Daventry councillors’ allowance set to increase by 3.5 per cent

Daventry councillors look set to receive a 3.5 per cent increase in their allowances after a report from an independent panel.
Councillors in Daventry have been advised to increase their allowanceCouncillors in Daventry have been advised to increase their allowance
Councillors in Daventry have been advised to increase their allowance

On Thursday (February 20) elected members will be advised to take up the £172 increase, which will see the allowance rise from £4,903 per year to £5,075.

The 3.5 per cent increase is based on the average pay increase for workers in the East Midlands region, which is calculated on figures produced by the Office for National Statistics.

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Recent increases have seen allowances rise by 2.5 per cent last year (2019) and by 3.4 per cent and 2.5 per cent in thetwo years before that.

The £172 increase for each of the 36 councillors will cost the district council – which is in its final year of existence before being replaced by the new West Northamptonshire Council – an extra £6,192 for the year.

Special responsibility allowances for senior councillors such as the leader and certain cabinet members will also increase by 3.5 per cent.

The recommendation to increase the allowance has come from the council’s independent remuneration panel, which is made up of three people who are independent from the council. The members are a retired local businessman, a retired civil service inspector and a former HR Director.

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A report to be read by councillors states: “Members are under no obligation to accept the standard of living increase, and could choose to forgo the increase and the allowances in general, in whole or in part, on an individual basis if they so wished. Members would need to confirm this in writing.

“On reviewing the allowances scheme, the panel considered comparative information from other local authorities and noted that the allowances for Daventry were well within the range.”