Kirklees councillors face allowances cuts to save £100,000 a year

Cathy Scott, acting leader of Kirklees Council, aims to cut £100,000 a year from allowances

Kirklees councillors are facing cuts to their annual allowances due to the cost of living crisis.

Acting leader of Kirklees Council, Cathy Scott, said elected members "must take their fair share of the burden" in the current financial climate.

Ms Scott has taken an immediate 10% cut to her £27,210 allowance and nine cabinet members have agreed to a 5% reduction to their £13,709 allowance.

Ms Scott hopes to save £100,000 on the current annual cost.

Councillors are entitled to a basic allowance of £15,080 each year with extra payments for councillors with additional responsibilities.

Kirklees Council is looking to make savings across its various departments in order to balance its budget, the Local Democracy Service reports.

Spending freeze

The local authority is projecting a £20.3m overspend on its £380m budget in this financial year and is implementing increasingly severe measures to save cash.

These include freezing all non-essential spending and recruitment, upping discretionary fees and making 250 members of its workforce redundant.

A formal report will be brought to September's full council meeting to begin the process of slashing councillors' allowances.

Ms Scott said: "Councillors from all parties play an important role in communities across Kirklees.

"But, in difficult times, it's important for us to show that we are putting the interests of the public above our own, stepping up to the challenges that we face, and that we are on the side of hardworking families across Kirklees.

"Every penny we can save frees up funding for vital local services which we want to protect."

Earlier this week, Ms Scott revealed her new cabinet and outlined her priorities as acting leader which she said included setting a "fair and balanced" budget and pressuring the government into "a fairer funding deal for Kirklees".

On top of this, her vision for the council involves regenerating the borough's towns and villages, improving children's services and leading on the climate emergency.