CRAVEN councillors have agreed a backdated increase in what they are paid after being told the authority needed to attract the ‘right calibre’ of people.

John Boumphrey, chairman of the Independent Remuneration Panel urged councillors at this week’s full council meeting to accept its recommendations to see the basic allowance paid to the council’s 30 members go up from £4,300 to £4,650 per year.

Additional special responsibility allowances paid to chairman of committees and to the leader and deputy leader - have also been increased to reflect local government pay settlements, while a new special responsibility allowance has been introduced for the chairman and vice chairman of the Licensing Committee, to reflect the committee’s increased workload.

Mr Boumphrey told members he understood the concerns of some councillors that there were other areas where the money should be spent, such as the taking on of an enforcement planning officer, but that it was important that the authority compensated members for the amount of time and effort they put in.

Cllr Richard Foster said the proposed increase was right, and it was up to individuals whether they took it, or gave it to charity. “To get the right calibre of people, we need to pay them. This is not a nine to five job, we work whenever we come across people,” he said.

Deputy leader, Simon Myers, said it was a big ask for working people to become council members and the council was currently in need of more women and younger people.

He added as current chairman of Licensing, he would not take his allowance, but the workload had increased and it was right that should be reflected.

After the meeting, Mr Boumphrey said: “Members’ allowances and expenses can be a controversial subject. There will inevitably be some who will be critical of any payments of allowances to members and particularly at any proposals to increase those payments.

“There is also an inevitable reluctance amongst members themselves to take decisions on increasing allowances which might be seen as self-serving, particularly during times when financial savings are being sought.

“However, being an elected member can be a very demanding role and it is important, not least in order to attract potential new members, that they are adequately compensated for their time and effort.”

Paul Shevlin, chief executive of Craven District Council, said councillors put in a great deal of time and effort. “We do need to improve the diversity of our council and encourage a wider range of people to put themselves forward. If we do not compensate councillors for at least some of the time that they put into their work, then we run the risk that only the well-off will be able to stand for election.”