THE leader of Worcestershire County Council could receive a 50 per cent wage rise under a review of allowances due to be considered today.

An independent pay review panel has recommended boosting the annual allowance from £10,000 to £15,000 while at the bottom of the scale; the basic allowance for ordinary councillors would rise from £5,000 to £7,000.

The review panel's report,commissioned by the council, says if its recommendations are to be implemented, another £190,000 a year will need to be found, raising the annual budget for members allowances to £590,000.

The panel proposes retaining a five-band system of allowances for positions of responsibility rising from £3,000 to £15,000.

The report notes: "In determining the monetary value of each band we have not attempted to set values that would accord to market place rates.

"We feel they would be unjustified both in terms of the voluntary principle and the financial burden that would have been created for the county council."

The annual allowance for the leader of the main opposition party would rise, from £7,000 to £10,000 in band two.

In band three, the leaders of the Liberal Democrat group and the Independent Kidderminster Hospital and Health Concern group would each get £7,000, as would the chairman of the county council and portfolio holders - up from £5,000.

The chairman of the planning and regulatory committee and panel chairmen would also receive an annual increase of £2,000 - up from £3,000.

In the lowest band, the vice-chairman of the council would receive £3,000, up from £2,000.

The county council is made up of 26 Conservatives, 14 Labour, eight Liberal Democrats, six Health Concern and three Independents.