THE Vale of Glamorgan Council’s annual breakdown of members’ allowance and expense claims for the financial year 2015-2016, has been published.

The local authority says the total was £125,000 lower than the 2012 figure. The basic allowance for the majority of councillors was £13,299.96.

The most recent members’ allowances show that the Vale council leader, Cllr Neil Moore, was awarded £48,000 in total, with £13,299.96 of that sum being his basic allowance and £34,700.04 a senior/civic allowance, covering his particular responsibilities. He claimed no expenses.

Deputy leader Cllr Stuart Egan was handed £33,500.04, with £13,299.96 a basic allowance, and £20,200.08 a senior/civic allowance. He also claimed no expenses.

Tory opposition leader Cllr John Thomas received a £8,700 senior/civic allowance on top of his £13,299.96 basic allowance, taking his total award to £21,999.96.

Plaid Cymru minority group opposition group leader Cllr Chris Franks claimed his £13,299.96 basic allowance with £3,700.08 as his senior/civic allowance, giving a total of £17,000.04.

Independent group leader Bob Penrose claimed his £13,299.96 basic allowance with £3,700.08 as his senior/civic allowance. Cllr Penrose was the only senior councillor to also claim expenses – totalling £150.30 – which gave him a total of £17,150.34.

Cllr Anthony Bennett’s allowance was slightly higher as it included his allowance for a short period after he was elected in the previous term. He was elected with just a little more than a week of the 2014/15 year left and received his payment for this in 2015/16.

The payments to Cllr’s Kevin Mahoney and Gwyn John are lower than others as both declined to take the last increase in the basic allowance.

Council leader Moore said: “The total cost of members’ allowances for the Vale of Glamorgan Council for the last financial year was nearly £125,000 less than in 2012.

“The basic allowance paid to councillors is set by an independent remuneration panel. However, as leader of the council I have taken steps to significantly reduce the cost of politics in the Vale. In 2012 I reduced the number of cabinet posts from 10 to seven, then to six in 2015, and now down to five earlier this year. These steps have resulted in six figure savings for the Vale each year.

“Further to this my cabinet colleagues and I have made a commitment not to claim any of the additional expenses to which we are entitled.”

Read the full breakdown of councillor's expenses: