Council narrows gender pay gap to historic low

Lancaster City Council has reduced its gender pay gap to the lowest level since statutory reporting began, according to its latest Gender Pay Gap Report.

The gender pay gap measures the difference in average hourly earnings between men and women across an organisation.

Public sector employers with 250 or more staff, including councils, are legally required to publish their gender pay gap data each year to promote transparency and help identify where action is needed to improve pay equality.

The latest report for Lancaster City Council, which uses data from March 31 2025, highlights continued progress in closing gender pay gaps across the workforce.

The mean gender pay gap has reduced year on year to 1.8% in 2025, meaning that on average women earn 98.2p for every £1 earned by men.

However, when the data is reported without casual staff included, the council records a negative gender pay gap of -0.1% for the first time, meaning that women are paid slightly more than men on average.

The reduction reflects a number of proactive measures introduced by the council, including an uplift to casual rates of pay and the inclusion of holiday pay, alongside wider workforce initiatives set out in the council’s People Plan.

Councillor Sally Maddocks, cabinet member for corporate services, said: “It’s very encouraging to see the gender pay gap at its lowest recorded level yet, but we know that we must continue to be proactive and prioritise workforce initiatives that support continued progress.”

Councillor Jason Wood, chair of the People and Organisational Development Committee, added: “I am really pleased with this outcome following excellent collaboration between the People and OD Committee and officers. There has been a real commitment to reducing the gender pay gap, which is reflective of the inclusive culture at Lancaster City Council.”

The council will continue to monitor pay equality and take action where necessary to ensure fairness and opportunity across its workforce.

 

Last updated: 26 March 2026