Issue - meetings

This report is due to be pre-scrutinised at a meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee scheduled to take place on Monday 13^th January 2025.  Any recommendations arising from this meeting will be published in a supplementary pack for the consideration of the Executive Committee.

The Independent Remuneration Panel Recommendations report was presented by the Electoral Services Manager.

The Committee were informed that the panel were recommending a basic allowance of £5,826 which was a 5.58% increase on their recommendation for last year. If the Council were to agree with this, it would be an increase of 19.6% on the current basic allowance.

It was noted that the Independent Remuneration Panel (IRP) only recommend one Special Responsibility Allowance (SRA) and have different multipliers for Audit Chair and Opposition Political Group Leaders.

It was further noted that Members should pay regard to the report but did not have to accept any of the recommendations.

The Leader had met with the Chair of the IRP and discussed the figures and noted that the Council was behind a lot of other Authorities in terms of remuneration.

The Leader thanked the Panel and officers for the work they had done this year on the remuneration.

Members discussed the report and whilst realising the need to increase allowances decided on recommending an increase of the basic allowance by 2.9%. Members also decided to freeze SRAs for 2025/26.

RECOMMENDED that

Redditch Borough Council adopts the following:

1.     An increase of 2.9% to the current Basic Allowance for 2025/26.

2.     A freeze on the current Special Responsibility Allowances for 2025/26.

3.     That travel allowances for 2025/26 continue to be paid in accordance with the HMRC mileage allowance

4.     That subsistence allowances for 2025/26 remain unchanged

5.     That the Dependent Carer’s Allowance remains unchanged

6.     That travel and subsistence payments made by Parish Councils to councillors (where they are paid) are made in accordance with the provisions set out in this report