Councillors in Hampshire could see their allowances increase by 2.5 per cent from April 2026.

The proposals would see the county council leader’s income increase by 5.8 per cent, hitting £35,951 per year. The deputy council leader’s allowance would increase to £25,099.

Hampshire County Council’s proposal includes basic and special responsibility allowances, mileage rates, and other allowances such as dependent care.

If approved by the full council in February next year, it will be rolled out starting April 1 for the following four years.

The proposed increase, recommended by the Independent Remuneration Panel (IRP), would set a 2.5 per cent rise in the annual basic allowance for each elected member, totalling £14,399.

At a recent council meeting, Cllr Stephen Philpott said that while officers’ performance can be monitored, there is no “yardstick” for elected members.

Cllr Philpott said: “The thing that is annoying me, but there is nothing we can do about it, is that, while officers do a fantastic job of trying to make sure people are doing their job properly on behalf of Hampshire County Council, there is no corresponding yardstick for elected members apart from turning up in a meeting every six months.

“That’s something I bear in mind from the outset. Members should attend a certain number of meetings, training sessions, and briefings every year — not just one meeting every six months.”

Independent Cllr Andy Tree added that councillors’ performance is difficult to measure and he said that ultimately “the electorate will decide.”

Cllr Tree said: “At the end of the day, officers are employed based on their CVs and based on their qualification and the ability to do their jobs.

“Councillors stand for election with no specific skill sets; they might have skillsets in their area of work, or they might not. How do you judge performance? Is it meeting attendance, contribution or workload? Should you punish your councillor for not being smart as the councillor next to them?

“Obviously, if a councillor doesn’t attend a formal meeting within six months, they will be discharged from council duties and then disqualified, as allowed under the six-month rule.

“Ultimately, the electorate will judge whether I deserve to be a councillor again if I choose to stand. They will decide.”

Over the years, allowances have increased. In 2022, the basic annual allowance was set at £13,523 for each elected member of the county council.

At that time, the leader of the council earned £32,631, while the deputy leader earned £22,842.