Democracy Commission confirms 6.4% pay rise for councillors across Wales
Councillors’ basic salary across Wales will rise to £21,044 for the 2026-27 financial year, according to the Democracy and Boundary Commission Cymru’s Annual Remuneration Report.
The report sets determinations on pay, expenses and benefits for members of principal councils, community and town councils, fire and rescue authorities, and national park authorities, and says they take effect from 1 April 2026.
This is the Commission’s first remuneration report since it took on the functions previously carried out by the Independent Remuneration Panel for Wales.
In the foreword, the Commission’s chair, Karen Jones, said: “We are pleased to present the Annual Remuneration Report for 2026–27 from the Democracy and Boundary Commission Cymru.” She added: “Our attention now turns to preparing the next report, which will involve a thorough review of both the remuneration framework and the mechanisms used for annual adjustments, as required by the Welsh Government.”
The Commission said it would retain the link between councillor pay and the Office for National Statistics Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) for 2026-27. It said the £21,044 basic salary is “aligned with three fifths of the all-Wales 2024 ASHE”, and is “an increase of 6.4% on 2025-26”.
For senior roles in principal councils, the Commission said the same 6.4% uplift would apply to the role element of Bands 1 to 5. It said the salary of a leader of the largest, Group A, council would be £78,917.
[Source: Democracy and Boundary Commission Cymru Annual Remuneration Report 2026–27]
The report groups councils by population. Cardiff, Rhondda Cynon Taf and Swansea are listed as Group A, while councils including Flintshire, Wrexham and Gwynedd are listed as Group B. Councils including Denbighshire, Conwy and Isle of Anglesey are listed as Group C.
The Commission consulted on its draft report from 23 September 2025 to 18 November 2025. It said it received 26 responses, all by email. The report says some responses raised concerns about continuing to use ONS data on median salaries in Wales, and the increase indicated for the final year of the local government electoral cycle. It says the Commission decided the draft determinations would be adopted for 2026-27.
The report also sets out rates for other roles and bodies, including Joint Overview and Scrutiny Committees, national park authorities and fire and rescue authorities, and fees for co-opted and lay members with voting rights.
On community and town councils, the report says that aside from a change to optional financial loss compensation, “no changes are made to payments to CTC members”. It sets optional financial loss compensation at “up to £67.45 for each period not exceeding 4 hours” and “up to £134.90 for each period exceeding 4 hours but not exceeding 24 hours”.
The Commission also said it had determined that a resettlement payment scheme “should be established” for councillors who stand for re-election but are unsuccessful. The report says it has written to the Cabinet Secretary to ask if they are minded to draft regulations for this to be in place for the May 2027 local elections, and that, if agreed, the Commission would consult on what a scheme should look like as part of work for the next year’s report.
The report says the Commission is required to publish its next annual report, for 2027-28, by the end of February 2027.
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