BLAENAU Gwent councillors look set not to take an increase in their allowances.

At a special council meeting on Tuesday, councillors will be asked to vote on whether to accept pay increases following a report from the Assembly’s Independent Remuneration Panel.

The report recommends increasing basic allowances from £13,030 to £13,068 for council members including leader Cllr Des Hillman, deputy leader Cllr John Mason and executive members.

It is also recommended to increase the special responsibility allowances which are used by members to carry out specific duties.

This includes proposing to increase the leader’s special responsibility allowance from £27,679 to £32,360.

The recommendation is calculated based on the earnings of all full-time employees in Wales.

But it is up to individual councils to decide whether to accept the recommendations and a council report is proposing that no increase in allowances for members and co-opted members of the council is accepted.

A council spokeswoman said a reason for this could not be given until after the councillors have voted at the meeting.

Caerphilly councillors are also set to decide on whether to accept increased allowances at a council meeting on Tuesday.

These include the proposal to increase leader Cllr Lindsay Whittle's special responsibility allowance from £34, 597 to £38,139. A council spokesman said no recommendation has been made and it will be left to the councillors to decide in a vote on the day.

The Argus previously reported how both Newport and Monmouth councillors have agreed to a pay freeze due to budget pressures.

Torfaen council has accepted the recommendations of the Independent Remuneration Panel but is now leaving it up to each councillor to decide whether to accept the pay rise or not.