COUNCILLORS could be set for a rise, possibly nine times more than they currently earn, if they agree to proposals by an independent commission to overhaul the way they are paid expenses.

Just minutes after members of Hyndburn Council's policy and resources committee agreed a new system to ensure they are never overpaid expenses in error, they were presented with an independent report which suggested they give themselves a huge pay rise.

The Government wants the attendance allowance scheme to be phased out and replaced with an annual wage.

Currently, councillors claim anything between £72 and £3,000 per year, but that could rocket if a report by the Ribble Valley and Hyndburn Independent Commission on Members' Allowances is accepted by councillors.

The commission was set up by the two councils to look into ways of implementing the Government directive.

The report suggested that councillors should have a basic allowance of £3,264 -- based on multiplying an hourly rate for council work by eight hours a week for 48 weeks -- which is up from the current system of a basic annual payment of £327.24 plus around £20 per meeting.

No money will be paid for attending meetings under the new system, but the more important the role held by the councillor, the more they would receive.

Should Coun Peter Britcliffe still be council leader in 2002, when it is proposed the new scheme will be implemented, his 'earnings' from council duties would rise from the £2,616.61 he collected in 1999/2000 -- made up of his basic allowance, leaders' allowance and attendance allowance -- to £16,320 on top of the new basic allowance. Members of the cabinet would also collect more pay, with members receiving £9,792 for being in the elite.

The leader of the opposition would receive £8,160, while committee chairmen would get £6,528.

Two options have been presented by the commission, whose members include the Very Rev David Frayne, the Dean of Blackburn.

Option 'B,' the cheaper of the two would see councillors collecting a basic allowance of just £1,420 plus extra for additional responsibilities. The council leader would receive £7,100, still nearly four times more than the amount taken home by the current council leader this year.

However, the commission has recommended Option 'A' be taken on board.

Council leader Peter Britcliffe said: "We envisage to adopt a new system in April 2002 in line with what the Government is asking of us.

"At the same time, the number of councillors will be reduced from 47 to 35 so remaining councillors will see their workload increase considerably. No decision has been taken yet."

Leader of the Labour group, Ian Ormerod, said: "It is important the public feel they are getting value for money from their councillors."