Dave Comeau

A COUNCILLOR received more than £1,100 for attending one meeting that lasted just two hours and 23 minutes.

Crawley Borough Council members are paid a one-off flat rate to chair scrutiny panels – working groups that look at particular local issues.

But the parking enforcement scrutiny panel, established to address the problem of inconsiderate parking in the town, only ever met once – on November 25 – before being wound up.

Despite this, Jennifer Millar-Smith still received £1,133, as the allowance for scrutiny panel chairs is paid regardless of how many meetings they attend or how many panels they chair.

There is no suggestion the Conservative councillor for Maidenbower has done anything wrong by claiming the money.

But the council's leader has admitted such payments may need to be reviewed.

And Robert Oxley, campaign manager for the TaxPayers' Alliance, has labelled the payment "over-generous".

When asked if the council should review the system, Mrs Millar-Smith said: "All allowances are set by an independent panel and they clearly deem them to be appropriate.

"But I suppose there could be a case for reviewing them. Some panels will have a lot of meetings while others will have just one or two.

"The problem is that if you start an expectation that councillors are paid per meeting rather than a flat rate, I think there is a risk of creating unnecessary meetings to fulfil a sense of busy work."

Cllr Millar-Smith added that chairs also had responsibilities outside of the meetings, working with cabinet members and council officers before and after any panel meeting.

But the News understands the work required on this occasion would have been minimal.

Because of the way the system works, council leader Bob Lanzer said other councillors could be receiving less money than their work warrants.

He explained: "If a councillor chairs several scrutiny panels, they still receive just one payment so it works both ways. But it may be right to review the payments which are made.

"Jennifer is a hard working councillor and she was extremely efficient with this panel in getting the work done.

"I defend the rights of all councillors to make appropriate claims to which they are entitled. But I would be equally happy for the independent panel to look at those payments when they do the rounds again."

Mr Oxley said that such payments were over-the-top at a time when councils are making cuts and savings.

He added: "Allowances for chairing committees are meant to cover the extra costs incurred by a councillor taking on additional responsibilities.

"They shouldn't be treated as an easy way to top up a local politician's income.

"Councillors should look at cutting poorly administered allowances when there is little justification for their continued payment."