A new panel to judge how much councillors receive in allowances will be formed this week.

Shropshire Council said it will sign off the new independent remuneration panel at a meeting of full council on Thursday.

The previous panel all resigned in February 2018 after its recommendations were not adopted and the council said it had “little success” in recruiting new panel members until now.

The new panel will be made up of Stephen Donkersley, Richard Garnett and Tim Griffiths.

The panel will decide how much money councillors will get – it currently stands at £11,584 for a basic councillor and an extra £8,655.75 for roles such as speaker, chairman and their deputies.

The leader role, currently held by Councillor Peter Nutting, pays £23,028. 

Claire Porter, head of legal and democratic services at the authority, says in her report to full council: “Shropshire Council is required to appoint an Independent Remuneration Panel of at least three members to produce a report making recommendations in respect of Members Allowances.

“Following consideration by council of the recommendations of the Independent Remuneration Panel in February 2018, all members of the Panel resigned.

“Efforts have been ongoing to recruit new members with little success until now.

“Panel members from neighbouring authorities have been approached and Richard Garnett, from Herefordshire County Council, agreed to help. 

“The two independent persons appointed by Shropshire Council under the Localism Act 2011, Stephen Donkersley and Tim Griffiths have also agreed to assist.”

The previous panel had recommended that the basic councillor allowance should stay the same, but that the chairman and speaker special allowance be reduced from £8,655.75 to £5,757.

It also recommended a pay increase for the leader to £28,785, but this was voted down after Councillor Nutting said he did not want the increase and recommended it goes to other levels of councillor instead.

Following the refusal, the panel all resigned.