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.

Members of the Panel must:

• Must be 18 or over with a right to work in the UK
• Not be a Mid Sussex District Council employee, or employed by a company under the control of the Council;
• Not be a Mid Sussex District, Town or Parish Councillor or disqualified from Election as a Councillor.

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