Decision from full council following independent numeration panel's report

A report by the Independent Remuneration Panel (IRP), which has been brought to full council by the Resources and Finance Committee, recommended that the basic allowance for district councillors increase from £4,261 per annum to £5,300 per annum.

This suggestion has been made for a number of reasons including, the decision in 2011 by the council to reduce their allowances by 10 per cent to help manage the council’s budget at the time, the need to address the potential issue of only those who are retired or self-employed being able to afford to serve as a councillor and the reduction of the number of councillors from 39 to 28, which will be implemented at the next district council election in 2019.

Chairman of the IRP, Richard Tyler, said: “Our recommendations, including the change to the basic allowances of members, would go some way towards addressing the fact that East Cambridgeshire District Council’s allowances are lower than those paid by the majority of other councils both locally and nationally and this gap is widening. Now that the council is more financially stable and has a balanced budget, this widening gap should be closed. We believe these recommendations will support the upcoming reduction of district council at the next district council elections and the recruitment and retention of a more representative cross-section of Members.”

Members have decided to approve the recommendations of the Independent Remuneration Panel (IRP). The Council also agreed to amend the venue hire costs allowance for Members' surgeries to allocate up to a maximum of £100 per Member towards the costs of hiring venues for Member surgeries per annum. Councillors also acknowledge that there will be a reduction in the Budget for Members' allowances from May 2019 due to the reduction in the number of Councillors from 39 to 28 as a result of the Electoral Review.

The IRP that completed the review were Richard Tyler (Chairman), Richard Powell, Stanley Curtis and Margaret Clark.