A pay rise of more than £900 a year is likely to be turned down – by members of Swale council.

They had been expected to take the increase from April this year.

But council leader Andrew Bowles (Con) said it would not be “right and proper” at a time when staff had not been rewarded and the people of the borough were struggling.

A recommendation to up Swale members’ basic allowances from £3,343 to £4,289 is due be discussed by the full council at a meeting on Wednesday.

Swale is looking to make savings of £5 million in the next three years and a series of sweeping cuts, including redundancies and restructuring of certain departments, have already been considered.

However, a review of members’ allowances carried out by the Independent Remuneration Panel recommended that allowances be bumped up.

Since the panel was set up, Cllr Bowles said councillors had normally accepted its recommendations, but would not be doing so this year.

He said: “We will thank the panel for their deliberation, and understand where they are coming from, and we accept some

councillors are out of pocket for their services, but we will say thank you but no thank you.”

On top of an increased basic allowance, Cllr Bowles would have been in line for a further £1,167 pay increase - his leader’s allowance going up from £11,700 a year to £12,867 - while executive members and the chairmen of four committees (planning, scrutiny, audit and standards) could have been better off to the tune of between £1,287 and £350 a year.

It was also recommended that party group leaders’ allowances should drop from £5,850 to either £3,860 or £3,217 depending on the number of councillors in their group.

Cllr Bowles said leaders’ allowances would still be reduced, but other recommendations including an increased IT allowance and introducing childcare costs would also be thrown out.

A plan to reduce mileage claim rates would also be turned down.

The full council meeting will be held in the Council Chamber, Swale House, East Street, Sittingbourne, on Wednesday, February 24, at 7pm.