Councillors who serve for 30 years or more, or who has “made a notable contribution to the borough over a sustained period of time” can be nominated for consideration of a Distinguished Service Award under the new scheme.

A report which was passed by full council in Barnsley on February 23, states that “there will be a one-off cost in purchasing a presentation gift at the time that the Council determines that it wishes to make an award, at an estimated cost of £500-£1000.”

Councillor Hannah Kitching, leader of the opposition Liberal Democrat Group, told the meeting that “this is honestly, the most inappropriate and tone deaf move that I’ve seen in my time.

Coun Kitching added that she was not against the “recognition, celebration or commemoration,” of long serving councillors, but that she “cannot support a scheme of a financial value that is beyond the reach of so many families in Barnsley.

“It is precisely the kind of behaviour that makes the public absolutely loathe politicians.

“I would like to strongly suggest that the high financial value gift is removed from these plans and is replaced instead with some kind of honorific – maybe an honorary title, maybe a street, a park…. named after them.”

“Something that does not overtly take money from taxpayers at a time of great financial challenge.”

However, Labour councillors supported the scheme, telling the meeting that thousands of pounds will not be handed out “willy nilly”.

Councillor Sharon Howard told the meeting that “if someone has served on this council for 30 years, they deserve some recognition from this council”, adding that “it’s not necessarily going to be £1,000.

“It isn’t as though we’re going to be handing these out every other week.”

Councillor Higginbottom added: “This proposes the creation of a panel chaired by the Deputy Leader and with representatives of all the political groups to decide whether or not recognition should be conferred upon members.

“If opposition groups or any other member….feels that he is inappropriate at that time they would have been well within their rights to vote against it.

“This is not thousands and thousands of pounds being handed out willy nilly. This is about setting in place a procedure, and a properly well thought out procedure, in order to a judge how this confirment might be made.”

Leader of the Council, Sir Steve Houghton CBE, stated that that the award is about “how we value each other, and the work that we put in,” adding ” I’m sorry people want to make a political football out of it.”

Councillor Chris Lamb added: “We should recognise the contribution that we all make to public life, to the life of residents and to the success of this council.

“What we’re talking about here is an exceptional circumstance. It may be about once every 10 years, so £500 every ten years. It’s not a massive amount of money for the council to stand.”

The Distinguished Service Award scheme was approved following a vote.

Proposals for gifts of up to £1,000 to long serving Barnsley councillors slammed as “inappropriate” and “tone deaf”