Independent Panel to Review Members' Allowances

Local authorities are required by The Local Authorities (Members' Allowances) (England) Regulations 2003 to establish independent remuneration panels to make recommendations to the Council about the allowances that should be paid to elected members of the authority. Although the final decision is a matter for the Council, there is a legal requirement to take into account the recommendations of the independent panel.

The Council is required to set a new scheme of allowance on an annual basis, after taking into account the recommendations of the panel.

Mid Sussex District Council has had an independent remuneration panel of three people since 2001. The panel serves for a 4 year period.

Members of the Panel must:

• Be 18 or over;
• Be a Commonwealth, Irish or European Citizen;
• Live or Work in Mid Sussex;
• Not be a Mid Sussex District Council employee, or employed by a company under the control of the Council;
• Not be elected councillors of any local authority or anyone who is disqualified from being an elected councillor of any local authority.

The Panel is responsible for making recommendations to the Council on:

• The level of basic allowance to be paid to elected members
• The categories of elected Members who should receive a special responsibility allowance and the amount of such an allowance
• The level of carer’s allowance
• The level of travelling and subsistence allowances
• Allowances to be paid to co-opted members of the Council

The report of the latest review can be found here