Councillors call for 25% rise in 'pitiful' income

A proposed increase in allowances could cost West Norfolk Council £726,443

Councillors who claim their current allowances are "fairly pitiful" are set to give themselves a 25% rise.

The proposed plan would see West Norfolk Council members' allowances increase from £7,518 to £9,360 with cabinet members receiving an £12,636 allowance, a cabinet meeting on Tuesday heard.

A review was carried out by an independent panel that made recommendations to the authority over how it should set the rates.

A final decision will be made at a full council meeting on 27 February.

Increasing councillor allowances would cost the authority £726,443, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Councillors have also decided to cut the public service discount to 5% - and other suggestions include cutting extra cash granted to the opposition leader, Conservative councillor Brian Long.

The pay of the leader of the council, Alistair Beales, would increase by more than £8,000, to a total of £28,081.

'Nowhere near minimum wage'

The cabinet meeting heard councillors support the idea of raising the allowance pay by more than the independent panel recommended.

Simon Ring, Independent Partnership councillor and deputy leader of the council, said the allowance was "fairly pitiful" compared to MPs and county councillors.

"Our income is nowhere near minimum wage," he said.

Sandra Squire, Independent Partnership councillor and cabinet member for environment, said: "We know how the public feel about allowances, we are damned if we do and damned if we don't.

"But if we are to have a truly representative council, we need to be able to encourage people in who wouldn't be able to afford to otherwise, or else we will have a council full of retirees."