Two Nottinghamshire county councillors have defended claiming thousands of pounds in travel expenses amid calls for a review. The latest list of expenses and allowances received by each member of Nottinghamshire County Council last year has been published, covering the financial year ending in March 2023.
It shows that nearly £44,000 in total was claimed in expenses by members of Nottinghamshire County Council last year. The two highest claims were made by Conservative councillors Tracey Taylor and Boyd Elliott.
Councillor Taylor, who serves as the Cabinet Member for Children and Families and represents Misterton, claimed £4,877.18 in expenses. But in a statement to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), Councillor Taylor said: "I'm a cabinet member running one of the biggest portfolios at the council.
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"This means I have to be at County Hall three or four days a week dealing with children and family issues as well as senior Conservative Group meetings. I live in the northernmost part of the county and this is a round trip of 93 miles. As well as my County Hall business, I regularly visit schools, children’s homes and youth centres every month, which can take me to every part of Nottinghamshire."
Councillor Boyd Elliott, who represents Calverton, does not hold a cabinet position on Nottinghamshire County Council, but said his £3,472.55 expenses claim related to his work with outside bodies and charity work. Councillor Elliott told the LDRS: "A lot of it is expenses for the two outside bodies I chair, including Standing Advisory Council for Religious Education (SACRE), which hosts events all around the county.
"During lockdown, I also helped to set up a shopping scheme for vulnerable residents that identified a cohort of people who can't get out. I've carried on doing a lot of that. Without being able to claim my fuel, I possibly wouldn't be able to feed all of those families so there's nothing untoward there.
"I've got a huge interaction with my residents. You don't put them all down and, as a Gedling borough councillor, I've never put a claim in."
Despite the explanations, the Independent Alliance opposition group has called for a review into the expenses system. The group's deputy leader, Councillor Helen-Ann Smith, said: "Councillors have a duty to ensure that we get the best value for money for taxpayers.
"I do not claim expenses, not a penny. This is despite using public transport and car sharing from Stanton Hill to do my job as a County Councillor."
Overall, expenses claims for the 2022/23 year include £35,206.42 made across the council's 35 Conservative members. There was £7,281.10 claimed by Labour councillors and £1,189.70 by the Independent Alliance.
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