Agenda item - Review of Members Allowances

Extract from the proceedings of the Policy, Resources & Growth Committee meeting held on the 18^th July (to follow); together with a report of the Executive Lead Officer for Strategy, Governance & Law (Monitoring Officer).

24.1    Councillor Platts moved the report and said that Councillor Yates would introduce it.

24.2    Councillor Yates said that at Budget Council in February 2019 a £38k saving against the provision of car parking permits for councillors had been agreed, and as required the matter had then been passed to the Independent Remuneration Panel (IRP) for their consideration. The IRP had now reported their findings and made recommendations. He said that the IRP had spent considerable time looking at the issues raised in the amendment and therefore their recommendations should not be overturned, and he would not therefore be supporting the amendment.

24.3    The Mayor said that there was an amendment from the Green Group, and asked Councillor Davis to introduce it.

24.4    Councillor Davis said that there was currently a climate emergency which needed to be addressed on every level, and the Council should set an example by reducing the car usage by Councillors. The Council was struggling with significant cuts and savings needed to be found. He said that the City had an increasing homeless problem, the use of foodbanks was rocketing, and crisis centres were in funding freefall and asked if this was the image we wanted to set our residents. If members of the public had to pay for parking when attending the Town Hall then why shouldn’t Councillors. 

24.5      The Mayor congratulated Councillor Davis on his maiden speech on behalf of the council.

24.6      Councillor Hills seconded the amendment.

24.7      Councillor Yates agreed that there was a climate emergency but saying that Councillors should pay to use a car park doesn’t demonstrate a commitment to reduce car usage, but a commitment to look like they wanted to reduce mileage. There were 54 Councillors and not all took advantage of the parking permit, and there over four thousand employees at Council

24.8      Council voted on the amendment and it was not agreed.

24.9      RESOLVED:

(1)    That the Members Allowances Scheme be amended to provide that for those councillors opting to take a car park pass for Norton Road and the Lanes car parks, a monthly contribution equivalent to that applied for councillors taking a bus pass (currently £23.09 for 2019/20), be deducted from their monthly Basic Allowance payment;

(2)    That the car park permit issued to councillors for Norton Road should be for Mondays–Fridays only; and

(3)     That the intention of the Independent Remuneration Panel to undertake a review on the establishment of maternity / paternity / adoption leave policy for councillors (in so far as it relates to allowances) and to report back in the autumn be noted.