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The Council considered a report
in respect of the proposed Members’ Allowances Scheme for
2024/25, as recommended by the Independent Remuneration Panel
(IRP).
 
It was moved by Councillor
Richard Henry and seconded by Councillor Jeannette Thomas that the
recommendations of the Independent Remuneration Panel set out in
the report be agreed.  In moving the
motion, Councillor Henry asked that the next IRP Review should
include benchmarking information with comparator authorities which,
like SBC, still possessed their own Housing stock.
 
Following debate, and upon the
motion being out to the vote, it was RESOLVED:
 
1.         
That the report of the Independent Remuneration Panel be noted
and, subject to Members’
consideration, that the findings of the report form the basis of
the formal Members’ Allowances Scheme for 2024/25,
including:
 

·       
with the exception
of the proposal for the Majority
Opposition and Minority Opposition Group Leaders set out below, the
Basic Allowance and Special Responsibility Allowances remained
unchanged from 2023/24, and
·       
the Special Responsibility Allowances payable to the
Majority Opposition and Minority Opposition Group Leaders be
combined, and be re-distributed pro rata
to the number of Members in their respective Groups.

 
2.         
That, in accordance with the recommendations of the Panel regarding
payment of Dependant Carers’ allowances, the hourly rates
remain unchanged from 2023/24, but that the scheme be changed from
a monthly maximum of 20 hours to a maximum of 360 hours over the
year (with the Leader having discretion to increase this maximum
allowance where demonstrably necessary).

 
3.         
That, in the light of Resolutions 1. and 2.
above, the draft formal Members’ Allowances Scheme, as shown
at Appendix B to this report, be approved for 2024/2025.
 

4.         
That an Independent Remuneration Panel be reconvened
in the Autumn of 2024 to consider the Members’ Allowances
Scheme for 2025/2026 onwards.