Minister outlines councillor severance proposals

Members of the public were today invited to give their views on proposed severance arrangements for long serving district councillors.

The consultation paper sets out options for a severance package for councillors who stand down from local government after years of service.

Two methods of calculating the award are proposed:

Severance could be calculated at a set amount per year, with a possible maximum period of qualifying service. The examples given are £1,000 per year up to a maximum qualifying period of either 36 years service (setting a cap of £36,000) or up to a maximum period of 25 years service (£25,000) or a maximum period of 20 years service (£20,000).

The level of the award could be determined under a banding system. The example given is councillors who have served between eight and 10 years would receive £10,000, councillors who have served more than 10 years but under 15 years would be awarded £15,000 and councillors who have spent more than 15 years in local government would receive £20,000.

As he launched an eight week consultation on the arrangements, Environment Minister Sammy Wilson said: “Under the Review of Public Administration, the Executive has proposed severance arrangements as a way of recognising the contribution long serving councillors who choose to stand down, have made to their local area and to Northern Ireland as a whole.

“The consultation document puts forward a number of options for possible severance arrangements, including the calculation of the amount of money that could be paid to an individual councillor, the timing of any scheme and how the associated costs should be met.

“Consultation on severance arrangements for district councillors is one of the preliminary steps for the reorganisation of local government in 2011. Local government plays an important part in the lives of everyone in Northern Ireland and I would encourage people to take part in this consultation.”

The consultation paper also asks if:

The scheme should be introduced in January 2010 to enable a new crop of councillors to gain one year’s experience before the reorganisation of local government; Severance should be introduced in January 2011 to enable long serving councillors to stand down before reorganisation without the need for co-options or by-elections; The scheme should be introduced at the end of the local government term in 2011; Councillors who are MLAs, MPs, Members of the House of Lords and MEPs should be deemed ineligible for severance; Next of kin should receive a severance award if a councillor who applied dies before it is made; Councillors who receive severance but then return to local government should be required to repay it in full; Central or local government should meet the costs of any scheme.

Notes to Editors:

1. Under the review of public administration, the number of district councils in Northern Ireland will be reduced from 26 to 11 and the number of councillors will be cut from 582 to around 460.

2. Environment Minister Sammy Wilson published a consultation document, “Severance Arrangements for Councillors” on 6 April 2009. Consultation closes on 31 May 2009.

3. This consultation document is available to view at:

4. Hard copies and copies of the document in alternative formats can be made available on request from the Local Government Policy Division by telephone 028 9025 6093, by text phone 028 9054 0642, by fax 028 92025 6080 or in writing to Marie Cochrane, Local Government Policy Division, Department of Environment, Goodwood House, 44-58 May street, Belfast BT1 4NN.

5. For media enquiries please contact DOE Press Office 028 9054 0014 or out of office hours, contact the EIS Duty Press Officer on pager 07699 715 440 and your call will be returned