SENIOR Gwent councillors will now consider whether to accept the National Ass-embly's controversial 'golden goodbye' of £20,000 to step down.

Yesterday, the Assembly voted to offer councillors who have been in office for 16 years or more £1,000 for every year served, up to a maximum of £20,000, if they retire.

The scheme was narrowly backed by 30 votes to 28 following fierce objections from opposition AMs.

The scheme could radically alter the make-up of Gwent councils. In Newport 23 out of 47 councillors are eligible and in Monmouthshire it's 10 out of 42 members.

Newport councillor Fred Sweeting, 74, who has been a member for 24 years, said: "It's a good idea and it's quite likely I will be taking it. Many others will too.

"It's not such a huge amount. I made sacrifices in my career and income to be a councillor. It may not work in bringing in young people but it might get rid of some of the really older members."

Newport Councillor Matthew Evans, 39, who has served for four years, said: "This is payback time for labour councils and it's completely unacceptable.

"Half of the Newport councillors who are eligible would have left anyway and there's no guarantee it will attract younger people. Encourage-ment and education are the best ways to do that.

"Councillors can be in their 50s and still get this money. "If these payouts go all over Wales it will add up to a considerable sum of public money."

Finance and local government minister Sue Essex said 'golden goodbyes' would benefit democracy in Wales by encouraging new, younger candidates to stand.

Ms Essex said: "The typical councillor in Wales is white male, older than the average and retired.

"These people have given sterling service but we cannot be satisfied with the situation where local government is so unrepresentative of the electorate."

A census in 2001 of Welsh unitary authority councillors showed that just 1.8% are aged 25 - 34, while 32.8% are 60 - 69 and 19.2% were aged 45 - 54.

It also showed 10.2% had been in the council for 16 - 20 years, 20.8% for 10 - 15 years, 21.3% had served for three years.

Now each local authority will decide whether to operate the scheme and councillors will have until Nov-ember 20 to confirm if they intend to apply, with £1.3 million set aside for the scheme.