Councillors vote for 2.5% rise to their allowances

An anomaly, will see the council leader allowance jump in April from £16,800 to £25,510

Council leaders say they will forgo part of their pay as councillors voted for a "huge" increase to allowances to address a historic anomaly.

Tewkesbury Borough councillors approved the recommendations of an independent remuneration panel which will mean the basic allowance will rise by 2.5%

Part of their proposals which seek to address an anomaly which will see the council leader allowance jump in April from £16,800 to £25,510.

Richard Blamey, chair of the independent remuneration panel said they formally recognise the hard work and commitment of borough councillors.

The council voted to approve the increase by 17 votes in favour, 11 against and there were five abstentions

"Your basic allowance remains among the highest in the country," Mr Blamey told the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

"However, we do recognise the impact of inflation and so this year we feel it is appropriate to recommend an increase of 2.5% which is £200 in your basic allowance."

He also told the meeting that the council's special responsibility allowance (SRA) appeared to be very low in comparison to others in Gloucestershire and across the country.

"Accordingly we are recommending significant increases for the SRAs.

"We also wish to correct an anomaly whereby the leader and deputy leader will in future receive an allowance for their lead member roles."

'Difficult to swallow'

The council voted to approve the increase by 17 votes in favour, 11 against and there were five abstentions.

Councillor David Gray, whose Conservative colleagues voted against the increase, said the "generous" increases were "rather difficult to swallow in one go".

"It results in a large increase in year-on-year costs for residents, something exacerbated by Rachel Reeves national insurance tax raid," he said.

Liberal Democrat leader Richard Stanley thanked the panel for their work.

"I would personally like to forgo the recommended increase to the leader role," he said.

"By forgoing that increase, that would bring us very much in line with the average of the area."