Councillors have decided against giving themselves a 14 per cent pay rise, because of the authority’s ‘financial difficulties’.

At the latest North Somerset Council meeting, members voted on whether to increase their £8,193-a-year basic allowance.

Every member gets the allowance and councillors with extra responsibilities – such as chairing a committee – get more money.

Every four years, an independent panel reviews these allowances and recommend any changes.

The panel suggested a 14 per cent increase to £9,332 per member – which would have cost the authority £55,000 a year.

This is because there are fewer councillors, so the panel suggests every councillor now spends 24.5 hours a week on their duties.

But councillors rejected the rise – because the authority is trying to save cash by reviewing services and has increased council tax demands by 3.75 per cent this year.

Instead, councillors voted to stick to the current system, where council allowances increase at the same rate as staff wages, by one per cent – or £82 – a year.

Council leader Nigel Ashton said: “I am sure there are arguments on both sides but I think, at a time when we are going through financial difficulties, we have got no right to give ourselves a pay increase.”

But some councillors disagreed and suggested raising the allowance could encourage more young people into politics.

Clevedon councillor Chris Blades said: “It is difficult to get a cross-section of people to stand for office. I think that is a shame.

“It is easy to say it is an honorary role but if you want a cross-section it has got to be paid for somehow.”

And Portishead councillor Peter Burden said: “I think it is our duty to agree with the panel – whether people agree to take the pay increase is up to them.”

In total, 24 out of the 40 councillors voted against accepting the panel’s recommendation.