Councillors to vote on allowance rise

An independent panel has recommended that Westmorland and Furness councillors raise their basic allowance to £13,500 a year

Councillors are set to approve a £500 increase in their allowances.

An independent panel has recommended that Westmorland and Furness councillors raise their basic allowance from £13,000 to £13,500 a year.

A report by the independent remuneration panel said the basic allowance acted as a "barrier" to a "broader and more diverse" make up of the council.

The authority will consider the rise at a full council meeting on 11 July at the County Hall in Kendal.

The report also said the workload made it "very challenging" for councillors who had extra responsibilities, such as a chair of committee or group leader, to also have a full-time job.

While the report said the majority of members thought the basic allowance was "about right for them", a "common theme" was that it was below the living wage and not sufficient to attract younger people to being a councillor.

Chair of the Independent Remuneration Panel, Paul Jones, said: "Our recommendations are based on what we think is fair and reasonable and what adequately reflects the commitment and time spent on council business by elected members.

"As part of our research a particular theme that emerged was that in some cases the extent of a cabinet member's responsibilities and workload equated to the equivalent of a full-time job."