Members' Allowances

The Members Allowance Scheme for 2008/2009 was accepted by a meeting of the Full Council on 4th December 2007.

Travel Mileage Allowances 2008/2009

Cars/Vans    40p per mile up to 10,000 miles (25p per mile over 10,000 miles)
Motorcycles  24p per mile
Bicycles       20p per mile

Members are also permitted to claim a travel allowance of 5p per passenger per mile.

The cost of travel within the district on Public Transport will be reimbursed to Members.

Journeys outside of the District on Public Transport or Taxis need to be approved by the Chief Executive or other delegated officer prior to expenses being paid.

Note: Councillors are expected to use the most economical form of transport available.

Overnight Subsistence 2008/2009

Please note that the subsistence rates given below are the maximum amount payable. You will need to have incurred the costs in order to claim - therefore you must attach proof of payment (e.g. a receipt) to each claim form.

A summary of the Members Allowances scheme for 2007/2008 is shown below.

Type of allowance	Amount £
Basic Allowance	3,849
Chairman of Council	4,848
Vice Chairman of Council	2,424
Leader	9,461
Lead Member	4,730
Deputy Leader	4,730
Other Group Leaders (i.e. all Group Leaders except the Leader of the Council) - fixed element	1,081
Other Group Leaders (i.e. all Group Leaders except for the Leader of the Council) - variable element	86 per group member
Overview & Scrutiny Chairman	4,730
Overview & Scrutiny Vice Chairman	946
Development Control Chairman	3,784
Development Control Vice Chairman	756
Area Committee Chairmen	1,893
Area Committee Vice Chairmen	379
Personnel, Licensing & Administration Chairman	1,797
Personnel, Licensing & Administration Vice-Chairman	360
Standards Committee Chairman	1,893
Standards Committee Vice-Chairman	379
Licensing Hearings Budget	1,893
Allowance for Political Groups	10,000

Members are able to opt to not receive any allowances.  

Any Member that has been suspended or partially suspended from their responsibilities or duties as a member of the authority in accordance with Part III of the Local Government Act 2000 or regulations made under that Part shall have their allowances withheld.

Dependent Carers Allowance

The cost of care for the dependent of a Member may be claimed as an expense to a maximum of £10 per hour.

Co-Optee's Allowances

No allowances are payable for Co-Opted Members including Independent and Local Council Members of the Standards Committee other than those elected as Chairman or Vice-Chairman of the Standards Committee.

Political Group Allowances

A £10,000 allowance is allocated to each political group on a pro rata basis.

Claims against the allocation can be made to remunerate extra duties performed by group members.

Claims against the allocation can be made for the activities for group training and development.

Claims against the allocation should be made to the Finance Team specifying to whom the allowance should be paid, what extra duties have been undertaken or what group development activities have been undertaken.

Any claim made must be for the primary benefit of North Wiltshire District Council.

Approved Duties

Approved duties for which allowances may be claimed are set out below:

(a)the attendance at a meeting of the authority or of any committee or sub-committee of the authority, or of any other body to which the authority makes appointments or nominations, or of any committee or sub-committee of such a body;

(b)the attendance at any other meeting, the holding of which is authorised by the authority, or a committee or sub-committee of the authority, or a joint committee of the authority and one or more local authority within the meaning of section 270(1) of the Local Government Act 1972, or a sub-committee of such a joint committee provided that –

(i)where the authority is divided into two or more political groups it is a meeting to which members of at least two such groups have been invited, or

(ii)if the authority is not so divided, it is a meeting to which at least two members of the authority have been invited;

(c)the attendance at a meeting of any association of authorities of which the authority is a member;

(d)the attendance at a meeting of the executive or a meeting of any of its committees, where the authority is operating executive arrangements;

(e)the performance of any duty in pursuance of any standing order made under section 135 of the Local Government Act 1972 requiring a member or members to be present while tender documents are opened;

(f)the performance of any duty in connection with the discharge of any function of the authority conferred by or under any enactment and empowering or requiring the authority to inspect or authorise the inspection of premises;

(g)the performance of any duty in connection with arrangements made by the authority for the attendance of pupils at any school approved for the purposes of section 342 (approval of non-maintained special schools) of the Education Act 1996, and

(h)the carrying out of any other duty approved by the authority, or any duty of a class so approved, for the purpose of, or in connection with, the discharge of the functions of the authority or of any of its committees or sub-committees.

Note: for interpretation purposes (h) above includes briefings connected with (a)-(d) above, working groups, task groups and training.