WAVERLEY Borough Council has defended the amount it pays staff in fuel allowances after criticism by the TaxPayers’ Alliance.

In new research published by the campaign group, Waverley was named as one of 173 UK councils giving staff mileage payments of more than the HMRC-recommended figure of 45p per mile.

But Waverley says the TaxPayers’ Alliance claim it pays staff 65p per mile doesn’t reflect the full situation, as only “a relatively small number of staff” actually receive that rate.

A council spokesman said: “The Taxpayers’ Alliance research is misleading as it does not take into account the different rates and suggests all council staff are able to claim 65p per mile.

“Waverley Borough Council recognises employees incur travel costs while carrying out their responsibilities and pays different rates for casual and essential car users.

“The majority of mileage claims are for essential car users, paid at a lower rate of 50.5p per mile for the first 8,500 miles per annum, then 16.4p after that.

“The 65p rate is the upper rate for casual users – this is claimed by a relatively small number of staff. 

“Waverley also has two pool cars that staff are encouraged to use, where no mileage is claimed.

“The 2016/17 mileage costs also include councillor claimed mileage. Councillors can claim 45p per mile.”

According to the data provided by the TaxPayers’ Alliance, which the campaign group says came from a series of Freedom of Information Act requests, Waverley paid a total of £193,841 in mileage allowance payments in 2016/17, up 2.4 per cent from £189,379 in 2015/16.

By comparison, in 2016/17 neighbouring authorities East Hampshire paid out a total £111,716 to staff at just 19.31p per mile, Hart £113,158 at 65p per mile, Rushmoor £134,416 at 65p per mile and Rother £92,258 at 45p per mile.

Surrey County Council paid its employees an eye-watering £5,050,000 at 45p per mile, and Hampshire County Council £5,400,000 at 53.5p per mile.

The TaxPayers’ Alliance says local authorities around the UK spent more than £223million on mileage allowance payments. The group argues reducing payments to the approved rate is an easy way of saving millions without affecting any council services.

TaxPayers’ Alliance chief executive John O’Connell said: “Driving is extremely expensive in Britain thanks to sky-high rates of fuel duty and vehicle excise duty, but there’s no excuse for councils to pay more than HMRC’s approved rate for mileage.

“It’s simply not credible for local authorities to plead poverty and raise council tax while paying over the odds for basic expenses, especially when the Government has been telling them to rein in these payments for the past five years.

“Councils must continue to root out wasteful spending like this so that they can deliver tax cuts for hard-pressed residents.”