Members' Allowances Scheme : Executive on 02/12/2003

Waverley Borough Council Committee System - Committee Document

Meeting of the Executive held on 02/12/2003
Members' Allowances Scheme

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SECTION 13

WAVERLEY BOROUGH COUNCIL

MEMBERS’ ALLOWANCES SCHEME

(1st April 2003 to 31st March 2004)

The Waverley Borough Council, in exercise of the powers conferred by the Local Authorities (Members’ Allowances) Regulations 1991 (as amended), hereby makes the following scheme:

1. This scheme may be cited as the Waverley Borough Council Members’ Allowances Scheme, and shall have effect from 1st March 2001.

2. In this scheme,

“councillor” means a member of the Waverley Borough Council who is a councillor.

Flat-rate Allowance

3. Subject to paragraphs 6 and 7, for each year a flat-rate allowance of Ł2,016 shall be paid to each councillor.

Special Responsibility Allowance

4. (1) For each year, a special responsibility allowance shall be paid to those councillors who hold the special responsibilities in relation to the authority that are specified in Schedule 1 to this scheme.

(2) Subject to paragraphs 6 and 7, the amount of each such allowance shall be the amount specified against that special responsibility in that schedule.

5. Carer’s and Childcare Allowances

(1) A carer’s and childcare allowance of up to Ł5.60 per hour is payable to support the expenses of those Members who may care for dependants, whether children, elderly persons or people with disabilities, whilst the Member is on Council business which attracts travelling & subsistence allowances as listed in Schedule 2.

(2) The allowance is not payable for the employment of a member of the claimant’s own household.

Renunciation

6. A councillor may by notice in writing given to the Director of Finance elect to forego any part of his or her entitlement to an allowance under this scheme.

Part-year Entitlements

7. (1) The provisions of this paragraph shall have effect to regulate the entitlements of a councillor to the flat-rate allowance and a special responsibility allowance 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.

(2) If an amendment to this scheme changes the amount to which a councillor is entitled by way of the flat-rate allowance or a special responsibility allowance, then in relation to each of the periods

(a) beginning with the year and ending with the day before that on which the first amendment in that year takes effect, or

(b) 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 allowances shall be to the payment of such part of the amount of the allowances under this scheme as it has effect during the relevant period as bears to the whole the same proportion as the number of the days in the period bears to the number of days in the year.

(3) 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 the flat-rate allowance shall be to the payment to such part of the flat-rate allowance as bears to the whole the same proportion as the number of days during which his term of office subsists bears to the number of days in that year.

(4) Where this scheme is amended as mentioned in sub-paragraph (2), and the term of office of a councillor does not subsist throughout the period mentioned in sub-paragraph (2)(a), the entitlement of any such councillor to the flat-rate allowance shall be to the payment of such part of the flat-rate allowance referable to each such period (ascertained in accordance with that sub-paragraph) as bears to the whole the same proportion as the number of days during which his term of office as a councillor subsists bears to the number of days in that period.

(5) 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.

(6) Where this scheme is amended as mentioned in sub-paragraph (2), and a councillor has during part, but does not have throughout the whole, of any period mentioned in sub-paragraph (2)(a) of that paragraph any 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 the allowance referable to each such period (ascertained in accordance with that sub-paragraph) 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.

Claims and Payments

8. (1) A claim for carer’s and childcare allowance under this scheme shall be made in writing within three months of the date of the meeting in respect of which the entitlement to the allowance arises.

(2) A claim for carer’s and childcare allowance shall include, or be accompanied by, a statement by the councillor claiming the allowance that he or she is not entitled to receive remuneration in respect of the matter to which the claim relates otherwise than under the Council’s scheme.

9. (1) Payments shall be made

(a) in respect of the flat-rate allowance and special responsibility allowance, subject to sub-paragraph (2), in instalments one-twelfth of the amount specified in this scheme on the 15th day of each month;

(b) in respect of the carer’s & childcare allowance, on the 15th day of each month in respect of claims received up to the day 14 days before that date.

(2) Where a payment of one-twelfth of the amount specified in this scheme in respect of the flat-rate allowance or a special responsibility allowance would result in the councillor receiving more than the amount to which, by virtue of paragraphs 6 and 7, he or she is entitled, the payment shall be restricted to such amount as will ensure that no more is paid than the amount to which he or she is entitled.

Annual review of allowance rates

10. The rates of allowance for:

(a) the annual flat-rate allowance;

(b) the annual unit rate of allowance for special responsibility allowances; and

shall be increased with effect from 1st April each year in line with the pay award for staff agreed with effect from the previous 1st January.

SCHEDULE 1

SPECIAL RESPONSIBILITY ALLOWANCES

The following are specified as the special responsibilities in respect of which special responsibility allowances are payable, and the amounts of those allowances:

Special Responsibility Allowances

Chairmen etc

Vice-Chairmen

	Ł	Ł
Leaders/Executive:
Leader of the Council	5,166.00	-

Deputy Leader of the Council	432.00
Leader of the Principal Opposition Group	3,444.00	-
Members of the Executive (9 Portfolio Holders at Ł1,728.00 each)	15,552.00	-

Chairmen/Vice-Chairmen:
Overview and Scrutiny Committees:
Leisure	1,728.00	432.00
Environment	1,728.00	432.00
Community	1,728.00	432.00

Regulatory Committees:
Standards Committee	432.00	216.00
Licensing and Regulatory Committee	432.00	216.00
Development Control Committee	864.00	216.00
Central Area Development Control Sub-Committee	432.00	216.00
Eastern Area Development Control Sub-Committee	432.00	216.00
Southern Area Development Control Sub-Committee	432.00	216.00
Western Area Development Control Sub-Committee	432.00	216.00
	_____________	____________
	Ł33,234.00	Ł2,808.00
	_____________	____________

SCHEDULE 1
(Continued)

SUMMARY OF SPECIAL RESPONSIBILITY ALLOWANCES:

	Ł
Leaders/Executive/Chairmen	33,234.00
Vice-Chairmen	2,808.00
	___________
	Ł36,042.00
	_________

Note: The special responsibility allowance paid to a Vice-Chairman is paid at one-quarter of the rate paid to the Chairman of the relevant Committee subject to a minimum payment of one-half unit.

SCHEDULE 2

SCHEDULE OF APPROVED DUTIES FOR THE PURPOSES OF CARER’S, CHILDCARE, TRAVELLING AND SUBSISTENCE ALLOWANCES

The following meetings are approved for the payment of carer’s, childcare, travelling and subsistence allowances:

1. a meeting of the Council or Executive or any other Committee or Sub-Committee of the Council, or of the following:-

· Special Interest Groups (comprising Members of Waverley only)
· Panels
· Chairman’s agenda meetings
· Opening of tenders (Executive Portfolio Holder, Chairman or Vice-Chairman)
· Attendance at site meetings of the relevant Area Development Control Sub-Committee (such site meetings being identified by the Director of Planning and Development and approved at the meeting of the relevant Sub-Committee)
· Employers’ Negotiating Team (including Joint Negotiating Committee for Pay and Conditions)
· Housing Benefits Review Panel - meetings

- initial training courses only

· Computer appreciation and computer training courses approved by the Council
· Seminars, training courses, presentations or visits for Members of the Council as identified by the Executive or other Committee or a Sub-Committee, unless formally extended to others with the agreement of the Executive
· Meetings convened by the Chief Executive

· Meeting with All Parishes	)	Waverley members attending as
· SCC Waverley Local Committee	)	representatives of Waverley only ·

Meetings with the Audit Commission

· Staff appointments (including staff appraisals)
· Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting attendances by portfolio holders and Executive meeting attendances by Chairman and Vice Chairman of Overview and Scrutiny Committees.

2. a meeting of any of the following associations of authorities of which the Council is a member:-

· Local Government Association
· Surrey Local Government Association

3. a meeting of a body where the appointment thereto is made by the Local Government Association

4. a meeting of a body where the appointment thereto is made by the Surrey Local Government Association, e.g., Surrey Historic Buildings Trust

5. Attendances by all Member representatives appointed by Waverley at meetings of outside bodies (as listed in Section 4)