To consider the above report

Members considered amendments to the Members’ Allowances Scheme.

Councillor Dudley explained that the report was being brought to Council following the changes to the constitution already agreed for May 2019, and the proposal made at Council in September 2018 to reduce the Special Responsibility Allowance (SRA) for Principal Members. All proposals needed to be formally considered and recommended by the Independent Remuneration Panel (IRP) before being considered by Full Council.

Councillor Dudley referred Members to tables 2 and 3 in the report which set out the financial implications: an in-year saving of £5,867 and, from May 2019, an overall saving, already represented in the Medium Term Financial Plan, of £98,442 per annum. He highlighted that recommendation ix proposed that the ICT allowance be deleted but that Members would all receive the necessary hardware to access documentation within a secure environment. This was particularly important as Members were Data Controllers under the Data Protection Act 2018.

Councillor Brimacombe welcomed the direction of travel. He referred Members to the minutes of the meeting held on 25 September 2019, at which he had put forward a motion for the proposals to be accelerated. He was therefore in the position that he was not against the proposals but may need to abstain.

Councillor Beer commented that the proposal relating to ICT was discriminatory to older people who struggled with electronic communication. He would struggle if he was faced with the prospect of all communications being sent on an iPad.

Councillor Hill stated that he was in a similar position to Councillor Brimacombe; He would suggest a suitable date to bring in the changes would be 31 December 2019. He had tried to use an iPad for council work but had experienced difficulties from a personal perspective as he was dyslexic. He routinely went to Democratic Services for paper copies of reports. In particular reports for Development Management panels were needed in hard copy for many Members.

Councillor Jones noted that Members would be able to receive hard copies if there was a medical reason but she felt that it did not help Members undertake their role if large documents were only available electronically.

Councillor E. Wilson highlighted that the report detailed savings of £119,000 per annum, which was a substantial sum of money to be put back into frontline services.

Councillor Dudley confirmed that all Members could continue to request hard copy agenda.

Councillor Bicknell reiterated his support for the proposals which were about saving money to use on frontline services for residents.

It was proposed by Councillor Dudley, seconded by Councillor Bicknell, and:

RESOLVED: ThatFull Council notes the report and agrees proposals detailed in Appendix A by the Independent Remuneration Panel (IRP):

i)             The SRA paid to a Principal Member (£12,215) be reduced to the level currently received by a Deputy Lead Member (£2,443); implementation to be backdated to 25 September 2018.

ii)            SRAs for Deputy Lead Members and Principal Members be deleted from the scheme from May 2019.

iii)          The SRA for the Chairman of the Rights of Way and Highway Licensing Panel be deleted from the scheme from May 2019.

iv)          The SRA for the Chairman of the Audit and Performance Review Panel be deleted from the scheme from May 2019.

v)            The SRA for the Chairman of the Sustainability Panel be deleted from the scheme from May 2019.

vi)          The maximum number of SRAs payable to Chairmen of Overview & Scrutiny Panels is 4 from May 2019.

vii)         The maximum number of SRAs payable to Chairmen of Area Development Management Panels is 2 from May 2019.

viii)       The SRA for the Borough Wide Development Management Panel Chairman be amended to £6107, equivalent to the SRA for the Chairman of an Area Development Management Panel; implementation to be backdated to 22 May 2018.

ix)          Subject to all Members being provided with an iPad, section 10 of the scheme (ICT Allowance) be deleted from May 2019, noting that the proposal would be revenue cost neutral if the budget was used instead to fund increased printing costs.

x)            The Basic Allowance be increased by £40 to cover the costs of Member registration as a Data Controller with the Information Commissioner’s Office in 2018/19 and future years, until any exemption is applied.

(40 Councillors voted for the motion: Councillor M. Airey, N. Airey, Alexander, Bicknell, Cannon, Carroll, Clark, Coppinger, Da Costa, Diment, Dudley, D. Evans, Gilmore, Hollingsworth, Hunt, Ilyas, Kellaway, Lenton, Lion, Love, Luxton, Majeed, McWilliams, Mills, Muir, Quick, C. Rayner, S. Rayner, Saunders, Sharma, Sharp, Sharpe, Shelim, Smith, Story, Targowska, Werner, D. Wilson, E. Wilson and Yong. 1 Councillor voted against the motion: Councillor Beer. 3 Councillors abstained: Councillors Brimacombe, Hill and Jones)

Councillors Bateson and Hilton remained in the room but took no part in the debate or vote on the item.