Leicester City Council meeting addresses the Elected Members’ Allowances Scheme 2020/2021

By Adam Rear

Leicester City Council are planning to hold a meeting on Thursday (MAR19) to discuss and approve it’s Elected Members’ Allowances Scheme for the upcoming financial year.

The meeting will discuss the findings of the Independent Remuneration IRP (‘IRP’ or ‘Panel’) February 2020 report.

This report is a synopsis of the deliberations and recommendations made by the statutory IRP appointed by the Leicester City Council to advise the Council on its Members’ Allowances Scheme.

Under The Local Authorities Regulations 2003, all local authorities are required to maintain an independent remuneration IRP to review and provide advice on the Council’s Members Allowances.

The Allowances Scheme 2020/2021 looks at a number of different financial areas, such as Travel and Subsistence Allowances (outside the city).

In the IRP report, it states that 45p per mile will be paid for Car or Van travel outside of the city, with the rate reducing to 25p after the first 10,000 miles.

For Motor Cycles the travel allowance is stated to be 24p per mile outside the city.

Furthermore, an additional 5p per mile will be paid when one or more passengers travel to an approved duty in the same car.

Other expenses covered in the IRP state that council members can claim for parking costs (with a valid receipt) and hotel costs (outside the city) of up to £86 or up to £146 in the London area.

As it stands, all Members automatically receive £1,205 per year to cover travel and subsistence costs for undertaking council duties, this allowance is set to be cut by £205.

On the panel who made the decision was Dr Declan Hall, a former lecturer in local politics at the Institute of Local Government at The University of Birmingham.

Dr Hall said: “The panel has endeavoured to maintain a balance between ensuring that councillors’ allowances and expenses are fair and support councillors in carrying out their various roles and responsibilities, while representing value for money.

“Consequently, while the panel has recommended a marginal increase in the Basic Allowances and some Special Responsibility Allowances, there has also been a decrease in the travel allowances partially offsetting any recommended increases.”