Waltham Forest Council has approved an increase to its councillors' allowances.

The authority will held its first full council meeting since this month’s local elections on May 24 from 7.30pm.

One key agenda item asked councillors to approve an increase in their basic and special responsibility allowances.

Basic allowances are received by all councillors and are paid for by Waltham Forest tax payers, a wage paid to councillors for the work they do.

This increased to £10,634 per year.

Council cabinet members receive a special responsibilities allowance. This is paid on top of the basic allowance and is increased to £47,962 a year.

The council leader also receives a special responsibilities allowance. This, with basic allowance included increased to £52,890 per year.

The changes will cost the Waltham Forest tax payer £40,000 over four years.

Waltham Forest Council’s total budget for its councillors’ allowances, paid for by the tax payer, has been increased to £1.131 million per year.

An increase in both types of allowances was recommended by an independent panel formed by the Association of London Councils and supported by a trade union, the National Joint Council, that campaigns on local government pay.

No more than 50 per cent of councillors should receive special responsibility allowance and no one councillor should receive more than one special responsibilities allowance.

Although, Waltham Forest Council has made it clear there may be exceptional cases where an individual councillor may be eligible for more than one special responsibilities allowance, for instance if they have a number of time-consuming roles.

Special responsibility allowance continues to be paid when a councillor is on sick leave or on maternity or paternity leave.

The council also had to bear in mind the recommendations of an independent panel when making these sorts of changes.

Conservatice councillor Mitchell Goldie said: “This is money that should be helping the most vulnerable in our communities and instead it is lining the pockets of councillors already receiving large special responsibility allowances. I look forward to hearing what Councillor Coghill will be doing with the extra money she will now pick up on top of what Waltham Forest residents already pay her.”

In the same meeting, councillors voted for their new mayor and deputy mayor as Yemi Osho, mayor from 2017-18, gave way.

Similarly, Cllr Clare Coghill was officially sworn in as leader of the council for another four years after her party boosted its majority at this month’s local elections.

The council also appointed the numbers and members of its committees, including appointing council officers.

The dates and times of future full council meetings from 2017-18 were also approved.