The General Purposes Committee of Croydon Council met on Monday 19 February 2024 to discuss the council's Pay Policy Statement for 2024-25 and amendments to polling station locations for the upcoming elections. The committee agreed to recommend the Pay Policy Statement to Full Council for adoption, which includes an adjustment to the Chief Executive's salary. They also noted changes to polling station locations for the Greater London Authority elections.

Croydon Pay Policy Statement 2024-25

The committee agreed to recommend Croydon Council's Pay Policy Statement for 2024-25 to Full Council for adoption. A key aspect of this statement is the adjustment to the salary of the Chief Executive and Head of Paid Service. Following a review by the Appointments and Disciplinary Committee (ADC) on 15 February 2024, it was agreed that the Chief Executive's pay would be contractually linked to the national pay review body, the Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) for Chief Executives. This means the Chief Executive will receive the 3.5% JNC Chief Executive's pay award for 2023/24. Consequently, the Chief Executive's salary has been revised to £199,210 per annum, effective from 1 April 2023. This change necessitates a variation to the Chief Executive's contract of employment, to be made in consultation with the postholder.

During the discussion, the Chief People Officer, Dean Shoesmith, explained that the Pay Policy Statement had been benchmarked against other London boroughs to ensure affordability and competitiveness in recruitment and retention. He also confirmed that the Chair of the Improvement Assurance Panel (IAP) had been consulted and provided no adverse feedback. The committee also noted that pay below director level or £100K is delegated to the Chief Executive, while any pay above £100K requires approval from the Appointments and Disciplinary Committee.

Amendments to Polling Stations for 2 May 2024 Elections

The committee noted changes to the locations of several polling stations for the Greater London Authority (GLA) elections scheduled for 2 May 2024. These changes differ from the polling places approved for the Mayor of Croydon and Croydon Council elections in May 2022.

The report, presented by David Courcoux, Director of Policy, Programmes, and Performance, and Seth Alker, Head of Elections, detailed specific ward changes:

• Bensham Manor: The polling station at Ecclesbourne Primary School will be replaced by Queen’s Community Hall. This is because the school is unavailable, and Queen’s Community Hall was used for GLA elections in 2021.
• New Addington North: A temporary polling station on Dunsfold Way will be replaced by Goldcrest Community Centre. The temporary units were deemed unsuitable due to changes in the Elections Act 2022, and Goldcrest Community Centre is the designated polling place for a neighbouring district and was used for NAN3 in 2021.
• Selhurst: Whitehorse Resource Base will no longer be available as a polling station, and the new location will be West Croydon Baptist Church.
• Shirley North: Oasis Academy Primary School will be replaced by Woodside Baptist Church Hall, as the school is unavailable. Woodside Baptist Church Hall was also used for SHN1 in the 2021 GLA elections.
• Thornton Heath: Spurgeons College will be replaced by Waterside Centre. The original venue is unavailable, and Waterside Centre is the designated polling station for a neighbouring district.
• Waddon: A temporary polling station on Waddon Court Road will be replaced by Waddon Leisure Centre. Similar to New Addington North, the temporary units were unsuitable, and Waddon Leisure Centre is the designated polling place for a neighbouring district and was used for WDN3 in 2021.
• Woodside: The Robert Fitzroy Academy will be replaced by Woodside Christian Centre, as the school is unavailable.

Officers explained that schools are being avoided as polling places following a request from the Minister to minimise disruption to students, teachers, and parents. The committee was also informed that arrangements are in place for a joint count for Croydon and Sutton at the Excel Centre in East London, and a full statutory review of polling districts and places will be conducted after the May elections.

Members' Allowances Uplift 2023-24 and Scheme of Members' Allowances 2024-25

The committee discussed proposed changes to the Scheme of Members' Allowances for 2024-25. While an Independent Panel Report recommended updating allowances annually in line with the National Joint Council for Local Government Services Staff pay award, some members expressed concerns about a proposed 3.88% increase. These concerns were raised in light of the council's financial situation, council tax increases, and the cost of living crisis impacting residents.

Arguments were made that not applying an inflation increase could lead to future compounding issues and make it difficult for Croydon's scheme to catch up with national averages. It was also suggested that not agreeing to the increase could negatively affect individuals from financially constrained backgrounds and discourage new entrants into public service.

Ultimately, the committee agreed that there was not broad support for the 3.88% increase. They resolved to give due consideration to the Independent Panel Report, agree that no increase would be applied to the Members' Allowances Scheme for 2023-24, and agreed the Members' Allowances Scheme for 2024-25, recommending it to Full Council for adoption. The Director of Legal Services was authorised to publicise the new scheme and make necessary updates to the Constitution. A review of the Members' Allowances Scheme is to be undertaken in 2024, with the aim of reporting back to the committee in November 2024.