COUNCILLORS' allowances in Worcestershire are to rise for the first time since 2008 - with the payments going up one per cent.

All 57 politicians at Worcestershire County Council will see their rates climb to a basic of £9,110 from next April, costing taxpayers an extra £5,141.

The move, which has been voted through unanimously, comes after seven years of freezes amid the tough economic backdrop.

It means the total bill for the basic allowances will be in the region of £862,255 next year, although the overall cost is higher once special responsibility top-ups are added in.

An independent panel recommended that councillors agree the increase, calling it "modest" and saying "we understand (councillors) desire to lead by example and keep the basic allowance under £10,000."

It also said if councillors had accepted previous inflation-based rises in line with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) since 2008, the rates would now be worth an extra £934 each - £53,248 in total.

The special responsibility top-ups, which include an extra £31,074 for leader Councillor Adrian Hardman and £16,499 for cabinet roles, will be reviewed next year and are expected to rise after the May 2017 elections.

That review, which will take place in the autumn of 2016, will include examining the top-up for opposition Labour group leader Peter McDonald, who gets an extra £9,734.

Councillor Hardman, speaking during a full council meeting, said: "For the last past seven years we've voted down recommendations to increase it by the rate of inflation, which means the basic rate is now 11 per cent below what it was.

"This administration would still expect to see considerable restraint in councillors allowances, but for officers' pay when times get better we'd expect to see that rise in line with the public sector."

Councillor Simon Geraghty, the deputy leader and cabinet member for economy, skills and infrastructure, added: "The council has very sensibly taken a measured view over the last few years.

"To have a very modest rise in the basic allowance and review the special responsibility rates with a view from 2017 onwards is a very sensible set of recommendations."

The new £9,110 basic rate from next April includes the existing IT allowance.

It compares to basic councillor payments of £7,254 in Herefordshire, £9,100 in Gloucestershire, £11,514 in Shropshire, £8,975 in Warwickshire and £9,072 in Staffordshire.