Councillors are expected to approve a rise in their allowances this week that is expected to cost an additional £57,740 in the next financial year.
Thursday’s annual full council meeting is seeking to recommend the Basic Allowance increases each year at the beginning of the municipal year by the rate of Consumer Price Index (CPI),
Subsistence rates will remain unchanged, along with travel expenses with the exception of an additional 5p per mile to be made available for the part of a journey where another councillor, or officer, is carried on Council business.
Councillors will also be allowed to join the Local Government Pension Scheme as of May 11, 2026
The council’s Independent Remuneration Panel (IRP), which has made the recommendations, met on six occasions between October 2025 and March 2026.
It undertook a series of interviews and surveys to gather councillor views.
The panel, made up of three borough residents, considered external comparative data which provided details of members allowances schemes from local authorities across the country.
It took a decision to focus their attention on the neighbouring local authorities in Berkshire. The panel also received a presentation from the deputy chief executive and chief finance officer, which provided the panel with context and an overview of the significant financial challenges faced by the council, particularly, over the next three years.
The panel developed a set of recommendations which take into account all of the information presented to them across the last six months.
In a report, it noted how “.. current levels of compensation are seen to present challenges to diversity of representation.
“Councillors consistently expressed a desire for a more diverse councillor cohort that better reflects the borough’s population, however many felt that the current level of allowance may act as a barrier for individuals with work, family or caring responsibilities, whilst accepting that significant increases were unlikely to be achievable under current financial constraints.”
The additional costs will require revenue growth and, depending on the level of take up, that position will be monitored through the normal monitoring process and reporting.
Stephen Conway, leader of Wokingham borough council, told Wokingham Today: “The independent remuneration panel undertakes the work of assessing how much councillors should be allowed for the work they do for the community.
“Wokingham borough councillors receive less than councillors in many other local authorities.
“It’s greatly preferable that an Independent body examines this matter and comes up with recommendations, rather than councillors deciding on their level of remuneration.
“Councillors will vote on whether to accept the independent remuneration panel’s recommendations at the council meeting on Thursday evening.”
Thursday’s meeting will take place on Thursday evening at Shute End.
