West Devon councillors agree to personal allowance rise by over 3%

Councillors in West Devon have agreed to increase their basic allowance in line with staff pay rises.

It means that for 2025/26 all councillors will receive £5,674 instead of £5,498, a difference of £176, or 3.2 per cent.

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The move follows a recommendation by an independent panel, which conducted its first review of members’ allowances since 2023 in January.

The basic allowance for West Devon councillors has increased by £781 since 2023/24, after an “above average” six per cent rise between 2023 and 2025.

Panel representatives recognised that the overwhelming majority of local authorities now automatically align their basic allowance increases to the staff pay award. 

This was supported by the handful of West Devon members who made representations on the current allowances.

However, the panel was “not inundated with responses” from members calling for a special responsibility allowance to be introduced for development management (planning) and licensing committee members, who have “a considerable” workload, or for vice-chairs of the audit and governance and overview and scrutiny committees.

Council leader Mandy Ewings (Ind, Tavistock South West) felt there could be merit in some form of ‘attendance allowance’ being introduced for site inspections.

She told a full council meeting this week that she was “really disappointed” that only three or four councillors responded to the consultation.

“I can only surmise from that that 28 members are really happy with their allowances,” she said.

Cllr Lynn Daniel (Green, South Tawton) denied that councillors were “apathetic”.

“It’s not so much a lack of interest, rather than knowing the council is finite and councillors think we will stay as we are until something new comes along.”

The council, along with Devon’s other district and county councils, will be abolished in 2028 to make way for larger unitary councils covering all services.

Cllr Neil Jory (Con, Milton Ford) said it made “absolute sense” to increase the basic allowance in line with the annual pay award.

“Our allowances at the moment probably do not reflect the amount of work members actually do. We want to be in a position where we attract people into the role of councillor, particularly younger people.”

He said allowances largely reimbursed councillors’ expenses.

The changes agreed by the council will see the leader’s total annual allowance increase from £19,243 to £19,859 and the deputy’s from £13,745 to £14,185.

Members of the decision-making hub committee will receive £11,348 each; the chair of the development management and licensing committee £12,483; the vice-chair £7,376; and chairs of the audit and governance and overview and scrutiny committees £11,348 each.

Allowances for the mayor and deputy mayor of West Devon have increased from £3,000 to £3,121 and from £825 to £851 a year respectively, after being fixed for a number of years.