Croydon Council has approved changes to its cabinet allowances, reducing the number of Deputy Cabinet Members from five to four and introducing a new Special Responsibility Allowance (SRA) for the Non-Statutory Deputy Executive Mayor and Cabinet Member for Finance. The amendments, agreed at a Council meeting on Monday 20 July 2026, are noted as being cost-neutral overall.
The SRA for the Non-Statutory Deputy Executive Mayor and Cabinet Member for Finance will be £33,505, the same amount as the Statutory Deputy Executive Mayor and Cabinet Member for Homes. This represents an increase of £1,397 on the current SRA for the latter role. The rationale for this adjustment is to align the allowances for both Deputy Executive Mayors.
The changes reflect a reduction in the number of Deputy Cabinet Members from five to four, with the savings generated by this reduction being reallocated to fund the new SRA and the increase for the Statutory Deputy Executive Mayor. The overall cost-neutral impact is stated in the report, though the specific methods for tracking or verification are not detailed.
The Non-Statutory Deputy Executive Mayor and Cabinet Member for Finance will have responsibilities including assisting the Executive Mayor in delivering administration priorities, providing senior political leadership, working with Cabinet Members to drive delivery across portfolios, representing the Executive Mayor at meetings and events, and undertaking specific projects as directed. This role is intended to bolster the Executive Mayor's capacity, enhance oversight and coordination, and strengthen the council's leadership to focus on priority areas, community engagement, and strategic partnerships, while also providing resilience and continuity.
These changes are anticipated to provide additional political leadership capacity, supporting the Executive Mayor and ensuring effective oversight, coordination, and delivery across the council's priorities. The additional capacity is expected to help ensure that opportunities for investment, regeneration, and service improvement are actively pursued, and that key programmes maintain momentum. The arrangement also aims to provide resilience and continuity of leadership, ensuring that decision-making, governance, and partner engagement can continue effectively.
The General Purposes Committee noted that this amendment to the Members' Scheme of Allowances may indicate an interest in a wider review of members' allowances at a later date.
Further details on the council's decision-making processes and financial management can be found in the Public reports pack for the Council meeting on 20 July 2026. Public reports pack
