Telford & Wrekin councillors collected more than £638,000 in expenses and allowances over the past year, new figures reveal.

The story continues below

See our table below or download a larger PDF by clicking the link

Download PDF of Telford and Wrekin Council councillors expenses

Telford & Wrekin councillors collected more than £638,000 in expenses and allowances over the past year, new figures reveal.

Top earner was Councillor Andrew Eade, leader of the Conservative-controlled authority, whose total “pay” was £31,128. He was one of 27 councillors who did not claim any expenses during the financial year ending March 31.

All 54 council members were entitled to a basic allowance of £7,743 for the year, although this has since risen to £7,792.

To that were added further payments for extra responsibilities such as chairing a scrutiny committee, a council board, performing a cabinet role or being a party group leader.

Councillors were also entitled to claim expenses incurred in the course of their official business, such as travel and subsistence costs.

Councillor Eade’s deputy Jacqui Seymour came second in the pay list with £24,343, including £957 expenses.

In third place was regeneration cabinet chief Eric Carter with £21,296.

His £1,938 expenses claim was the highest of any member.

Totals paid out to other cabinet members were: Stephen Bentley (£19,718), Stephen Burrell (£19,358), Miles Hosken (£17,142) and Adrian Lawrence (£19,465).

Main opposition leader, Councillor Keith Austin, who heads the Labour group, received £18,731, including the second highest expenses claim of £1,309.

Independent Gill Green, who has recently become leader of the Liberal Democrat/Independent group, collected a total of £9,496, including £475 expenses.

Councillor Vic Tonks, leader of Telford & Wrekin People’s Association, received allowances of £8,213 and did not claim any expenses.

Council spokesman Nigel Newman said: “The figures show that the allowances paid to councillors in the last financial year totalled £627,026.

“A further £13,224 was paid in allowances to co-optees, lay members of the public who assist the council.

“Total expenses claimed by councillors during the year were £11,052. No expenses were claimed by co-optees.

“The level of councillors’ allowances in 2008/9 has increased by £9,315 since 2006/07 – equivalent to an increase of 1.5 per cent,” he added.

“During this time, allowances have been subject to two nationally agreed annual pay increases.

“The level of expenses claimed by councillors over the same period has fallen by around £70.”

The allowances to councillors are based on the principle that no member should be out of pocket for undertaking their public duties.

***

Analysis of the figures shows that members of Telford & Wrekin Council cost taxpayers substantially less than their counterparts on the former Shropshire County Council.

The total of allowances and expenses paid out to Shropshire’s 48 members in the financial year 2008/09 was £669,000.

In Telford & Wrekin, which has six more seats than Shropshire, it was £638,000.

And taking into account the fact that Telford & Wrekin is a single-tier unitary authority responsible for the work done by the old district and borough councils in Shropshire, the difference is even more marked.

It adds reinforcement to the claim by Councillor Andrew Eade, leader of the council, that it is giving value for money by charging the lowest council tax in the West Midlands.

Councillor Eade did not claim any expenses for the year and received £31,128 in allowances.

His fellow Conservative down the A5 at the Shirehall in Shrewsbury, county council leader Malcolm Pate, collected £39,713, including £4,575 for travel and subsistence.

Individual claims for cabinet members were generally lower in Telford & Wrekin with most members claiming less than £20,000 for the year while the majority of Shropshire members claimed more than £20,000.

Main opposition leader at Tory-controlled Telford & Wrekin is Labour’s Keith Austin, former leader of the council until the last election.

He claimed £18,731 last year, compared with £25,890 by Shropshire’s Liberal Democrat opposition leader Peter Phillips.

The newly elected Shropshire Council unitary authority, which has replaced the county council, has 74 members who will be able to claim a basic allowance of £12,000, plus expenses and extra responsibility payments.