Agenda item

To consider a scheme for Members’ Allowances and the appointment of the Independent Remuneration Panel (copy enclosed).

A dispensation was being given to all Councillors so that they could take part in all meetings on the Members’ Allowances, and this would be in place until 31 March 2023.

Councillor J Brook, as Chair of the Westmorland and Furness Joint Committee, presented an updated addendum report, with regards to the adoption of the Members’ Allowances Scheme and the appointment of the Independent Remuneration Panel.  The addendum report provided a revised set of recommendations proposed by the Joint Committee.

The Members’ Allowances Working Group were tasked with convening an LGR Independent Remuneration Panel (IRP) and facilitating the Panel in order to support and assist in their deliberations to propose recommendations for a Scheme of Member Allowances for the two Shadow Authorities, it was agreed that one scheme would be produced for both Cumberland and Westmorland and Furness Joint Committees for separate adoption by their respective Shadow Authorities.

The Westmorland and Furness Joint Committee felt that the timescales were too short time for the IRP to collect the significant amount of data required as well as engagement with Members before bringing the report to the Joint Committee. Therefore, a set of alternative recommendations were proposed, seconded and agreed, with the basic allowance being paid with the scheme being subject to an immediate review by the new IRP. Special Responsibility Allowances would be set to zero pending the review and would be backdated  to the beginning of the year once a scheme had been agreed by the Shadow Authority.

Councillor Brook then moved the proposed recommendations as set out in the addendum report, which were seconded by Councillor Thomson.

One of the Councillors, who had attended the first Westmorland and Furness Joint Committee recalled that the Joint Committee had agreed that whatever had been proposed by the IRP would be accepted, but this was not the case, if the recommendations in the addendum report were agreed.

The Interim Monitoring Officer said when that statement was made members had not seen the recommendations from the IRP.  When the report was presented at the last meeting of the Joint Committee members felt unable to support the recommendation, hence the addendum report was issued.

Members raised an issue which was not covered by any of the recommendations from the Joint Committee, which was about members that may choose to forgo their allowance and instead donate it to a charity.

The Interim Monitoring Officer said although this was not covered by the recommendations it may be possible to build this into the scheme going forward, and she would discuss this with the Section 151 Officer.

One of the members asked whether it would be possible for members to meet the IRP to talk about allowances.

The Interim  Monitoring Officer said it had not been possible to engage with members this time, but she was hopeful this could be arranged going forward.

Following a detailed debate on this, the recommendations were then put to a vote.  It was

RESOLVED, that

(1)   the report be noted;

(2)   the recommendations of the Independent Remuneration Panel and the Scheme of Member Allowances which it has proposed (Appendix 1) to be adopted for the shadow year with effect from the 9 May 2022 had been considered;

(3)   In the light of the limited time that the Independent Remuneration Panel had to collect evidence for the scheme, the lack of opportunity for member engagement and given the significant disparity with comparator councils, the Joint Committee cannot recommend to the Westmorland and Furness Shadow Authority to adopt, in its entirety, the proposed Scheme at its inaugural meeting for the shadow year;

(4)  the Shadow Authority is recommended to immediately authorise the Interim Monitoring Officer to advertise the recruitment of an Independent Remuneration Panel of 5 members for the Council to consider a scheme of members’ allowances to be adopted by Westmorland and Furness Council; and

(5)   the Shadow Authority as an interim measure, adopts the scheme to pay the basic allowance as proposed, subject to immediate review. Due to the points noted in (3) above, the scheme for payment of all Special Responsibility Allowances are set at zero, pending the immediate review. Allowances will be adjusted and back-dated as soon as the Westmorland and Furness Independent Remuneration Panel (as proposed in 4) has reported and recommendations adopted.