NEW parents representing city residents could soon be entitled to take parental leave for the first time if a move by Colchester Council is approved.

Members of Colchester Council are currently not entitled to any paid leave when becoming parents, but that could be about to change with councillors set to debate the introduction of a parental leave policy at a meeting on Thursday.

The proposed guidelines are largely based on the Local Government Association’s model policy with some tweaks “to reflect local arrangement”.

If given the green light, it could see councillors giving birth become entitled to up to six months maternity leave from 11 weeks before the due date, with the option to extend up to a year by agreement.

The same would also be available for councillors adopting a child from the date of placement, while an entitlement of two weeks paternity leave could also be introduced.

Any councillor taking parental leave will continue to receive their basic allowance, while councillors who are entitled to extra payments, like the council leader, will continue to receive these for up to six months.

Research published by the association in 2017 found only four per cent of local authorities had a parental leave policy in place.

Veteran councillor and doting grandparent Dave Harris said it’s “good to talk about parental leave”.

“Over the years I’ve seen how the make up of the council can be affected by things like this,” he explained.

“My wife will tell you that she’s seen less of me since I became a councillor, and when I first started we only had our daughter. We have grandchildren now too and family is so important.”

Councillors taking parental leave will hand their workload over to another councillor, but they will still need to attend at least one council meeting in a six-month period, unless an exemption has been granted.

A report published by the council ahead of the meeting says the new policy would “demonstrate the council’s commitment to supporting its councillors”.

“Improving the provision and support for new parents may help promote a more diverse councillor body and make public office more accessible to individuals who may otherwise feel excluded,” it continued.