As part of measures to save money Stoke-on-Trent City Council have decided to scrap an allowance given to councillors.

The cash-strapped city council are currently consulting on a range of measures to improve finances. 

As part of a range of measures the broadband allowance given to councillors will be axed. Currently each councillor is awarded £100 a year to cover broadband costs. The move is expected to save £4,000 annually.

Councillor Laura Carter (Lab) said: "Something so simple as removing the broadband allowance, why has it not been looked at before. Is there a reason." While Councillor Glen Watson (Lab) said he was "surprised" when he discovered the broadband allowance. 

Currently, each councillor is awarded £100 a year to cover broadband costs (Nub News).

Currently the council has managed to find savings and additional income of £15.5 million but still needs support from the government to balance the budget. However the budget book produced by the council says that councillors are not paid too much.

A council officer said that the allowance was introduced as part of cost saving measures. The officer said: "Part of the reason for that is it goes back to a £17,000 cost saving in 2017 which was the service of agendas by electronic means.

"There is a line in the legislation that says 'served at your home address' and of course if we didn't provide it at that time people could say 'well I don't have to have that you could send it by post' and it would just be more expensive. Now people have broadband in that way it's an opportune time to get our house in order."

Currently councillors receive an annual allowance of £12,000 which aims to cover the costs of carrying out the role. The members allowance hasn't been increased since 2012.

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READ MORE: Plans for new flats on vacant land in Stoke-on-Trent rejected by council

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