SPARKS flew at full council on Monday as councillors debated an increase in allowances, eventually approving an inflation busting 6.6 per cent rise.
The rise, which was recommended by the local authority Independent Remuneration Board, takes the basic allowance of a councillor from £4,437 per annum to £4,732, an increase of £295.
Councillors holding additional responsibilities will also see a rise, up £442 to £7,098.
Coun Matt Dormer (Con, West) as council Leader and a portfolio holder, will see his allowance increase from by £1,622 to £26,026 per annum.
Labour attempts to limit the rise to 1.75 per cent in line with the pay offer to local government workers failed after a proposed amendment by their group leader Coun Andy Fry (Lodge Park) was ruled out of order by the council’s legal officer.
“Labour kicked the can on councillor remuneration down the road for 11 years and at some time we have to start playing catch-up,” said Coun Dormer.
“We were among the poorest paid councillors in all of England and we will still are.
“This year’s rise also takes into account this year, last year and the year before when there wasn’t one.”
Compared to other local authorities like Bromsgrove, Worcester, Wychavon annd Malvern, Redditch has fewer councillors (29), and spends less on basic allowances for councillors – £127,869 in 2020-21 compared to neighbouring Bromsgrove, which has 31 councillors and at a cost of £140,258.
However in terms of spend on allowances for special responsibilities, Redditch is the most expensive, at £94,538, compared to Bromsgrove, which spent £66,323 in 2020-21.
Sharon Harvey, prospective Labour candidate for Central Ward said: “I work in a local school – my pay rise is 1.75per cent and most of that will be swallowed up by the National Insurance hike.
“This is an insult to the hard working people of Redditch for whom a six per cent pay rise would be something spectacular.
“The Conservative led council is also making other increases – 4.1pc on council rent, 5pc on council services – and an as yet undisclosed increase on council tax.”
