Duties and Allowances - Councillors and Senior Managers
The Council
North Hertfordshire District Council is run by Councillors who are elected by the local community. Councillors are responsible for making decisions on behalf of the local community about local services and budgets, such as Council Tax. Each Councillor represents a specific area and serves for a period of four years. The work of a Councillor may include holding surgeries to help local people, supporting local organisations, campaigning on local issues, and developing links with all parts of the community.
Councillors are not paid a salary or wages, but they are entitled to allowances and expenses 
to cover some of the costs of carrying out their public duties. All Councillors abide by a code of conduct, part of which requires them to declare any financial interests, gifts, or hospitality that could influence any decisions they make.
Council and Democracy
Organisation Structure Chart (56 KB) 
Member and Committee Information
The Leader
The Leader of the Council is Councillor Mrs Lynda Needham. The post of the Leader is elected by all members of the Council at annual Council meetings. The Leader chairs all meetings of the Council’s Cabinet (see below) and leads on policy development and implementation.
The Cabinet
The Cabinet is an executive group responsible for the overall business of the Council. The Cabinet comprises the Leader of the Council, who is the Chairman, and 7 other members appointed by the Council. Each of the members of the Cabinet has a defined portfolio of responsibilities.
- Deputy Leader of the Council and Portfolio Holder for Finance: Councillor Terry Hone
- Portfolio Holder for Policy: Councillor Claire Strong
- Portfolio Holder for Planning, Transport & Enterprise: Councillor Tom Brindley
- Portfolio Holder for Community Engagement & Rural Affairs: Councillor Tricia Cowley
- Portfolio Holder for Housing & Environmental Health: Councillor Bernard Lovewell
- Portfolio Holder for Leisure: Councillor Ian Knighton
- Portfolio Holder for Waste, Recycling & Environment: Councillor Peter Burt
The decisions of the Cabinet are subject to scrutiny by a different group of Councillors, who meet in overview and scrutiny committees to check and monitor what the Cabinet does. In North Hertfordshire these are the Overview & Scrutiny Committee, Partnerships Scrutiny Sub-Committee, and Finance & Performance Scrutiny Sub-Committee.
Council Staff
Whilst the elected Councillors provide the policies, paid employees (Council Officers) put them into practice. The Council employs approximately 367 staff - full time equivalent of 316 (budget estimates for 2013/14) and also provides many services via contractors, voluntary, and other organisations.
Chief Executive
The Chief Executive is David Scholes, who was appointed in March 2012. The Chief Executive is the senior officer who leads and takes responsibility for the work of the paid staff of the Council. The role of Chief Executive is a full time appointment. Post holders are selected on merit against objective criteria. They are appointed by the whole Council. As head of the paid service, the Chief Executive works closely with elected Councillors to deliver:
Leadership: working with elected Councillors to ensure strong and visible leadership and direction, encouraging and enabling managers to motivate and inspire their teams
Strategic Direction: ensuring all staff understand and adhere to the strategic aims of the organisation and follow the direction set by the elected Councillors
Policy Advice: acting as the principal policy adviser to the elected members of the Council to lead the development of workable strategies which will deliver the political objectives set by the Councillors
Partnerships: leading and developing strong partnerships across the local community to achieve improved outcomes and better public services for local people
Operational Management: overseeing financial and performance management, risk management, people management and change management within the Council.
The Chief Executive is also responsible for the following service areas:
Development & Building Control: Building Control, Compliance and Monitoring, Planning Control & Conservation, Quality, Technical Support.
Housing & Public Protection: Careline, Community Safety, Commercial Team Environmental Health, Development & Renewal, Environmental Protection, Housing Needs, Licensing & Enforcement, Strategy.
Corporate Strategic Planning & Enterprise: Economic Development, Local Development Framework, Parking Strategy, Projects, Regional & Strategic Planning.
Strategic Director
The Council’s Strategic Directors are responsible for managing the activities of the Council staff and for advising Councillors on the potential implications of political decisions.
John Robinson – Strategic Director Customer Services |
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Norma Atlay - Strategic Director Finance, Policy & Governance |
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By law, senior Council staff are not allowed to participate in any party political activity and are expected to advise and assist all Councillors irrespective of their political affiliation. They are appointed by the whole Council.
Remuneration of Senior Management Team
2013/14 Pay Policy Statement
Local Authorities are required by section 38 of the Localism Act to prepare a Pay Policy Statement. Below is the annual annual Pay Policy Statement for the financial year 2013/14 and related items referred from Cabinet. The statement outlines our current policy in a format required by the Act relating to the pay of staff, particularly senior staff and the lowest paid employees.
Items Referred from Cabinet - 26 MARCH 2013 - PAY POLICY STATEMENT 2013/14
The table below provides information about the remuneration of the Chief Executive and Strategic Directors. It also provides information about any additional payments they receive, such as payment for running local elections and car allowances. All managerial staff are subject to annual appraisal, and progression on the scale only happens if satisfactory progress is evidenced.
Name |
Position |
Salary* |
Additional Payments* |
| David Scholes | Chief Executive |
(Range: £102,897 – 113,205) Actual £107,051 |
Car Allowance - £4,000 pa Returning Officer Fees - £6571.84 for 2012 |
| John Robinson | Strategic Director Customer Services |
(Range: £70,827 -83,337) Actual £83,337 |
Car Allowance - £4,000 pa |
| Norma Atlay | Strategic Director Finance, Policy & Governance |
(Range: £70,827 -83,337) Actual £83,337 |
Car Allowance - £4,000 pa |
[* Financial Year 2013/14]
The table below provides information about the remuneration of the Heads of Service and Corporate Managers who earn above £58,200 pa.
Job Title |
Salary |
Additional Payments |
| Head of Leisure & Environmental Services |
(Range £49,484 -58,215) Actual £58,215 |
Car Allowance - £3,500 pa |
| Corporate Human Resources Manager |
(Range £42,797 - £50,348) Actual £50,348 |
Car Allowance - £3,500 pa |
| Head of Housing & Public Protection Services |
(Range £49,484 -58,215) Actual £58,215 |
Car Allowance - £3,500 pa + Additional Resp - £5,044.80 |
| Head of Policy, Partnerships & Community Development |
(Range £49,484 -58,215) Actual £58,215 |
Car Allowance - £3,500 pa |
| Head of Revenues & Benefits |
(Range £49,484 -58,215) Actual £58,215 |
Car Allowance - £3,500 pa |
| Head of Finance, Performance & Asset Management |
(Range £49,484 -58,215) Actual £58,215 |
Car Allowance - £3,500 pa |
| Head of Development & Building Control |
(Range £49,484 -58,215) Actual £56,469 |
Car Allowance - £3,500 pa + Additional Resp - £9,662 |
[* Financial Year 2013/14]
Pension
The Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) covers Council employees and some Councillors. The LGPS is a contributory scheme; employees contribute 5.5%-7.5% of their own salaries to the scheme. Employers' contributions to the LGPS vary depending upon how much is needed to ensure benefits under the Scheme are properly funded, and are set independently.
These are the banding scales, based on a Full time Salary equivalent. They are index linked and include basic salary and any pensionable payments to which staff are contractually entitled.
Earnings Contribution
| £0 - £13,700 | 5.5% |
| £13,701 - £16,100 | 5.8% |
| £16,101 - £20,800 | 5.9% |
| £20,801 - £34,700 | 6.5% |
| £34,701 - £46,500 | 6.8% |
| £46,501 - £87,100 | 7.2% |
| Over £87,100 | 7.5% |
The rules governing the pension scheme are contained in regulations made by Parliament. Further information about the scheme can be found on Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
