7 – MEMBERS ALLOWANCES – Review & Adopted 20/04/2022
Scheme of Members’ Allowances
1.1 Citation and Commencement
- This scheme may be cited as the Gainsborough Town Council Members’ Allowances Scheme.
1.2 Definition
a) In this scheme, “year” means the 12 months ending with the Civic Year.
1.3 Parish Basic Allowance
a) Every member of the Council (Subject to any election made under section 1.7 of the scheme) shall receive, for the period of the scheme, the Parish Basic Allowance as set out in Appendix 1.
1.4 Special Responsibility Allowance and Expenses
a) The following members of the Council (Subject to any election made under section 1.7 of the scheme) shall receive for the period of the scheme the amounts shown and set out in Appendix 1 as special responsibility allowances, namely:-
i. Mayor
b) In addition to a Special Responsibility Allowance the Mayor shall be entitled to make claims for reimbursement of all reasonable expenses occurred in pursuance of their duties. All such claims in any Civic year shall be limited to the sum of £1500.00. All claims must be supported by relevant VAT receipts (where possible). No claim will be paid that is not supported by a receipt unless authorised by a resolution of the Full Council.
Any additional claims over and above £1500.00 must be approved by a resolution of the Full Council who shall be under no obligation to approve such a claim.
1.5 Parish Travelling and Subsistence Allowance
a) A Town Councillor shall be entitled to be paid Parish Travelling and Subsistence Allowance* at the rates specified in Appendix 2 in respect of travelling and subsistence undertaken in connection with or relating to the duties set out in Appendix 3. * outside the Parish only
b) The rates for subsistence shall be reduced by a corresponding amount in respect of any meal provided free of charge by the Town Council or by a third party.
c) The rates for subsistence will be reduced to the actual cost of the meal if less than the Allowance.
d) The following limitations apply on reimbursement of subsistence:
i. for breakfast an absence of more than four hours commencing before 0700 hrs
ii. for lunch an absence of more than four hours including commencing before 1100 and finishing after 1500 hrs
iii. for tea an absence of more than four hours finishing after 1830 hrs
iv. for dinner an absence of more than four hours finishing after 2030 hours
v. tea and dinner allowances cannot be claimed for the same day
1.6 Suspension of Allowances
Where an Allowance has already been made in respect of any period during which the Town Councillor concerned
i. ceases to be a Town Councillor; or
ii. is in any other way not entitled to receive an Allowance in respect of that period the Town Councillor shall repay to the Town Council such part of the Allowance as relates to any such period.
1.7 Election to forgo Allowances
a) A Town Councillor may by notice in writing given to the Clerk to the Town Council elect to forgo any part of his or her entitlement to an Allowance under this scheme.
1.8 Part-year Entitlements
a) The provisions of this paragraph shall have effect to regulate the entitlements of a Town Councillor to an Allowance where, in the course of a year, this scheme is amended or that Town Councillor becomes, or ceases to be, a Town Councillor.
b) If an amendment to this scheme changes the amount to which a Town Councillor is entitled then in relation to each of the periods
i. beginning with the year and ending with the day before that on which the first amendment in that year takes effect, or
ii. 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 the days in the period bears to the number of days in the year.
iii. If an amendment to this scheme changes the duties specified in this scheme the entitlement to an Allowance shall be to the payment of the amount of the Allowance under the scheme as it has effect when the duty is carried out.
c) Where the term of office of a Town Councillor begins or ends otherwise than at the beginning or end of a year, the entitlement of that Town Councillor to Allowances shall be to the payment to such part of the 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.
d) Where this scheme is amended as mentioned in sub-paragraph (2), and the term of office of a Town Councillor does not subsist throughout the period mentioned in sub-paragraph (2)(a), the entitlement of any such Town Councillor to Allowances shall be to the 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 during which his term of office as a Town Councillor subsists bears to the number of days in that period.
1.9 Claims and Payments
a) Payments of Parish Basic Allowance and Special Responsibility Allowance shall be payable monthly in arrears through the Town Council’s payroll.
b) Claims by Town Councillors in respect of Parish Travelling and Subsistence Allowance should be made monthly and shall in any event be made by no later than 5th April next following the end of a year.
c) Payments shall be made to each Councillor monthly in arrears through the Town Council’s payroll.
d) Where a payment of one-twelfth of the amount specified in this scheme in respect of Parish Basic Allowance would result in the Councillor receiving more than the amount to which, by virtue of paragraph 1.7, 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.
1.10 Back Dating
a) Where this Scheme is amended and it affects allowances payable for the year in which the amendment it made, entitlement to such allowances as are changed will apply with effect from the beginning of the year in which the amendment is made.
1.11 Review
This scheme shall be reviewed every two years.
APPENDIX 1
1. Parish Basic Allowance
1.1 The amount of the Parish Basic Allowance payable to each Town Councillor shall be £0 per annum.
2. Special Responsibility Allowances
2.1 Mayor ………………………….. £500.00
APPENDIX 2
1.1 Travelling
a) Cars
i. 40p/mile
ii. First Passenger Supplement 3p/mile
iii. Other passenger Supplements 2p/mile
(maximum of four passengers)
b) Motorcycles
i. 24p/mile
c) Cycles
i. 20p/mile
d) Use of public transport will be paid at the second class rail fare and/or bus.
1.2 Subsistence
a) Breakfast – £5.00
b) Lunch – £7.00
c) Tea – £3.00
d) Dinner – £9.00
APPENDIX 3
3.1 Statutory Approved Duties
a) The attendance at a meeting of the Town Council or of any committee or sub-committee of the Town Council or of any other body to which the Town Council makes appointments or nominations, or of any committee or sub-committee of such a body;
b) The attendance at a meeting of any association of authorities of which the Town Council is a member;
c) The performance of any duty in pursuance of any standing order made under section 135 of the Local Government Act 1972 requiring a Town Councillor or Town Councillors to be present while tender documents are opened; and
d) The performance of any duty in connection with the discharge of any function of the Town Council conferred by or under any enactment and empowering or requiring the Town Council to inspect or authorise the inspection of premises.
3.2 Approved Duties
a) The carrying out of any other duty approved by the Town Council, or any duty of a class so approved, for the purpose of, or in connection with, the discharge of the functions of the Town Council or of any of its committees or sub-committees as set out below:
i. Duties in connection with emergency planning including training and attendance at rest centres.
ii. Attendance at approved conferences
iii. Attendance at approved seminars and training courses
iv. Attendance at briefing meetings
v. Attendance at liaison meetings with West Lindsey District Council or Lincolnshire County Council