Revealed: Allowances and salaries for councillors in West Northamptonshire in full

WNC has published a public notice for its updated Scheme of Members’ Allowances for the period from 1 July 2025 to 31 March 2026, outlining the financial entitlements for councillors and committee members as they carry out official council duties.

The updated scheme, approved at a full council meeting on June 26, 2025, reflects recommendations from the Independent Remuneration Panel (IRP), which conducted a review earlier this year. It sets out both the basic and special responsibility allowances for councillors, in addition to rules around travel, subsistence, and dependents’ carers’ support. As previously reported by the Chron, some proposed increases were rejected by the Reform administration at WNC.

The scheme was published on Friday in a public notice on the Public Notice Portal, via the Chronicle & Echo.

Basic and Special Responsibility Allowances

All elected members will receive a basic annual allowance of £16,053. Additional payments are made to those holding key leadership and committee roles. The leader of the council will receive £40,132, while the deputy leader will receive £28,093. Cabinet members will be paid £24,079, with the lead member for children’s services entitled to a slightly higher allowance of £26,648.

Chairs of several committees – including strategic planning, licensing, audit, overview and scrutiny, and democracy and standards – will each receive £16,053. However, no additional payments will be made to those appointed as chair of planning policy, pension fund, or senior appointments committees, as these roles are expected to be held by cabinet members already receiving an SRA.

Party group leaders are also eligible for allowances based on the size of their group. The leader of the largest opposition group will receive £12,842, with smaller opposition group leaders receiving between £6,421 and £1,605.

Support for Co-Optees and Independent Members

Independent and co-opted members involved in council governance – including those serving on the audit and governance committee, the police, fire and crime panel, and the overview and scrutiny committee – will each receive an annual allowance of £600.

Travel, Subsistence, and Carers’ Allowance

Councillors undertaking official duties can claim travel expenses, with rates in line with HMRC guidelines:

Cars: 45p per mile up to 10,000 miles

Motorcycles: 24p per mile

Bicycles: 20p per mile

Passenger supplements: Up to 5p per mile per passenger

Public transport and parking costs are reimbursed at actual cost, with members encouraged to seek best-value fares in advance.

Subsistence claims include allowances of £8 for breakfast, £12 for lunch, and £20 for dinner. Overnight accommodation will be reimbursed based on value-for-money bookings arranged with officer support.

Additionally, the scheme supports members with dependents. A Dependent Carers’ Allowance of £30 per hour is payable for professional care (with proof), and £15 per hour where care is provided informally by friends or relatives.

Transparency and Access

Residents wishing to inspect the full scheme and records of individual payments can do so at the council’s main office at One Angel Square, Angel Street, Northampton NN1 1ED during regular business hours.

The council reaffirmed that any member may voluntarily forgo all or part of their allowance by notifying the Monitoring Officer in writing. Payments will also be pro-rated for councillors who leave office or step down from a role partway through the year.