COUNCILLORS in Burnley have decided not to take a ‘pay rise’ as the borough wrestles with devastating cuts.

An independent panel, which considers the borough councillors’ allowance scheme annually, has remarked how members remittance is among the lowest in the North West.

While Burnley councillors are paid a basic allowance of £2,700, their counterparts in Pendle get £3,000, Rossendale’s receive £3,342 and unitary councillors in Blackburn pocket £5,992.

Panel spokesman Graham Knott said this would be the fourth year in which no increase had been made to the basic allowance.

Councillors voted to keep the overall allowances bill at £184,536, a slight decrease on the figure of £189,268 for 2010-11.

Independent councillor John Jones made an unsuccessful bid to lower the mileage rate to 40p, from the current levels of 46 to 65p.