FOREST councillors have backed a recommendation to give themselves a 8.6 per cent backdated pay rise for the last two years which will cost the taxpayer around £40,000.

Councillors voted on Thursday (April 20) to increase the allowance members receive for serving on the authority, just weeks before the next local election.

An independent remuneration panel proposed increasing the basic allowance for Forest councillors to go up from £5,100 to £5,540 and received cross-party support.

The current basic allowance for Forest councillors is the lowest in Gloucestershire. Tewkesbury, Gloucester, Cheltenham, Stroud and Cotswold pay their councillors a basic allowance of £7,350, £6,214, £6,174, Stroud £5,716 and £5,228, respectively.

Senior positions such as council leader, deputy chief and cabinet members are currently entitled to £17,340, £13,200 and £12,240 respectively.

They will see their allowance for leader will increase to £18,836, the deputy leader will be entitled to £14,404 and cabinet members will receive £13,296.

In future, the basic allowance will increase annually from April 1 at the same rate as the cost of living increase in the national pay settlement for local government employees.

Former Cabinet member Sid Phelps (G, Lydbrook) said he has always been a bit reluctant to vote for a pay rise for themselves. He is pleased to see that the council will instead mirror the workforce gets.

However, he said the backdated pay was “insensitive” to those suffering with the cost of living crisis.

Labour’s Di Martin (L, Cinderford West) said she would support the proposals as the they’ve worked very hard for council allowances to enable people of limited means to have the opportunity to become a councillor.

“If you work hard, you deserve the allowance,” she said.

The pay increase and backdated pay proposals were approved by 22 votes in favour, eight against and two abstentions.

The council estimates the backdated pay will cost around £40,000.

It was also clarified during the meeting that councillors who are not standing in next month’s election or those who fail to gain re-election will also be entitled to the backdated pay.

Voting was as follows:

For: Julia Gooch Dave Wheeler Jackie Fraser, Maria Edwards, Philip Burford, Simon Phelps, James Bevan, Helen Molyneux, Ian Whitburn, Andrew Gardiner, Richard Boyles, Roger Yeates, Brian Robinson, Gill Moseley, Shaun Stammers, Di Martin, Jamie Elsmore, Bernie O’Neill, Claire Vaughan, Richard Leppington, Paul Hiett, Clive Elsmore.

Against: Sid Phelps, Mark Topping, Andy Moore, Mark Turner, Thom Forester, Brian Lewis, Nick Evans, Harry Ives.

Abstained: Chris McFarling, Nicky Packer.

Absent: Alan Preest, Brian Jones, Lynn Sterry, Tim Gwilliam.