Updated: Council Executive Debates Allowances and More Help for Refugees

Published on: 30 Nov, 2024
Updated on: 3 Dec, 2024

By Esme Campbell

Councillor allowances and additional refugee accommodation were two of the salient issues on the GBC Executive’s agenda when they met on Thursday (November 28).

Update: see special responsibility allowances table below.

Borough councillors are unpaid for their work but they are legally entitled to financial allowances to compensate for necessary expenses. Allowances are reviewed by an independent remuneration panel (IRP) annually. The panel provides recommendations for any amendments which are put to the full council.

Cllr Merel Rehorst-Smith

Cllr Merel Rehorst-Smith (Lib Dem, Effingham) commented on the importance of allowances for accessibility of the councillor role, saying they ensure that “everybody is represented and has the ability to be involved in the process.”

Councillor allowances will continue to be frozen. The recommended basic councillor allowance for 2025-26 will be £8,579 per annum. Other special responsibility allowances were also debated.

Cllr Howard Smith

A primary concern was the dependent carers’ allowance. Cllr Howard Smith (Lab, Westborough) questioned the £500 claim limit for dependent carers which he believed could be insufficient. He pondered whether it was:  “…an equality and a diversity issue”.

The Executive’s recommendations will now go to the full council meeting on December 3 for agreement.

GBC Special Responsibility Allowances for 2025. An amendment reduced the leader’s allowance to 200 per cent, ie from £21,448 to £17,158 per annum.

Afghanistan Relocation Assistance Programme

The council additionally discussed their support for the Afghanistan Relocation Assistance Programme. A report sought to give further assistance to refugees in Guildford.

Councillors expressed full approval of the request from the Home Office and Ministry of Defence (MOD) to support an additional 11 ARAP families, by using up to 10 properties offered by the MOD.

Helping these families comes at no extra cost to the council budget as funding is provided by the Home Office, and accommodation is organised for up to three years.

Cllr George Potter

Various councillors expressed enthusiasm for the programme. Cllr George Potter (Lib Dem, Burpham) said: “We should be doing as much as possible to accept refugees and to help them” and Cllr Fiona White (Lib Dem, Ash Wharf) commented: “This is the least we can do to repay them” (for their support of British Armed Forces in Afghanistan).

Cllr Julia McShane.

Council leader Julia McShane (Lib Dem, Westborough) said Guildford already supports many refugees in its community which, she said, makes Guildford “a greater place to live, work, and do business.”

Cllr Potter added: “I am glad we are able to help where we can as a borough and I think we should all be proud of that. It is part of that compassion – it is a value that is so clearly shared by so many across our community.”

Other topics discussed during the council meeting included the contract for the provision of Servicing Domestic Boilers, reviewing the loan to North Downs housing, granting a lease at the Rodborough Building, the Asset Disposal Programme, and the Freehold Disposal of Old Manor House at East Horseley.

The meeting webcast can be found here.

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