Review into special responsibility allowances at South Tyneside Council to take place in 2025

The latest meeting of South Tyneside Council constitution committee noted they had previously discussed at length the Independent Remuneration Panel (IRP) report presented back in May 2022.

The IRP noted in that document the government guidance was no more than 50% of councillors in an authority should receive a special responsibility allowance (SRA).

All councillors can receive a basic allowance, however those holding certain positions including leader, deputy leader, mayor, cabinet members, committee chairs and vice chairs and leader of the main opposition can also receive an SRA.

South Tyneside Council has 54 elected councillors and there are 35 SRAs included within the member scheme of allowances.

Officers did stress no councillor receives more than one SRA, meaning if any councillor holds two or more posts eligible for an SRA, only the highest one is payable.

This means whilst there are 35 SRAs overall there are currently 31 SRAs in payment.

However if guidance was to be followed and a strict application of the 50% implemented, this would mean no more than 27 SRAs should be paid.

Council officers suggested the constitution committee therefore review SRAs as part of its work for the coming year.

However leading councillors highlighted how a reformed committee structure was agreed last year and came into force in May, which saw some changes to SRAs. 

It was therefore agreed that although SRAs wouldn’t be reviewed this year by the constitution committee, they would look at carrying out the work in 2025/26 following calls from councillors.

Labour’s Councillor Tracey Dixon, council leader, said: “It’s up to us as a council how we actually set our structure, and it has to be the right structure for delivery.

“We did an awful lot of work reviewing the committee structure of our organisation to make sure that the committee structure is fit for purpose for us to deliver for our residents out there and we have literally just done that.”

However numerous councillors highlighted the importance of the issue and suggested if it wasn’t being looked at this year, it should be looked at in the 12 months following.

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Councillor Sarah McKeown said: “I think if we’re outside of the government guidance that suggests that it should be looked at.

“Personally at the minimum I would like to suggest we review it next year if we don’t do it this year, it just gives it that little bit longer for the decisions that we made last year.”

Her Green group colleague Councillor Shirley Ford highlighted how she was keen to look at the finances around the SRAs and see the issue considered and reviewed.

She said: “To look at the amount of money that is attached to each SRA and even in principle whether all vice chairs or any vice chairs should get an SRA, at all, it’s more that, it’s the money rather than the structure.”

However Labour’s councillor Lynne Proudlock noted South Tyneside Council’s allowances are “one of the lowest in the North East” and they could “struggle for people” to take on certain positions if those SRAs are reduced.

The comments were made at the latest meeting for the council’s constitution committee at South Shields Town Hall (on Monday, October 28).