MEMBERS of Hyndburn Council have accepted a recommendation to have their allowances increased in line with inflation.
An independent remuneration panel, whose members included a local businessman and retired headteacher, recommended that the level of basic and special responsibility allowances for the financial year 2004/05 should be increased by 3.8 per cent.
It means the basic allowance will rise from £3,100 to £3,218 and council leader Peter Britcliffe will receive around £16,000 in the next financial year, taking into account his special responsibilities.
The allowances are paid to councillors for the time they spend preparing and carrying out their duties on council bodies.
Councillor Malcolm Pritchard told the council he did not believe councillors should be paid expenses and he abstained from the vote.
Speaking after the meeting he said: "People choose to be councillors and I do not think that the town should pay for them."
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