AN independent pay panel has recommended a 20 per cent allowance increase for Waverley councillors and recommended docking it for those Òswinging the leadÓ.

The panel, which Waverley had to appoint under the Local Government Act 2000, is recommending that the total budget for WaverleyÕs 57 councillorsÕ allowances increases from £144,000 to £172,500 Ð an increase of £28,500 or 19.8 per cent.

If borough councillors vote themselves the allowance increase Ð and it will have to pass through committee, executive and full council stages Ð the money would have to be found through a council tax increase or from other revenue sources.

Should the proposed increase go ahead, the extra money would equate to a half a percent increase in council tax or a quarter of a percent increase in WaverleyÕs annual revenue.

A spokesman for the council said there had not been an allowance increase for at least two years, though the figure is adjusted yearly for inflation.

Currently, the basic allowance for Waverley councillors is £1,983, with those holding extra responsibilities, Ð such as council leader, chairmen and vice-chairmen of committees Ð receiving more.

The independent pay panel is recommending the basic allowance increases to £2,000 Ð £1,500 for time and commitment and £500 for so-called Òout-of-pocketÓ expenses such as telephone bills, postage stamps and travel.

But in making that recommendation, the panel is advising councillors to consider docking allowances of councillors who attend less than 75 per cent of meetings.

The panel, which surveyed and interviewed Waverley councillors before producing its report, writes in its summing up: ÒThe evidence we considered raised concerns that some councillors do not attend a ÔreasonableÕ minimum number of meetings, but may still claim the appropriate allowances in full.

ÒWe consider it reasonable to expect a councillor to attend a minimum of 75 per cent of meetings.Ó

Addressing a meeting of WaverleyÕs executive committee on Monday night, chairman of the panel Michael Clark said: ÒOne or two councillors are swinging the lead a bit and werenÕt as regular in their attendance at meetings as they might have been.Ó

Mr Clark also criticised councillors for their initial reluctance to help the panel in their research which informed much of their subsequent report. Forty of the boroughÕs 57 councillors eventually returned the panelÕs questionnaires and 13 put themselves forward for interview.Ó