Council allowances bill totals £669,000

Shirehall councillors claimed "pay" totalling more than £669,000 last year, new figures show.

All 48 members of the former Shropshire County Council claimed a basic allowance of £7,565.

But many were also able to claim special responsibility allowances and travel and subsistence payments. The highest total amount – £39,713 – went to Conservative council leader Malcolm Pate.

In addition to his basic allowance, Councillor Pate claimed £27,572 in responsibility allowances as leader and travel and subsistence of £4,575.

Lib Dem opposition leader Peter Phillips claimed a total of £25,890 and Labour group leader Alan Mosley £20,947.

Cabinet members and allowances claimed were: Joyce Barrow (£21,286), Barbara Craig (£24,100), John Everall (£20,530), Anne Hartley (£26,816), John Hurst-Knight (£22,442), Peter Nutting (£18,792), Gerald Dakin (£21,842), and Mike Owen (£18,792).

Council chairman Brian Gillow claimed £21,302.

Allowances are based on the principles that no member should be out of pocket for undertaking their duties, and that the level of allowances should not act as a "disincentive" to anyone wishing to stand for election.

Shirehall spokesman Simon Alton said that every council had to give members allowances by law and the level of allowances for Shropshire was recommended by an independent remuneration panel.

He said the panel fully researched the allowances scheme before making its recommendations.

The rates for the new Shropshire Council have also been recommended by the panel.

The authority's 74 members will be able to claim a basic £12,000 and the leader a further £24,000.

The figures were overwhelmingly agreed by the former county council earlier this year. There were no objections but three councillors abstained from voting.

One of them, Peter Corston, said that he was unhappy that the issue was being considered at a time of economic problems.

He was not saying that the allowances were unfair but he wondered what "message" was being sent out to the public when the number of jobless was rising and there was a growing number of house repossessions.

£1.2m is paid out in claims by councillors

More than £1.2 million was paid out last year in various allowances, to the elected members of Shropshire's five former district and borough councils. The leaders made the highest claims.

The basic amount councillors could claim varied between the authorities but, as at the Shirehall, many were also entitled to special responsibility, and travel and subsistence payments.

Basic rates were: Bridgnorth District (£5,338), North Shropshire District (£3,614), Oswestry Borough (£3,579), Shrewsbury and Atcham (£6,856), and South Shropshire District (£3,534).

Most members of the county council also served on one of the five smaller authorities and which between them had nearly 200 councillors.

The top leader's claim was Cecilia Motley (South Shropshire) at £24,633, followed by David Minnery (North Shropshire) £19,934, Peter Nutting (Shrewsbury and Atcham) £17,434, David Lloyd (Oswestry) £14,504 and Elizabeth Yeomans (Bridgnorth) £14,332.

Council total claims were: Bridgnorth £231,191, North Shropshire £231,106, Oswestry £163,257, Shrewsbury and Atcham £371,101 and South Shropshire £277,456.

By Dave Morris