For the first time in Dartmouth's civic history, town councillors have voted to pay themselves a 'wage' for running the town.

But the councillors say they only expect their most hard up colleagues to actually claim the cash.

The town council, which hiked its council tax demand by a massive 20 per cent just over a month ago, has now become one of the only parish and town councils in the district to agree to pay councillors a remuneration allowance – which comes to £326 a year each.

Town councillor Les Barnes warned it would cost taxpayers more than £6,000 a year if all 16 councillors claim the cash which the council has not budgeted for.

But when he put forward a motion to kick the idea into touch he could not find a seconder to back him up. And town councillor Tessa de Galleani pointed out that the allowance was needed, because some town councillors had not even been able to afford to come to the town's £28-a-head civic dinner last month.

'That I think is disgraceful,' she said and added: 'We have a worth. If we are not worth anything to the public why are we here?'

Both district and county councillors get an allowance for being a councillor and attending meetings.

South Hams councillors can claim a basic allowance of some £4,000 a year each – and more senior councillors get more.

Parish and town councillors are entitled to claim a percentage of their district council allowance based on their population. In Dartmouth that works out at £326 for each councillor.

Although the allowance has been available for a number of years, the Dartmouth councillors have only now decided to agree to make it available to any councillors who wish to claim it.

Deputy mayor Rob Lyon told the meeting: 'It is not intended that we all sign up for the allowance. Councillors would take the money if it was needed.' Mr Barnes, who spoke against the allowance being introduced, said: 'I came on to this council because I wanted to do the best for the town.

'I can't see how anyone is spending a fortune working for the council.

'I am totally against town councillors getting paid.' And he added: If you can't afford it, don't go to the civic dinner.'

He added: 'It could be £6,000 a year that we have got no provision in our budget for.'

But David Gent warned: 'There are people out there who can't afford to come on this council and they are the ones we are talking about.'

Town councillor Andy Carter added: 'The £326 is not a lot of money over a year. I think we should have the option to take the money.'

The town council's finance committee chairman Francis Hawke said the town council allowance worked out at some five per cent of the allowance a district councillor is entitled to claim.

'It was felt there might be some members who might well need to claim the allowance,' he said.

The town council will have a duty to publish which councillors claim the allowance each year.