Anger as Northumberland County Council stops refunding councillors’ expenses for holding surgeries

Surgeries allow residents to meet their local councillor, raise concerns, ask questions and receive advice.

The most common expense for members is room hire. While the council allows councillors to utilise council properties free of charge, not all wards have a suitable location.

There is also anger that the decision has been taken without consulting councillors. An email sent to all members, seen by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, stated that the decision had been taken by the council’s monitoring officer – the head of the legal department.

Independent councillor Georgina Hill said: “It is just part and parcel of the rights and interests of members being eroded. We have had decrees about where we sit in the chamber, we can’t communicate directly with officers, there is no members’ only room, we don’t get hard copies of council reports.

“Now, we have to pay for our own surgeries The council is increasingly officer led.

“There aren’t any council buildings in my ward. It is council business and part of a councillor’s democratic duty.

“Not all councillors have access to council buildings and councillors have different personal resources. It should be fair enough when it is in reason.

“It makes it harder to do our job.”

The Reform UK opposition group on the council was also unhappy with the decision.

Speaking on behalf of the group, Coun Ben Audsley said: “Public surgeries are essential for linking local elected officials to their community, allowing councillors to hear local people’s concerns and issues.

“They are particularly important for constituents who, for one reason or another, do not have access to the internet or social media to keep in touch with their local representative. While the county council does allow the use of its own buildings free of charge, many wards do not have access to such facilities.

“As a result, councillors are forced to pay out of pocket to secure appropriate venues with the necessary safety features. Councillors who cannot afford secure venues may feel pressured to hold meetings in unsuitable locations.

However, Labour leader Coun Scott Dickinson said: “Members receive an allowance to support them in carrying out their duties and to cover genuine out-of-pocket expenses. Where NCC venues are available, they should be used as these remain free of charge.

“In cases where they are not available, modest contributions towards community venues, such as a small fee for a Church Hall often only £10, are reasonable and in line with the allowance’s purpose.

“What is not acceptable is the misuse of public money on unnecessarily expensive venues or facilities. If services are being asked to contribute to cuts, then members’ budgets must also reflect that reality.”

Responding to the criticism, a Northumberland County Council spokeswoman said: “There have been a very small number of elected members who have preferred to use a private venue and on an ad hoc basis the cost of this has been paid for by the council.

“However, this is public money and we want to work efficiently, so we will continue to encourage the use of council-owned venues which are available to county councillors free of charge.”