Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council
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Councillors' allowances

Part five (constitution) - members' allowances scheme

Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council, in exercise of its powers contained within section 18 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 as amended, and in accordance with the Local Authorities (Members’ Allowances) (England) Regulations 2003, hereby makes the following scheme.

The scheme

  • The scheme may be cited as the Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council Scheme of Members’ Allowances

Effect

  • The amended scheme shall have effect from 1 April 2020

Definition

  • 'Year' means any period of twelve months ending on 31 March in any year

Member development and support

  • Because of the increasing responsibilities placed upon members, particularly those who have special responsibilities, it is a fundamental element of this scheme that appropriate development opportunities are made available and that members engage in such activities when provided

Basic allowances

  • Subject to renunciation, for each year a basic allowance of £5,280 shall be paid to each councillor. The basic allowance covers the use of members’ own telephone (including mobile), IT equipment, printer, paper and consumables
  • The basic allowance shall be increased annually in line with other officer pay awards unless a resolution of Council determines otherwise

Special responsibility allowances

  • For each year, a special responsibility allowance (SRA) shall be paid to those councillors who hold the special responsibilities in relation to the authority as specified in the schedule included in this scheme
  • Subject to renunciation, the amount of each such allowance shall be the amount specified against that special responsibility in the schedule
  • Other than the Leader and Deputy Leader, one SRA will be paid to a member in full with any second SRA paid at 50% (with the highest being paid in full). The Leader and Deputy Leader shall not be entitled to a second SRA
  • The SRA for the Leader and Deputy Leader includes the holding of an executive portfolio. Where the Leader or Deputy Leader does not hold an executive portfolio, the allowance will be reduced by 50% of an executive member’s SRA
  • The SRA for a member of the Executive shall be paid to six members. Should the number of members of the Executive increase, the allowance for the six members shall be split equally between all members of the Executive
  • All special responsibility allowances shall be increased annually in line with officer pay awards unless a resolution of Council determines otherwise

Childcare and dependent carer’s allowance

  • Payment will be reimbursed on the basis of reasonable expenses incurred

Travel and subsistence allowance for ‘approved duties’

  • Car allowances for authorised journeys on approved duties will be paid at the following rates:
    • Per mile for the first 8,500 miles: 45p
    • Per mile after 8,500 miles: 25p
    • For carrying passengers: 5p
  • Reimbursement of taxi or public transport costs for authorised journeys on approved duties will be approved on production of a valid VAT receipt and relevant form, which must be returned to the Democratic Services Officer. Taxi journeys require prior agreement of the Democratic Services Officer wherever possible and taxis should be used to link members with the nearest convenient public transport
  • Subsistence allowances for approved duties will be paid at the same rates and conditions applicable to staff. Current rates are:
    • Breakfast: payable only if it is unreasonable to expect you to take breakfast before 7am - £5 maximum
    • Lunch: payable only if lunch is not provided at the event - £7 maximum
    • Evening meal: payable only if you are unable to take a meal at your normal place after 6.30pm - £9 maximum
  • The subsistence allowances are subject to the production of appropriate receipts and completion of the relevant form, which must be returned to the Democratic Services Manager
  • In the event of overnight stays in hotels or attendance at conferences, two alternatives are available:
    • The Democratic Services Manager will book the hotel, raising the relevant purchase order and awaiting an invoice
    • Where the hotel declines the above arrangement, book in advance and pay the hotel on departure. The council will reimburse the costs on the production of the receipted hotel bill and claim form
  • Approved duties include:
    • Any meeting of the Council, Executive, overview and scrutiny bodies, committees or working groups of which the councillor is an appointed member or a substitute, provided it is a meeting to which members of a minimum of two political groups on the Council have been invited and more than two members have been invited
    • A meeting of a body where the councillor is not a member but attends on a matter affecting their ward which has been approved by the chairman of the body
    • On the specific invitation of the chairman of a body to attend a meeting for the purpose of giving evidence or supporting a review
    • Conferences and seminars approved by the Democratic Services Manager
    • Training and development events to which the councillor has been invited by the council’s officers
    • Partnership or outside body meetings or training events of bodies to which the councillor has been appointed by the Council
    • Committee pre-agenda meetings or briefings for meetings of which the councillor is a member or will be substituting at the associated meeting
    • Attendance by Executive members at meetings and events within the borough that directly relate to their lead member role on the invitation of an officer of the council or with prior consultation with the Democratic Services Manager or Monitoring Officer
    • Meetings convened with officers with their prior agreement
    • Planning Committee site visits as notified by officers relating to a specific Planning Committee
    • Parish council meetings when acting as a representative of the borough council – either in a capacity as ward councillor or Executive member
    • In respect of the Mayor or, in their absence, the Deputy Mayor, travelling expenses for duties of a civic nature approved by the civic office in accordance with the guidance for mayoral expenditure
    • Attendance at a tribunal or similar to give evidence in relation to decisions made by a committee chaired by the councillor
    • Interview panels for staffing matters where the councillor has been appointed to the panel by a committee or an officer
  • Political group meetings are not included as an approved duty

Renunciation

  • A councillor may, by notice in writing to the Director (Corporate Services) elect to forego his/her entitlement or any part of his/her entitlement to an allowance under this scheme

Part-year entitlements

  • The provisions of this paragraph shall have effect to regulate the entitlements of a councillor to basic and special responsibility allowances where, in the course of a year, this scheme is amended or that councillor becomes, or ceases to be, a councillor, or accepts or relinquishes a special responsibility in respect of which a special responsibility allowance is payable
  • If an amendment to this scheme changes the amount to which a councillor is entitled by way of a basic allowance or a special responsibility allowance, then in relation to each of the periods:
    • Beginning with the year and ending with the day before that on which the first amendment in that year takes effect or
    • Beginning with the day on which an amendment takes effect and ending with the day before that on which the next amendment takes effect or (if none) with the year
  • The entitlement to such an allowance shall be to the payment of such part of the amount of the allowance under this scheme as it has effect during the relevant period as bears to the whole the same proportion as the number of days in the period bears to the number of days in the year
  • Where the term of office of a councillor begins or ends otherwise than at the beginning or end of a year, the entitlement of that councillor to a basic allowance shall be to the payment of such part of the basic allowance as bears to the whole the same proportion as the number of days during which his/her term of office bears to the number of days in that year
  • Where this scheme is amended and the term of office of a councillor does not subsist throughout the period, as mentioned above, such part of the basic allowance payable referable to each such period (ascertained in accordance with that paragraph) as bears to the whole the same proportion as the number of days during which his/her term of office as a council subsists bears to the number of days in that period
  • Where a councillor has during part of, but not throughout, a year such special responsibilities as entitle him or her to a special responsibility allowance, that councillor’s entitlement shall be to payment of such part of that allowance as bears to the whole the same proportion as the number of days during which he or she has such special responsibilities bears to the number of days in that year
  • Where this scheme is amended as mentioned above and a councillor has during part, but does not have throughout the whole, of any period as mentioned above, any such special responsibilities as entitle him or her to a special responsibility allowance, that councillor’s entitlement shall be to payment or such part of the allowance referable to each such period (ascertained in accordance an amendment, as mentioned above) as bears to the whole the same proportion as the number of days in that period during which he or she has such special responsibilities bears to the number of days in that period

Payments

  • Subject to renunciation (as mentioned above), payments of the basic allowance and special responsibility allowance shall be made in instalments of one-twelfth of the amount specified in this scheme on day 25 of each month (or the first working day after)
  • Claims for any childcare or dependent carer’s allowance, and for any travel or subsistence allowances, shall be submitted within three months of incurring the expenditure

Schedule of allowances

  • The following are specified as the special responsibilities in respect of which special responsibility allowances are payable and the amount of those allowances:
    • Mayor: £8,000
    • Deputy Mayor: £3,000
    • Leader of Council: £16,830
    • Deputy Leader: £8,250
    • Member of Executive: £7,260
    • Opposition Leader(s): £4,620
    • Appeals Panel chairman: £2,500
    • Audit Committee chairman: £4,620
    • Ethical Governance & Personnel Committee chairman: £2,500
    • Finance & Performance Scrutiny chairman: £3,300
    • Licensing (including Regulatory) Committees chairman (1): £2,500
    • Planning Committee chairman: £5,500
    • Scrutiny Commission chairman: £4,620

Download this information

To download this information, please visit: The council's constitution: Part five - members' allowances scheme (PDF)

Last updated: 18/10/2022 08:43