Members Allowances

Scheme of Member's Allowances

This Scheme is made under the provisions of the Local Authorities (Members’ Allowances) (England) Regulations 2003.  The scheme relates to the 60 elected Members of the City Council and shall operate from 16 May 2007 until such time as the Council may adopt a revised Scheme under the Regulations.

(A)       SPECIAL RESPONSIBILITY ALLOWANCES

The following shall receive the amounts specified as Special Responsibility Allowance in respect of the duty indicated:

Executive
  Members (7 x £7,384) £51,688
  Leader (1 x £5836) £5839
  Deputy Leader (1 x £2930) £2930
     
Scrutiny Committees (x7)    
  Members (50x £586) £29300
  Examination and Review Chair (1 x £7384) £7384
  Deputy (1 x £2346) £2346
  Spokes (2 x £1173) £2346
     
  Scrutiny Committees (x6) £21096
  Chair (6 x £3516) £7032
  Deputy (6 x £1172) £7032
  Spokes (12 x £588) £7056
     
 Boards    
  Planning  
  Chair (1 x £4,586) £4,586
  Deputy (1 x £1,172) £1,172
  Spokes (2 x £586) £1,172
  All Members (13 x £586) £7,618
     
  Local Joint Committee  
  Chair * (1 x £4,586) £4,586
  Spokes ** (up to 3 x £1,172 max) £3,516
     
  Licensing  
  Chair (1 x £4,586) £4,586
  Deputy (1 x £1,172) £1,172
  Spokes (2 x £586) £1,172
  Members (13 x £586) £7,618
     
  Employment  
  Chair (1 x £1,172) £1,172
  Deputy (1 x 586) £586
  Spokes (2 x £293) £586
  Members (9 x £290) £2,610
     
  Audit  
  Chair (1 x £2,344) £2,344
  Deputy (1 x £586) £586
  Spokes (2 x £293) £586
  Members (9 x £290) £2, 610
     
Ethics & Standards Committee    
  Chair (1 x £2,344) £2,344
  Spokes *** (up to 3 x £586) £1,758
  Members (12 x £290) £3,480
     
Area Committees (x 7)    
  Chairs (7 x £586) £4,102
  Deputy Chairs (7 x £290) £2,030
     
Political Groups (x 3)
   
  All Group Leaders (3 x £7,033) £21,099
  All Deputy Leaders (3 x £2,344) £7,032
     
  (Maximum approximately) £227,113

 

*      to be paid only when a City Councillor holds the Chair

**    to be paid x 3 when a City Councillor does not hold the Chair

***  to be paid x 3 if an Independent Member holds the Chair

 

Payment of special responsibility allowance shall be monthly in arrears.  If during this period a Member takes up or relinquishes such responsibilities as entitle him/her to a special responsibility allowance (such change to be notified in writing by the Group Leader to the Member and Services Manager) the entitlement to a proportion of the payment will be based on calendar days per month.

(B)       BASIC ALLOWANCES

Each Member of the City Council shall receive a sum of £3,516.

 Payment of the basic allowance shall be monthly in arrears.  If during this period the term of office of a Member begins (ie. the date on which is made the  declaration of acceptance of office) or ends (i.e. the date of which the Member resigns or ceases to be a Member), the entitlement to a proportion of the  payment shall be based on calendar days per month.

(C)       TRAVELLING AND SUBSISTENCE ALLOWANCES

Travel and subsistence allowance may be claimed for the performance of any duty described in (A) above and the list of approved journeys to be agreed by Council from time to time.  Rates will be the same as those paid to Officers, including rates for those Members who travel by bicycle and other non-motorised transport.  Mileage allowance will be increased in line with nationally agreed increases as determined from time to time.

(D)             DEPENDANTS’ CARERS’ ALLOWANCES

An allowance in respect of actual costs incurred may be claimed when a carer for a dependant has been employed by a Councillor to enable the Councillor to carry out an approved Council duty.

This allowance will be payable if the dependant being cared for is part of that Councillor’s family and should not be left unsupervised for medical reasons or by reason of the dependant’s age.

Approved duties

·     meetings of the Council, the Executive and its Committees, Boards, Committees and other meetings listed in the Constitution and any duty that is required as part of the role and responsibilities undertaken by the Member in carrying out their Council duties.

·      for meetings or duties the allowance will be paid for the duration of the meeting, or other approved duty, plus an allowance for up to one hour’s total travelling time before and after the meeting or duty.

·      sums reasonably spent by a Councillor on care will be reimbursed, subject to the Strategic Director (Resources) being satisfied that the Councillor has reasonably incurred that expenditure under the scheme.

(E)              CO-OPTED MEMBERS ALLOWANCES

·      Co-opted Members on the Council’s Committees will be eligible to claim a special responsibility allowance as detailed in (A) above, together with travelling and subsistence allowances at the same rate as those for elected Members.

·       Where a co-opted Member is appointed Chair of a Committee of the Council, that co-opted Member will be eligible to receive the equivalent Special Responsibility Allowance that would be made available to an elected Member holding the sameposition.

(F)              PENSIONS

The Scheme offers all eligible Councillors membership of the Local Government Pension Scheme with "Basic" and "Special Responsibility" allowances being treated as amounts in respect of which pensions are payable.

(G)             PAYMENTS

Payment of the allowance under this Scheme will be by direct credit to the Bank/Building Society account by the Member.  Payment will be made on the 17th day of each month or where the 17th falls on a weekend or Bank Holiday, on the preceding working day.

  • Any claim for travelling and subsistence allowance payments should be made within two months of the date on which the duty is carried out and must be supported by the original receipts relating to the expenditure incurred.
  • Notwithstanding this, any claim under this Scheme must be made within the limits set by the Council’s financial controls.

(H)     MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

 

·         A Member may give notice in writing to the Strategic Director and elect to forgo any part of the entitlement to an allowance under this scheme.

·         Where a Councillor is fully or partially suspended from any duties or responsibilities that attract Special Responsibility Allowance, those allowances will be withheld.

 

·                    Payments under this scheme shall be increased in line with the annual percentage pay award to local government employees.

 

THIS SCHEME WAS ADOPTED BY THE COUNCIL AT ITS MEETING ON 23 JANUARY 2008 UNDER THE LOCAL AUTHORITIES (MEMBERS’ ALLOWANCES) (ENGLAND) REGULATIONS 2003.

Downloads

Print this page | Page Last Updated: 16 April 2008 08:32

Advanced search

A to Z of services

Related Information

Contact Us

Online: Compliments, Comments and Complaints form

Chester City Council,
The Forum Buildings,
Chester,
CH1 2HS

Tel: 01244 324 324