A DIVIDED meeting of councillors has backed an increase in their own allowances, with opponents accused of trying to make 'political capital' from the issue.

Last night’s meeting of full council at Winsford’s Wyvern House saw members vote by 36 to 26 in favour of hiking the allowances they receive from  £12,714 to £13,223, with the amount being backdated to April.

A further decision on raising them again to £14,453 was postponed until May after next year’s local government elections.

All councillors in the UK receive an allowance for carrying out their work, with the figure being set by each local authority based on recommendations made by independent panels.

Cheshire West’s independent panel had been conducting a review since 2020, but the work stalled due to Covid restrictions. They had since recommended a four percent increase in line with a further recommendation made by the Local Government Association and matches the uplift to council staff wages

Council leader Cllr Louise Gittins told members: “If we want to attract a diverse group of members that really do reflect the communities we serve we really do need to make sure there’s something there for them.”

She added: “Some members are also suffering through he cost of living increase.

"I don’t want to name people but there will be people in the room who are struggling and this will help them. Just to add, you don’t have to take the increase if you don’t want to, it’s not mandatory.”

Conservative Marbury councillor Phil Marshall said the independent advice took ‘no account’ of the ‘wider economic context’. He added that the Conservative group would not be supporting the recommendation.

He said: “At a point where so many residents across the borough are struggling, and the mood music suggests the administration intends to max out council tax in 2023, I fail to see how this council can look residents in the eye and suggest that eye-watering council tax rises are inevitable on one hand, but fund a not insignificant increase in members’ allowances on the other.”

He said the rise should be rejected but could be revisited when the economic outlook was ‘more favourable’, claiming the overall £35,000 cost of the uplift could instead fund community projects or warm spaces.

Winsford Dene Cllr Mandy Clare (Socialist Labour Party) said being a councillor was ‘not a hobby and quite hard work’ and would be the only income of anyone for whom it was their main job.

Farndon councillor and Liberal Democrat group leader Cllr Paul Roberts said it was important not to make ‘political capital’ out of the issue.

He said: “The reality is that we have quite deliberately appointed an outside body to look at these things.

“It’s actually quite interesting on a day like to day when we’ve listened to Government ministers saying how important it is that recommendations from an independent pay review for nurses have to b supported and can’t be diverted from, to then turn around and say however when we’re looking at councillors' allowance because we can make political capital from it, let's do something different."

He added: "It’s important that there’s the opportunity for people from any background or any financial background to serve on this council."