South Oxfordshire District Council Approves 34% Increase in Councillor Allowances

A district council has approved an increase of almost 34% in councillor allowances. A South Oxfordshire District Council member, who opposed the measure, characterized the raise as “obscene” and stated it was a “slap in the face” for residents. The council indicated that the increase followed a recommendation from an independent panel that conducted a review. David Rouane, the Liberal Democrat leader of the council, explained that the increase was necessary to ensure that serving on the council is “accessible” to individuals from diverse backgrounds. The standard allowance, provided to all councillors, is set to increase from £6,275 to £8,391 annually, effective April 2025. Allowances for specific responsibilities will also see an uplift, including the payment for the leader, which will rise from £25,101 to £29,369. The independent panel examined the basic allowances of 27 councils of comparable size to ascertain their 2023 remuneration levels. As a result of this increase, councillors in South Oxfordshire will receive higher allowances than any of the other councils surveyed were paying at that specific time. Conservative councillor Ian Snowdon voiced criticism of the increase, noting it will incur an additional annual cost of £125,581 for the authority. He stated: “[It’s] an obscene amount,” adding, “In the current economic climate, it’s just an absolute slap in the face for residents. “We’re supposed to represent our residents, not fleece them.” The authority reported that the independent panel, which issued the recommendation, declared its aim was to “ensure the level of basic allowance does not constitute a barrier to candidates from all sections of the community standing, or re-standing, for election as councillors.” David Rouane, the Liberal Democrat leader of the council, commented: “I want to hear different voices: people who are at home caring for their disabled child, people who are trying to get onto the housing ladder, people who know what it is like to be made redundant, or to depend on public services. “To make the council accessible to these people we need to pay a reasonable allowance and offer further support.” He further added, “It’s also vital that recommendations for councillor allowances are made by independent members of the community. “It’s a robust system and I think it’s important not to undermine it.”