

Voting: For – 33; Against – 38, Abstentions - 0

Councillors Susan Phillips and Ann Stribley did not vote.

 

Councillor Nicola Greene proposed that the question should now be put which was seconded by Councillor Bobbie Dove.  The Chief Executive clarified the process.  The majority of Councillors agreed the motion – Councillor Tony Trent wished to be recorded as voting against this motion.

The Leader of the Council summed up prior to the vote explaining the impact of his revised proposals as detailed above.

The motion on the revised proposals made by Councillor Drew Mellor and seconded by Councillor Phillip Broadhead as detailed above was carried

Voting: For – 37, Against – 32, Abstained – 3

Councillor Chris Rigby wished to be recorded as voting against

 

It was RESOLVED that:-

(a)          Council notes the former decision of the Council to apply the Employees’ National Salary Award for 2020/21;

(b)          no members be entitled to a pension;

(c)          the basic allowance remains unchanged for 2020/21 at £12,844;

(d)          that the following special responsibility allowance be paid in recognition of the additional workload and levels of responsibility and accountability placed upon members appointed to these roles with immediate effect:-

(i)        Leader - Reduced to £18,550;

(ii)       Cabinet Members (including Deputy Leader) – Reduced to £18,550;

(iii)      Lead Members - £10,275 (New);

(iv)      Chairman of the Council - £10,275 (no change);

(v)       Vice-Chairman of the Council - £5,138 (no change);

(vi)      Chairman of Audit and Governance Committee - £10,275 (no change);

(vii)    Chairman of Planning Committee - £10,275 (no change);

(viii)   Chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny Board - £10,275 (no change);

(ix)      Chairman of the Children’s Services Overview and Scrutiny Committees – Reduced to £7,706;

(x)       Chairman of the Health and Adult Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committees – Reduced to £7,706;

(xi)      Chairman of Licensing Committee – increased to £10,275;

(xii)    Vice-Chairman of Licensing Committee - £2,569 (New);

(xiii)   Chairman of Appeals Committee - £3,083 (no change);

(xiv)   Chairman of Standards Committee - £3,083 (no change);

(xv)    Group Leaders - £3,083 (no change);

(e)          no SRAs be paid to vice-chairmen of committees (with the exception of the vice-chairman of Council and the Licensing Committee);

(f)           members may not receive more than one SRA (and may elect which SRA to receive) with the exception that a Group Leader’s SRA can be payable as a second SRA;

(g)          no increase be applied to the Basic and Special Responsibility Allowances for 2021/22, and subsequently increased in line with the Employees’ National Salary Award from 2022/23 onwards;

(h)          travel allowances continue to be paid to members in line with MAP for undertaking official business;

(i)            travel allowances be paid to members travelling to the BCP Council Offices for meetings and official business as set out in paragraph 12A of the current scheme of allowances;

(j)            subsistence allowances be paid to members as set out within paragraph 11.3 of the appended report;

(k)          carers’ allowance be paid to recompense the actual cost expended as set out within paragraph 12.2 of the appended report (and is not payable to a member of the claimant’s own household subject to the Monitoring Officer having the discretion to approve claims on a case by case basis);

(l)            an allowance of £1,028 per annum be paid to co-optees and independent members as set out in paragraph 13.1 of the appended report.

(m)         the Scheme of Members’ Allowances for 2020/21 be amended to transfer the entitlement of a special responsibility allowance to an elected vice-chairman where the relevant chairman is permanently unavailable to perform their duties.