Brent Council – Members' Allowance Scheme

Brent Council hereby gives notice of its Members’ Allowance Scheme for the year 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026. The Scheme sets out the allowances its Members are entitled to receive for carrying out their responsibilities. The Scheme specifies the amount of entitlement by way of basic allowance (which is mandatory) and other allowances such as special responsibility, dependents’ carers’ and travelling and subsistence allowances (which are discretionary). The responsibilities specified in the Scheme and the amounts payable are set out below.

At a meeting of the Full Council on 27 February 2025, Members had regard to the recommendations made by the Independent Remuneration Panel (IRP) for London borough councils. As an IRP review was not yet completed, this year’s annual review has been based on the contents of the initial 2023 report, which will continue to inform the Council’s decision-making.

The National Joint Council Government Services pay agreement offered a percentage increase of 2.5% on specific pay scales. Noting that some of the positions do not currently fall within the recommended percentage bands, and more importantly, recognising the increased workload and scope, Members agreed to a 2.5% increase across all SRAs and to the Basic Pay.

Copies of the Scheme and a record of the amount and nature of each payment made to individual Members are available at Brent Civic Centre, Engineers Way, Wembley HA9 0FJ for inspection by members of the public during normal office hours.

BASIC, SPECIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND CO-OPTED MEMBER ALLOWANCES WITH EFFECT FROM 1 APRIL 2025

Basic Allowance

Payable to all councillors = £13,978

Special Responsibility Allowances

(No more than one allowance per member)

1. Leader of the Council = £42,388

2. Deputy Leader of the Council = £30,891

3. Other Cabinet Members = £20,354

4. Chair of the Community and Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee = £15,229

5. Chair of the Resources and Public Realm Scrutiny Committee = £15,229

6. Chair of the Planning Committee = £15,229

7. Members of the Planning Committee = £2,322

8. Chair of the Audit and Standards Committee = £5,332

9. Chairs of the Brent Connects Area Consultative Forums = £2,120

10. Chair of the Licensing Committee = £3,449

11. Members of the Licensing Committee = £2,120

12. Member of the Fostering Panel = £3,438

13. Leader of the Principal Opposition Group* = £8,531

14. Leader of the Second Opposition Group = £4,100

15. Group Whip for the majority group with over 50% of councillors = £4,265

16. Mayor = £7,615

17. Deputy Mayor = £3,449

*For the purposes of this Scheme this is the second largest group of the Council. If there are two or more opposition groups of the same size, it is such group as the Council shall decide.

Co-opted Member Allowances

1. Chair of the Audit and Standards Advisory Committee (voting) = £1,561

2. Independent members of the Audit and Standards Advisory Committee (voting) = £444

3. Education voting and non-voting co-opted members of the Community and Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee = £235