Mileage to be had in council expenses

8:59am Friday 31st August 2012 in News By Laura Shack

COTSWOLD district councillors are cashing in on inflated travel expenses set above the recommended rate.

A Freedom of Information request by the Standard has revealed that CDC councillors and officers can claim 49.3p per mile for private cars at an uncapped amount.

It has meant over the last financial year, CDC paid out more than £133,000 from taxpayers money in mileage expenses.

The council's mileage rate exceeds the recommendations of HM Revenue and Customs of 45p per mile for cars and vans up to 10,000 miles and 25p per mile thereafter.

Eco-conscious CDC councillors who choose to cycle to their meetings benefit from the same 49.3p per mile rate, which is nearly 30p higher than the 20p rate recommended by HMRC.

CDC’s allowances compare poorly with neighbouring West Oxfordshire District Council, which follows HMRC's suggested rate of 45p per mile for vehicles and a lower amount of 14.9p per mile for bicycles.

Independent CDC councillor Mark Wardle (Ind, Fairford) said it was a disgrace. Cllr Wardle, who was elected in May 2011, chose not to claim any allowances including his basic allowance for the financial year of April 2011 to March 2012.

Several councillors joined Cllr Wardle in not making a claim for travel expenses, but in some cases councillors’ claims exceeded £1,000.

Cllr Wardle said: "There was supposed to be a review into expenses but there wasn’t one. The mileage rates are in excess of what is recommended and I don’t think that’s right."

CDC spokesman Peter Burton said the council's mileage rate was based on AA recommendations, which nationally were 65p per mile for engine sizes over 1200cc. Mr Burton said: "The scheme is currently being updated in consultation with the local union reps and non union reps to reflect the changes in the cost of running a vehicle since our rate was last reviewed."

The last review in February, 2011, left the mileage rate unchanged.

To view a full table of councillors’ expenses click here .

Comments(6)

Council Taxpayer says...
10:40am Fri 31 Aug 12

Brilliant work by the Standard using the even more brilliant Freedom of Information Act.
I agree with Cllr Wardle that this is a disgrace, especially at a time when the rest of society is feeling the pinch.
How can the Tory administration at CDC justify this sort of conduct when they have spent the last couple of years clobbering other motorists with huge hikes in parking charges?
It is interesting that staff and councillors enjoy free parking at CDC's Trinity Road HQ.
It is high time we derailed the gravy train with substantial cuts in councillors expenses.

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Crispin Mount says...
6:49pm Fri 31 Aug 12

Perhaps those Tory Cabinet Members who are claiming more than £1,000pa in fuel allowances could pass a unanimous motion to either cap the amount, or reduce the indulgent rate, or get their gaz guzzling vehicles serviced to be more efficient.

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The World According To says...
11:01pm Sun 2 Sep 12

The mileage rate may seem in the eyes of Crispin Mount as indulgent but does not cover the actual cost of the travelling, don't get tunnel vision that the only cost is fuel, there is depreciation, servicing and insurance (which has to have business use declared on it).
Most people are actually out of pocket at 49.3p per mile, been there, done it, got the T-shirt

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Olly Cromwell says...
7:36am Mon 3 Sep 12

The rate being claimed by the Tory Council is 10% higher than the HMRC rate set by Tory George Osborne. It's one for the Daily Mail.

Snouts in the trough.

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Unlikely Moniker says...
1:47pm Tue 4 Sep 12

I wouldn't weep at the idea that councillors are being left out of pocket by these rates. The AA's 2012 rate for ALL the costs (including depreciation, insurance, fuel, tyres, etc.) of a £16,000 diesel car covering 15,000 miles a year is 38.2 pence per mile.

In any case, CDC pays 49.3p for bicycle journeys, so the rate clearly is not intended to relate to actual ownership or running costs.

A question for CDC. Employees get the same rate. Do some of them also get an annual lump sum - say £1,200 - if the council determines that driving is a necessary part of their role?

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JGH says...
5:21pm Tue 4 Sep 12

Some staff of crown or local authorities are/were paid mileage based on the use of their vehicles, those that use them as and when are deemed 'casual' the others are 'essential' users. I'm going back a few years but casual users were given something above what was known as the PSV (public service vehicle) rate, those essential users did receive a lump sum and higher rate up to a specified mileage, the other benefit was the opportunity of a 'cheap' rate loan from the authority concerned that was way below that of HP or bank rates to purchase the vehicle.
Nice work if you could get it.

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