Councillors in Swindon will not be receiving a proposed increased in their allowances this year.

Members of the authority voted unanimously against accepting the recommendation of the council’s independent remuneration committee to increase the allowances by 6.5 per cent – which is in line with the average increase in pay offered to council workers across the country.

Leader of the council David Renard introduced the matter to members saying normally he would be recommending that they accept it.

He said: “This will be the first time since 2009 that we have not accepted the recommendation. Then there were exceptional circumstances, and there are exceptional circumstances, with the difficulties many of our residents are experiencing now.”

He warned: “We must be careful that nobody is put off standing to be a councillor, engaging in the democratic process, by  an insufficient allowance.”

Every councillor will continue to receive the basic annual allowance of 8,787 set last year.

Committee member chairmen receive an extra 75 per cent of that figure on top, with members of the cabinet getting one-and-a-half -times the basic as an extra and the leader of the council getting another three times that £8,787 basic on top.