COUNCILLORS have voted to increase the annual cash they receive for serving the community by £39 a year.

The basic allowance for councillors serving on South Lakeland District Council is currently £3,880.

But that will rise to £3,919 from April next year - a one per cent increase.

Every year, the council's 51 councillors cost £277,605 in allowances, and then £34,375 in respect of travel and subsistence expenses.

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It makes for an annual total of £311,980, which will rise from the new financial year. Expenses will also rise in line with inflation.

The increases were proposed by the council's Independent Remuneration Panel which consists of five members of the public charged with setting the rate for councillors every year.

The panel includes Michael Duff, a former senior manager and parish councillor; Andrew Hampshire, a former bank manager and member of Cumbria Police Authority, chairman David Holden, a retired solicitor and former parish councillor; Suzanne Pender, a former project manager, and Janice Wilson, a former local government officer and business consultant hose who have worked in both the public and private sector.

The panel said councillors had not received an increase in allowances for the last five years.

It said 19 councillors took part in a consultation on the issue and that by looking at other authorities it found that Wyre Borough Council, which has 55 councillors, pays a basic £4,020 to councillors.

Elsewhere, Eden District Council pays £3,561 to its 38 councillors and North Devon District Council pays its 43 councillors £3,900 each.

Ian Kell, a member of the public from Mealbank, who has campaigned against allowances, urged councillors not to introduce the rise.

He said the authority levied £8 million from the public in council tax every year and that the panel itself had enjoyed an increase of 12 per cent for its role in setting the allowances councillors pay.

Mr Kell said: "You cannot be serious if you even think of taking more for yourselves. Whether you think you are or not worth it, on behalf of the Council Tax payers of South Lakes please don’t do it."

The motion was proposed by the Lib Dems' Cllr Stan Collins, and seconded by Cllr David Williams, leader of the Tories. SLDC said there was one abstention.

Mr Kell said afterwards: "The Independent panel takes £60 a head for themselves and votes their paymasters and appointers £40 a head - all against a background of budget Armageddon."

Cumbria County Council, which has 84 councillors, pays a basic allowance of £8,240 to each of its members, some of which also serve on SLDC.

The Lib Dem-controlled SLDC has 34 Liberal Democrats, 14 Conservative councillors and three Labour members.