COUNCILLORS on South Lakeland District Council (SLDC) will see their basic allowance rise by one per cent in 2016/2017.

The Independent Remuneration Panel (IRP), which is made up of five members of the public, recommended the £39 rise from £3,919 to £3,958.

It was approved overwhelmingly by the authority's full council - by members of the Liberal Democrats, Conservatives and Labour parties.

The rate also rose last year by one per cent - the first time in the last six years.

Cllr Peter Thornton, the Liberal Democrat leader of the authority, said: "Traditionally over the years in all my time in the council we have always accepted the IRP's view.

"We could either set our own allowances or allow someone else to do it for us.

"We could have rejected their advice and not had the rise but we also could have done that when they recommended not giving us a rise and gave ourselves one - which we did not."

The allowance is payment for time spent reading papers, attending meetings and case work for constituents.

Cllr David Williams, leader of the Conservative Party on SLDC and member for Windermere Bowness South, said: "The amount of work that councillors are doing since I first came on to the council nine years ago has increased massively, so I welcome the rise.

"A lot of councillors have done a lot of work over the Christmas period to help people with flooding problems."

Cllr Mark Wilson, leader of the Labour Party, from Ulverston East, said the money was a 'nod towards the councillors' public service', adding: "We don't go into it to be able to put our first million in our banks, we are doing it to serve the community and this is a reward for that commitment."

A report presented to councillors by the IRP said it had given consideration to the current economic conditions for local authorities, the recent pay settlements for SLDC employees and the fact that councillors had only received one increase in the last six years - leading to a 'significant erosion' of the value of the basic allowance in real terms.

The IRP also recommended there should be no change to special responsibility allowances and for travel expenses to remain at 45p per mile.

If the projected £12.5m budget from the SLDC's medium term financial plan is used then the £311,120 cost will work out at 2.48 per cent of the total budget.

The report said that within similar authorities there was a range of 0.72 per cent to 3.17 per cent for their proportion of the overall budget - with an average of 2.12 per cent.

The IRP is made up of Michael Duff, a former senior manager in high tech and communications companies; Sally Parnaby, a former NHS Board Director, retired solicitor David Holden, Suzanne Pender, a project manager in the energy sector and Janice Wilson, a human resources professional.