Bolton Council's allowances for councillors could change dependent on the outcome of a review.

All members received an email from borough solicitor Helen Gorman earlier this month to announce the action and to ask for their comments on the situation.

Currently, all councillors receive an allowance of £11,664 a year, or around £1,000 a month.

And some councillors receive another allowance called a Special Responsibility Allowance.

This ranges from around £31,200 for leader Martyn Cox and around £18,800 for deputy leader Hilary Fairclough to a lesser amount for members in roles like the chairs of committees.

But this could change dependent on the outcome of a review led by Dr Declan Hall, once an academic at the Institute of Local Government, now an expert in allowances for councillors.

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Dr Hall is to collect the evidence including comments from members and interviews with members, then to present this evidence to an Independent Remuneration Panel (IRP) consisting of Revd Canon Chris Bracegirdle, Margaret Blenkinsop and Paul Howard.

They will make recommendations to the council, which will need approval later this year, according to the email from Ms Gorman seen by The Bolton News.

It reads: "There are no right or wrong answers to the questions. The IRP is asking for views. 

"You may not have views on all issues raised or simply consider there is no need for change."

Unlike MPs, whose remuneration is set by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority with no input from them, councillors are able to refuse the recommendations of the IRP.

They receive expenses for subsistence and travel, as well as for the cost of care of children and dependents, in an attempt to make sure the role is not limited to those with the time and money to do so like the retired and the rich. These expenses are also under consideration.

Here is a list of Bolton Council's allowances for councillors:

All Councillors - £11,644
Leader of the Council - £31,294
Deputy Leader of the Council - £18,775
Cabinet Members (x 8) - £7,140
Planning Chair - £8,177
Planning Vice-Chair - £2,813
Licensing Chair - £7,740
Licensing Vice-Chair - £2,521
Scrutiny Chairs (x 4) - £5,100
Majority Opposition Leader - £10,555
Majority Opposition Deputy Leader - £6,333
Minority Opposition Leader - £2,940

This article was written by Jack Tooth. To contact him, email jack.tooth@newsquest.co.uk or follow @JTRTooth on Twitter.