Councillors paid £700,000 in allowances

Councillors were paid more than £700,000 in allowances during the last financial year.

Figures published by Rochdale Borough Council show amounts vary from former Liberal Democrat leader Alan Taylor at the top of the list receiving £25,652.51 down to former Rochdale Councillor Elywn Watkins who received £7,007.00.

The top ten allowance payments were made to:

Alan Taylor (LD) - £25,652.51
Irene Davidson (LD) - £21,655.77
Dale Mulgrew (LD) - £18,379.75
Ted Flynn (LD) - £18,348.16
Mohammad Sharif (LD)- £18.258.04
Doreen Brophy-Lee (LD) £17,952.00
Greg Couzens (LB) - £17,952.00
Colin Lambert (L) – £17,952.00
Pauline Maguire (LD) - £17,952.00
Ashley Dearnley (C) - £16,812.00

The total figure paid in allowances is £706,051.79.

All local councils must pay their members a basic allowance - the same level for all members, which is intended to cover their time commitments and incidental costs.

The basic allowance paid to all Rochdale Borough Council members during 2009/10 was £7,644, one of the lowest in Greater Manchester, and it will remain the same in 2010/11.

This basic allowance includes an amount to cover all travel they may incur when undertaking duties within the borough, subsistence and a contribution towards land line telephone costs.

Councils pay allowances for special responsibilities and decide the levels of all the categories of allowance they pay.

Special responsibilities include being Leader of the Council or Leader of the opposition parties, being a chair of a committee, or taking lead responsibility for dealing with particular areas of work.

Allowances are also paid by the Police, Fire and Rescue Authority, Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Authority and the Greater Manchester Pension Fund Advisory Committee to councillors who are nominated to work with these external bodies. These allowances are paid by the respective authorities and not the council.

As the Council's representative on the Police Authority board, Councillor Barbara Todd was paid £15,236.34 to complement her £7,904.94 council allowance.

The total paid to councillors from external bodies in the 2009-10 financial year was: £40,334.14

Malcolm Allan of the Independent Remuneration Panel for Members Allowances said allowances are linked to the average earnings of residents in the borough and compared with those of other councillors in the region:

“We use a formula to calculate the allowances using the latest data. We regularly review the formula as well as the duties of councillors and the time they spend on council business. It’s vitally important that the system is completely transparent.”

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