Agenda item

The report and recommendations of the Independent Remuneration Panel and covering report of the Chief Executive are attached.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Council is recommended to

(a)               Accept the recommendations contained in the independent Members’ Remuneration Panel report attached as appendix A to this report, i.e. that

(i)            The basic allowance and Special Responsibility Allowance (SRA) be increased by 2.5%.

(ii)          No SRA be payable for the Chairman of Northstowe JDCC.

(iii)         The Chairmen of the Corporate Governance and Policy Development Committees receive SRAs of £1775 per annum.

(iv)        The SRA for the Chair of Licensing Committee be reduced to £1775 per annum.

(v)          No change be agreed in the allowance for members of the Standards Committee.

(vi)        The Vice-Chairmen of Council and the Planning and Licensing Committees receive 50% of the Chairman’s allowance.

(vii)       An increase of 2.5% be made to the Dependant’s Carer’s Allowance

(viii)     No increase be made to the remaining Travel and Subsistence allowances

(ix)         The allowance paid to the Panel for expenses be replaced with payment for travelling to the meeting only.

The above allowances to be effective from 1 April 2008 to 31 March 2009

(b)        Re-appoint Valerie Bright and appoint Jonathan Barker, as members of the Remuneration Panel for a three-year period to 31 January 2011.

(c)            Authorise payment of a Financial Loss Allowance of £20.00 per meeting per member to the Independent Remuneration panel when conducting future annual reviews of Members’ allowances.

(d)        Advise the Democratic Services Manager of any issues it wishes to be considered as part of the next review.

Council RESOLVED:

(1)   That the Independent Remuneration Panel be requested to reconsider levels of Basic and Special Responsibility Allowance (SRA) for 2008-2009, taking into account the following views expressed by Members:

·         That an SRA should be payable to the Chairman of the Northstowe Joint Development Control Committee due to the significance of the Committee to partnership working and the future development of the district.

·         That the SRA payable to the Chairman of the Scrutiny and Overview Committee be set at a level commensurate with those paid to the Leader of the Major Opposition Group and Chairman of the Planning Committee.

·         That the responsibility of the Chairman of the Licensing Committee is not more significant than that of Members sitting on and chairing hearing panels, therefore it is questionable whether the position merits an SRA.

·         That it would not be appropriate to increase the Basic Allowance by 2.5%, due to the reduced number of meetings, and taking into account wage increases elsewhere in the public sector.

(2) That the recommendation to appoint of Mr. Jonathan Barker to the Independent Remuneration Panel be reviewed in light of Mr. Barker’s future association with the Cambridge East development.

Councillor JH Stewart moved and Councillor SM Edwards seconded the following recommendations:

“That Council:

(a)               Accept the recommendations contained in the independent Members’ Remuneration Panel report attached as appendix A to the report, i.e. that

(i)            The basic allowance and Special Responsibility Allowance (SRA) be increased by 2.5%.

(ii)          No SRA be payable for the Chairman of Northstowe JDCC.

(iii)         The Chairmen of the Corporate Governance and Policy Development Committees receive SRAs of £1775 per annum.

(iv)        The SRA for the Chair of Licensing Committee be reduced to £1775 per annum.

(v)          No change be agreed in the allowance for members of the Standards Committee.

(vi)        The Vice-Chairmen of Council and the Planning and Licensing Committees receive 50% of the Chairman’s allowance.

(vii)        An increase of 2.5% be made to the Dependant’s Carer’s Allowance.

(viii)     No increase be made to the remaining Travel and Subsistence allowances.

(ix)        The allowance paid to the Panel for expenses be replaced with payment for travelling to the meeting only,

and that the above allowances be effective from 1 April 2008 to 31 March 2009

(b)        Re-appoint Valerie Bright and appoint Jonathan Barker, as members of the Remuneration Panel for a three-year period to 31 January 2011.

(c)            Authorise payment of a Financial Loss Allowance of £20.00 per meeting per member to the Independent Remuneration panel when conducting future annual reviews of Members’ allowances.

(d)        Advise the Democratic Services Manager of any issues it wishes to be considered as part of the next review.”

Members expressed concern with several of the Independent Remuneration Panel’s recommendations and with the proposal to appoint Mr. Barker due to his close association with the development at Cambridge East through his role as Company Secretary of Marshalls Aerospace.

Councillor SGM Kindersley moved and Councillor A Riley seconded a procedural Motion in accordance with Standing Order 13(d), referring the recommendations back to the Chief Executive and Independent Remuneration Panel for further consideration.

The amendment, on being put, was declared carried.

Council RESOLVED:

(1)   That the Independent Remuneration Panel be requested to reconsider levels of Basic and Special Responsibility Allowance (SRA) for 2008-2009, taking into account the following views expressed by Members:

·         That an SRA should be payable to the Chairman of the Northstowe Joint Development Control Committee due to the significance of the Committee to partnership working and the future development of the district.

·         That the SRA payable to the Chairman of the Scrutiny and Overview Committee be set at a level commensurate with those paid to the Leader of the Major Opposition Group and Chairman of the Planning Committee.

·         That the responsibility of the Chairman of the Licensing Committee is not more significant than that of Members sitting on and chairing hearing panels, therefore it is questionable whether the position merits an SRA.

·         That it would not be appropriate to increase the Basic Allowance by 2.5%, due to the reduced number of meetings, and taking into account wage increases elsewhere in the public sector.

(2) That the recommendation to appoint of Mr. Jonathan Barker to the Independent Remuneration Panel be reviewed in light of Mr. Barker’s future association with the Cambridge East development through his role as Company Secretary of Marshalls Aerospace.