Sunderland City Area - Local Authorities Members’ Allowances

Sunderland City Council
This Notice is published in accordance with the Local Authorities (Members’ Allowances) (England) Regulations 2003

At the Council meeting held on 22 January 2025, the Council considered a report dated December 2024 from its Independent Remuneration Panel in respect of its Allowances Scheme. The Council accepted the Panel’s recommendations, including that the Basic Allowance be increased annually in line with the increase in the CPI published in the February prior to the relevant financial year, with this indexation to apply up to the maximum period of four years permitted under the Regulations.
At a meeting to be held on 15 January 2026, the Council’s Cabinet will consider its recommendations to Council in respect of the Scheme for 2026 to 2027, which will be considered by Council at its meeting to be held on 28 January 2026. If Council agrees that the Scheme will continue in the same terms as the current Scheme, with the application of indexation to the Basic Allowance, the main provisions of the Scheme will be as below.     
Type of Allowance Amount per annum £

Basic Allowance
8,620.08*

*plus an uplift applied in line with any increase in the CPI published in February 2026.

The Basic Allowance may subsequently be adjusted annually in line with any increase in the CPI published in the February prior to the relevant financial year, with this indexation to apply up to a maximum period of four years.

Special Responsibility Allowances
Leader of the Council 37,667
Deputy Leader of the Council 25,111
Cabinet Member with Portfolio 20,716

Leader of an Opposition Group comprised of at least 8 members 5,000
(Where no Opposition Group has at least eight members, allowance to be paid to single largest Opposition Group or divided equally between Opposition Groups where the largest are of equal size, as applicable.)

Chair of the following:
Scrutiny Co-ordinating Committee 12,556
Thematic Scrutiny Committee 5,179
Area Committee 10,350
Licensing and Regulatory Committee 8,369
Planning and Highways Committee 8,369

Vice Chair of the following:
Area Committee 6,277
Scrutiny Co-ordinating Committee 6,277
Licensing and Regulatory Committee 4,184
Planning and Highways Committee 4,184

Co-optees’ Allowances
Audit and Governance Committee
Chairman 5,000
Independent member
2,500

Mayoral
Mayoral Allowance
Deputy Mayoral
12,000
6,000

Carer’s allowance
Actual expenditure up to a maximum of the equivalent of the current National Living Wage or National Minimum Wage hourly rate, as appropriate, dependent upon the age of the worker. The rate applicable shall be subject to automatic increases in line with uprating of the Adult National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage.

Travel Allowances (for elected members and co-optees)
Motor Cycle allowance 24p per mile
Bicycle Allowance 20p per mile
Car Allowance 45p per mile for first 10,000 mile and 25p thereafter
Passenger Supplement 5p per mile for the passenger (not exceeding 4)

The above rates match His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs authorised mileage rates and will be updated when HMRC publishes revised allowances

Subsistence Allowances (for elected members and co-optees)
In the case of absence from the usual place of residence for a continuous period which exceeds 4 hours but does not involve an overnight absence, subsistence is payable as set out below:

Breakfast Allowance £6.22
Lunch Allowance £8.55
Tea Allowance £3.37
Evening Meal Allowance £10.59

Overnight Accommodation
The allowance will not be claimable as an allowance as such, rather reasonable costs of an overnight stay (including breakfast) will be met for business class accommodation (3 star or 4 star) within and outside of London. Unless there are exceptional circumstances the Council will book the accommodation direct selecting the most economic option available and utilising the established procurement arrangements in place. Where exceptional circumstances exist, these must be approved in advance by the Director of Finance, and reasonable costs will be reimbursed subject to submission of receipts.

Grant payable for Use of Rooms or Halls for Ward Surgeries £15 maximum per occasion

Telephone Calls Allowance £15 per quarter

Broadband – actual costs to be reimbursed up to a maximum of £15 per month with a contribution from each Member of £3 per month where private use is made of the facility.

Copies of the Panel’s report can be inspected at City Hall, Plater Way, Sunderland SR1 3AA (the Council’s principal office) during office hours.
Copies are available free of charge.
The report can also be viewed on the Council’s website

www.sunderland.gov.uk

Patrick Melia
Chief Executive
Sunderland City Council 14 January 2026