Councillors have decided against giving themselves a 6.5 per cent ‘pay’ rise in allowances – despite being recommended to do so.

Wellington Town Council's policy and finance committee had recommended to set councillors allowances at £860 per year with an additional £430 for the Mayor from the 2027-28 financial year.

This was suggested in accordance with guidelines laid out in national legislation for local council authorities.

For the current 2026-27 year the allowance for councillors was set at £807.78 with an additional 50 per cent of £403.89 paid to the council chairman – as per recommendations from the Independent Remuneration Panel.

But the move to increase the allowance to £860 for 2027-28 was not rubber-stamped when councillors met for the full monthly council meeting on Monday (November 2).

Cllr Keith Wheatley said: “I was pretty surprised when I saw that we've been recommended to award ourselves a 6.5 per cent pay rise.

“I think it would be a colossal mistake for us to do that as many people at the moment would feel lucky if they got a three per cent increase in their income. It would be a grave effort on our part if we did this.”

Cllr Wheatley proposed that councillors should have an increase of allowances of three per cent or CPI (Consumer Price Index) – whatever is lower.

But Cllr Sean Pringle-Kosikowsky said: “I don't think we should have any allowance at all. We have all become councillors because we want to make a difference rather than make a financial gain.”

He did, however, say that he supported council employees receiving pay rises in line with national guidelines.

But former Mayor, Cllr Janet Lloyd, said she supported the 6.5 per cent increase in allowances received by councillors.

Cllr Lloyd explained that she would not be standing again as a councillor at next year's local elections, so her support of the allowance increase came from her as an individual, rather than from someone who would gain anything.

“Councillors are doing a lot more than we used to and I'm sure residents do appreciate our efforts,” she said.

“We want to attract younger councillors to the council – although I agree that it does look bad when you put things in percentage terms.”

It has been said before that efforts to recruit new blood to the council could be enhanced if the councillor allowance was more financially attractive.

But Cllr Steve Mercer said: “I don't think we can justify anything more than an increase of three per cent or 3.5 per cent increase.”

Cllr John Thorne said he was not overly concerned about the allowance or the percentage increase.

“I'm not especially bothered about this,” he said. “I vote for what I think is right and I don't base my votes on thinking that there's an election around the corner.”

Councillors agreed to increase allowances by three per cent or CPI whichever was the least.

They also supported a new agreement where payments would be made four times per year in arrears.