Issue - meetings

To receive a report from the Chief Executive.

The Chairman invited Cllr Ashley O’Neill, Cabinet Member for Governance, IT, Broadband, Digital, and Staffing, to present the report set out in the Summons which provided an update on the pay policy statement for 2025/26.

The proposals set out in the report were moved by Cllr O’Neill and seconded by Cllr Stuart Wheeler, Chairman of the Staffing Policy Committee.

There were no comments from group leaders, or any further debate.

It was therefore,

Resolved:

That Council approve the updated pay policy statement set out in Appendix 1 ready for publication on the Wiltshire Council website.

In accordance with the constitution there was a recorded vote.

Votes for the motion (76)

Votes against the motion (0)

Votes in abstention (0)

Details of the recorded vote are attached to these minutes.

To receive an updated Pay Policy Statement for the financial year 2025/26 for approval prior to agreement by Council and publication on the website.

Tamsin Kielb, Director of HR & OD, introduced the report which presented an updated Pay Policy Statement for the financial year 2025-26 for approval by the Committee prior to agreement by Council and publication on the website.

During the discussion, points included:

• It was highlighted that there were minimal changes to the Pay Policy Statement for 2025-26, with the main updates listed in Paragraphs 4 to 6 of the report.
• Paragraph 84 of the Pay Policy Statement was raised, and it was explained that the guidelines aligned with the Hutton Review of Fair Pay in the public sector (2011) which considered the case for a fixed limit on pay dispersion in the public sector, and a ban on managers earning more than 20 times the pay of the lowest paid person in their organisation. It was further explained that the ratio for highest to lowest paid had decreased slightly as a result of the appointment of the new Chief Executive who was at a different pay point to that of the previous Chief Executive due to the recency of the appointment.

Following which, it was:

Resolved:

The Committee approved the updated Pay Policy Statement for 2025-26 to be presented at Full Council for approval on 25 February 2025.