Councillors who are ‘not doing it for the money’

No town and parish councillors in Teesdale are receiving a basic annual allowance – despite being allowed to have the cash.

This is in contrast with places like Peterlee and Bishop Auckland where members of their town councils are given an annual sum.

In Peterlee, elected members receive £1,206.84 per year, and in Bishop Auckland it is £440, although some members have opted not to take the cash.

Co-opted members of town and parish councils cannot be paid a basic allowance, but can be paid allowances for holding a position like mayor or be reimbursed for subsistence and travel.

The amount councillors are entitled to is set by the county’s Independent Review Panel (IRP) and is linked to the amount paid to county councillors.

Councils with a population of 15,000 or more can receive £1,330, which is ten per cent of the Durham County Council’s basic allowance, it is scaled down to £65 for a parish with a population of less than 1,000 people, which is 0.5 per cent of the county council’s basic allowance.

According to IRP figures, town councillors in Barnard Castle could award themselves a basic allowance of up to £665, which is five per cent of a county councillor’s basic allowance, but councillors have opted not to take the money.

They are, however, offered subsistence and travel allowances.

It is a similar situation with all parish councils in Teesdale, effectively making all town and parish councillors in the area volunteers.

Barnard Castle Town Council’s clerk, Martin Clark, confirmed that members had decided several years ago not to take an allowance, and even the mayoral allowances had been reduced over the past four years to the point where it is currently zero.