Councillors' allowances

Each councillor receives an annual basic allowance of £11,565.51.  The allowance is designed to contribute to expenses which occur from carrying out council business, such as the use of home and telephone, and relates to the work they all do as local councillors, representing their constituents and attending council and local community meetings.  The allowance is not intended to recompense councillors for all the time they devote to council business.

The Council pays an additional allowance to councillors where a role with significant additional responsibility to that of the standard role of a councillor is undertaken. The rates depend on the level of responsibility and vary according to the political balance of the council.

Expenses are also payable to councillors for travel where expenditure is necessarily and exclusively incurred when undertaking approved duties. The rates are in line with those paid to officers of the Council. All claims must be receipted and are subject to the usual controls over council expenditure, such as internal and external audits.

Further information about Councillors’ allowances including details of basic and special responsibility allowances and details of approved duties for which travel allowances can be claimed can be found in Part 6 of the Council's Constitution published here.

The Council is legally required to operate an independent remuneration panel in relation to councillors' allowances. The panel must consist of at least three people whose purpose is to make recommendations about the allowances paid to elected members.

The most recent review of allowances by the Independent Remuneration Panel was reported to the Council at its meeting on 13 February 2024. See documents below.

The Council has a legal obligation to publish the recommendations of the Panel and the Council's decision as to those recommendations.