BCP Council is proposing a 2.8 per cent rise in councillor allowances from May as part of its 2026 and 2027 budget plans.
The increase will be discussed at the Annual Council meeting on 12 May. The Members’ Allowance Scheme had been due to be agreed in December 2024 but was deferred by full council until the wider pay and reward scheme was finalised.
Both the allowance scheme and the pay and reward proposals were approved by cabinet in July 2025. In 2025 and 2026, all 76 councillors received a basic allowance of £15,109. They can also claim reimbursement for travel, subsistence and carers’ allowance expenses.
Additional Special Responsibility Allowances are paid to the Council Leader, Cabinet Members, Lead Members, the Chair and Vice Chair of the Council, selected committee chairs and vice chairs, and leaders of political groups with more than five members.
Budget papers show that in December 2025, trade unions submitted a pay claim for 2026 and 2027 seeking at least £3,000 more for staff or a 10 per cent increase, whichever is higher, alongside other changes.
The proposed total budget for member allowances next year is £2.1 million.
Share us with your friends on social media, and have a listen to Bournemouth One online and on DAB for all your local news, traffic, jobs, weather, coastal info and more.
Register below for free regular updates via email.