Agenda item - REPORT OF THE INDEPENDENT REMUNERATION PANEL (IRP)

To consider the recommendations of the Independent Remuneration Panel (IRP) in respect of the Scheme of Members’ Allowances 2019/20.

Council

AGREED

1.	That the Independent Remuneration Panel be thanked for their work in producing the report at Appendix A.

2.	That the Council agrees the recommendations of the Independent Remuneration Panel for revisions to the Scheme of Members’ Allowances for 2019/20, as set out in Appendix A to the report, subject to:

	(i) The proposed Special Responsibility Allowance for the Deputy Leaders referred to on page 58 of the report being amended to read as follows:
	Deputy Leader (Statutory)	£8,290

	The Special Responsibility Allowance for all other Cabinet members (except the Leader) to be set at £7,650.

	(ii) Requesting the Independent Remuneration Panel:

	(a) To undertake a further urgent review in respect of the Special Responsibility Allowances awarded to the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Scrutiny and Overview Committee in order better to reflect the time commitment and responsibilities associated with those roles (the SRAs recommended by the Independent Remuneration Panel in Appendix A to be applied to those roles until such time as further recommendations are received from the Panel); and
	(b) To review whether Special Responsibility Allowances should also be payable to this Council’s representatives on the Cambridge Fringes Joint Development Control Committee.

3.	That, as recommended by the Independent Remuneration Panel:

	(i) The Council approves the implementation of:
	(a) The increase in the Basic Allowance retrospectively with effect from 1 April 2019; and
	(b) The amendments to Special Responsibility Allowances and all other changes proposed in the report of the Independent Remuneration Panel with effect from 26 September 2019.
	(ii) The Basic Allowance be increased annually in line with the annual staff pay award to the end of the 2021/22 financial year.
	(iii) The Special Responsibility Allowances be increased annually in line with increases made to the Basic Allowance to the end of the 2021/22 financial year.
	(iv) The number of Special Responsibility Allowances that any councillor may receive normally be limited to two and that paragraph 4(2) of the Scheme of Members’ Allowances be amended to read “No councillor may normally receive more than two Special Responsibility Allowances.”
	(v) That the section on “Public and Other Transport” in Schedule 1 to the Scheme of Members’ Allowances be amended as set out in paragraph 3 of the Independent Remuneration Panel’s report.

5.	That the Interim Director of Corporate Services be authorised to implement and advertise the new scheme and make any consequential amendments to the Scheme of Members’ Allowances in Part 6 of the Constitution.

6.	That no further action be taken at this time with regard to review of the possible award of Special Responsibility Allowances in respect of any Executive Committees to be established by the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority, and that further information be awaited about the proposed arrangements for such committees.

Councillor Dr. Ian Sollom proposed and Councillor John Batchelor seconded the following motion:

1.	That the Independent Remuneration Panel be thanked for their work in producing the report at Appendix A.

2.	That the Council agrees the recommendations of the Independent Remuneration Panel for revisions to the Scheme of Members’ Allowances for 2019/20, as set out in Appendix A to the report, subject to:

	(i) The proposed Special Responsibility Allowance for the Deputy Leaders referred to on page 58 of the report being amended to read as follows:
	Deputy Leader (Statutory)	£8,290

	The Special Responsibility Allowance for all other Cabinet members (except the Leader) to be set at £7,650.

	(ii) Requesting the Independent Remuneration Panel:

	(a) To undertake a further urgent review in respect of the Special Responsibility Allowances awarded to the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Scrutiny and Overview Committee in order better to reflect the time commitment and responsibilities associated with those roles (the SRAs recommended by the Independent Remuneration Panel in Appendix A to be applied to those roles until such time as further recommendations are received from the Panel); and
	(b) To review whether Special Responsibility Allowances should also be payable to this Council’s representatives on the Cambridge Fringes Joint Development Control Committee.

3.	That, as recommended by the Independent Remuneration Panel:

	(i) The Council approves the implementation of:
	(a) The increase in the Basic Allowance retrospectively with effect from 1 April 2019; and
	(b) The amendments to Special Responsibility Allowances and all other changes proposed in the report of the Independent Remuneration Panel with effect from 26 September 2019.
	(ii) The Basic Allowance be increased annually in line with the annual staff pay award to the end of the 2021/22 financial year.
	(iii) The Special Responsibility Allowances be increased annually in line with increases made to the Basic Allowance to the end of the 2021/22 financial year.
	(iv) The number of Special Responsibility Allowances that any councillor may receive normally be limited to two and that paragraph 4(2) of the Scheme of Members’ Allowances be amended to read “No councillor may normally receive more than two Special Responsibility Allowances.”
	(v) That the section on “Public and Other Transport” in Schedule 1 to the Scheme of Members’ Allowances be amended as set out in paragraph 3 of the Independent Remuneration Panel’s report.

4.	That the Interim Director of Corporate Services be authorised to implement and advertise the new scheme and make any consequential amendments to the Scheme of Members’ Allowances in Part 6 of the Constitution.

5.	That no further action be taken at this time with regard to review of the possible award of Special Responsibility Allowances in respect of any Executive Committees to be established by the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority, and that further information be awaited about the proposed arrangements for such committees.

In response to a question, the Deputy Head of Legal provided procedural guidance as to the status of the above motion.

Councillor Ian Sollom commended the work of the Independent Remuneration Panel, who had responded to the request made by the Council last year to provide further evidence for any changes. The motion agreed the Panel’s proposals, on the condition that the Deputy Leader’s Special Responsibility Allowance only be paid to the Statutory Deputy Leader. The motion also requested that the Panel reconsider two issues:

· The Special Responsibility Allowances paid to the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Scrutiny and Overview Committee, to take into account the workload increase caused by change to a pre-scrutiny arrangement.

· Whether an allowance should be paid to members of the Cambridge Fringes Joint Development Control Committee, as Planning Committee members were to receive an allowance.

Councillor Deborah Roberts expressed her opposition to the motion by stating that the increases could not be justified at a time when planning officers were leaving for better paid jobs in the private sector. She was concerned about the impact these increases would have on the reputation of the Council.

Councillor Peter Topping expressed his surprise at the motion, which appeared to run contrary to the views stated by members a year ago. He opposed the amendments to the Panel’s recommendations, as “cherry picking” and asked that the independence of the Panel be respected.

Councillor Mark Howell stated that the Council had recently made staff redundant due to the need to control costs and so it would be wrong for councillors to award themselves the proposed increase in their allowances.

Councillor Brian Milnes expressed his support for the motion and the proposed 2% increase in the basic allowance, in line with the cost of living increase to staff.

Councillor Heather Williams opposed the paying of up to two Special Responsibility Allowances to individual councillors. Councillor Sue Ellington agreed with Councillor Williams and explained that only one Special Responsibility Allowance had ever been paid in the past.

Councillor Nick Wright commented that since 2007 councillors’ basic allowance had been increased in line with the cost of living increase awarded to staff. He reminded Council of the negative reaction to Cambridgeshire County Council’s decision to increase their allowances.

Councillor Graham Cone believed that any increases should continue to be in line with the annual cost of living increase awarded to staff.

Councillor Gavin Clayton argued that the position of councillor should be open to all in society and a low allowance made it likely that only the wealthy would become councillors. He supported a means tested allowance, where only those on a low income received remuneration. He explained that many of those in the voluntary sector received no payments for the work that they do. He recognised how much work the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Scrutiny and Overview Committee carried out, but overall could not support the proposals.

Councillor John Batchelor explained that in 2018 the Council had reduced in size from 57 to 45 councillors. The Independent Remuneration Panel’s recommendations proposed modest increases, which did not appear to take account of the extra workload caused by the reduction in the number of councillors and would realise ongoing annual savings in the region of £60,000. The Independent Remuneration Panel had reviewed the hours worked by councillors who received a Special Responsibility Allowance in coming to their recommendations. He felt that it was difficult for councillors to make decisions upon their own remuneration and argued that this should be done at a national level.

Upon being put to the vote, votes were cast as follows:

In favour (22):

Councillors Henry Batchelor, John Batchelor, Anna Bradnam, Martin Cahn, Dr. Claire Daunton, Clare Delderfield, Peter Fane, Neil Gough, Jose Hales, Bill Handley, Pippa Heylings, Steve Hunt, Peter McDonald, Brian Milnes, Dawn Percival, Judith Rippeth, Bridget Smith, Hazel Smith, Dr. Ian Sollom, Dr. Aidan Van de Weyer, John Williams and Eileen Wilson.

Against (11)

Councillors Ruth Betson, Dr. Shrobona Bhattacharya, Gavin Clayton, Graham Cone, Sue Ellington, Mark Howell, Deborah Roberts, Peter Topping, Bunty Waters, Heather Williams and Nick Wright.

Abstain (4)

Councillors Nigel Cathcart, Dr. Douglas de Lacey, Philippa Hart and Dr. Tumi Hawkins.

Council

RESOLVED:

1.	That the Independent Remuneration Panel be thanked for their work in producing the report at Appendix A.

2.	That the Council agrees the recommendations of the Independent Remuneration Panel for revisions to the Scheme of Members’ Allowances for 2019/20, as set out in Appendix A to the report, subject to:

	(i) The proposed Special Responsibility Allowance for the Deputy Leaders referred to on page 58 of the report being amended to read as follows:
	Deputy Leader (Statutory)	£8,290

	The Special Responsibility Allowance for all other Cabinet members (except the Leader) to be set at £7,650.

	(ii) Requesting the Independent Remuneration Panel:

	(a) To undertake a further urgent review in respect of the Special Responsibility Allowances awarded to the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Scrutiny and Overview Committee in order better to reflect the time commitment and responsibilities associated with those roles (the SRAs recommended by the Independent Remuneration Panel in Appendix A to be applied to those roles until such time as further recommendations are received from the Panel); and
	(b) To review whether Special Responsibility Allowances should also be payable to this Council’s representatives on the Cambridge Fringes Joint Development Control Committee.

3.	That, as recommended by the Independent Remuneration Panel:

	(i) The Council approves the implementation of:
	(a) The increase in the Basic Allowance retrospectively with effect from 1 April 2019; and
	(b) The amendments to Special Responsibility Allowances and all other changes proposed in the report of the Independent Remuneration Panel with effect from 26 September 2019.
	(ii) The Basic Allowance be increased annually in line with the annual staff pay award to the end of the 2021/22 financial year.
	(iii) The Special Responsibility Allowances be increased annually in line with increases made to the Basic Allowance to the end of the 2021/22 financial year.
	(iv) The number of Special Responsibility Allowances that any councillor may receive normally be limited to two and that paragraph 4(2) of the Scheme of Members’ Allowances be amended to read “No councillor may normally receive more than two Special Responsibility Allowances”.
	(v) That the section on “Public and Other Transport” in Schedule 1 to the Scheme of Members’ Allowances be amended as set out in paragraph 3 of the Independent Remuneration Panel’s report.

4.	That the Interim Director of Corporate Services be authorised to implement and advertise the new scheme and make any consequential amendments to the Scheme of Members’ Allowances in Part 6 of the Constitution.

5.	That no further action be taken at this time with regard to review of the possible award of Special Responsibility Allowances in respect of any Executive Committees to be established by the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority, and that further information be awaited about the proposed arrangements for such committees.