COUNCILLORS should have more than £700 cut from their allowances if they fail to show up for training and meetings, a panel has recommended.

In a set of proposals for the 2019/20 year, the board advised that all 48 Oxford city councillors are given £5,079 for their time and work, with others entitled to more if they hold special positions.

But it said 15 per cent of that total should be docked if councillors fail to attend at least four meetings in a municipal year – unless they have a medical reason for their absences.

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They could also face losing £761.85 in allowances if they are a newly-elected councillor and fail to attend induction training.

The panel was made up of lawyer Prisca Bradley, Oxford Brookes University vice-chancellor Alistair Fitt and Oxfordshire Community and Voluntary Action chief executive Kathy Shaw.

The trio said their work had concluded the allowances should be ‘set at a level to encourage access by all’ and the totals would be ‘fair and transparent’ and ‘be affordable’.

They added: “Allowances should not be designed to enrich councillors, but neither should the level of allowances prohibit individuals from considering standing for election.”

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The recommendations are likely to be passed by councillors at a meeting next Monday.

Under the proposals, the leader of the council – currently Susan Brown – would be entitled to three times the basic allowance, or £15,237 a year, on top of the basic allowance.

The council’s deputy leaders, Lord Mayor and chairperson of its scrutiny committee would be entitled to another £5,079 on top of their basic allowance too.

The council’s deputy leaders are currently Linda Smith and Ed Turner, the Lord Mayor is Colin Cook and the chairman of its scrutiny committee is the leader of the Liberal Democrat group, Andrew Gant.

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The recommendations would last until March 31, 2023.

The panel said it worked to look at fair allowances by studying comparative city councils in Cambridge, Exeter and Norwich.

Of all city and district councils in Oxfordshire, during 2017/18 the city council paid the highest basic allowance – £4,955.04.

West Oxfordshire paid the second highest total with £4,749.96. South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse paid £4,633; Cherwell paid the lowest at £4,200.