Councillors with 16 years' service or more can claim money

BBC Wales has established that at least 58 councillors may take payments of up to �20,000 under the Welsh Assembly Government scheme designed to encourage younger candidates.

The total number may be higher, but two local authorities - Carmarthenshire and Newport - have declined to reveal how many have applied.

Only eight of the 22 Welsh councils have so far voted for the idea.

When a councillor gets older I don't think he is as good as when he was much younger Councillor Ainsley Popplewell

Another 13 have rejected it, which means their members cannot apply. One council, Gwynedd, has still to decide.

The plan has attracted much criticism. Former Welsh Secretary Ron Davies said it would "bribe" councillors with taxpayers' money not to put themselves forward for election.

Rosemary Watkins, a pensioner from Cwmbran, was so angered when her local authority, Torfaen, voted for it that she collected a 2,000-signature protest petition.

Now that the deadline has passed for councillors to register their interest in applying, BBC News Online sought the views of two - one who may take the money, and one who will not.

He has registered his interest in receiving the money, but has not yet decided whether to take it and end his council career next summer.

Number of councillors registering an interest in payouts Carmarthenshire: declined to say Ceredigion: 12 Flintshire: 13 Neath: 13 Newport: declined to say Swansea: 9 Torfaen: 6 Vale of Glamorgan: 5

"I went into local government for what I could put into it, not for what I would get out," he said.

"Having said that, I have worked pretty hard for 46 years. When a councillor gets older I don't think he is as good as when he was much younger.

"Nevertheless, having said that, I don't think the assembly did this properly. They should have made the decision and allowed any councillor who wanted to take advantage of it.

Councillors could use some of the money for charitable organisations and so on. It's up to each councillor how they use it.

"I haven't made the decision yet as to whether I will retire.

Liberal Democrat Neville Phillips, who worked for steel company Corus until 2001, is 60, and has been a Flintshire councillor for 30 years.

Mr Phillips has not applied for the money, and says voters will decide whether he continues as a councillor.

"I certainly fall into the category of people who could apply, and I believe there were 27 on Flintshire County Council who were entitled to," he said.

"If I lose my seat next June I get nothing for serving the community for 30 years.

"The only thing was that in the months between now and June anything could happen. I did think about it, but I certainly wasn't tempted.

My wife would tell you it has taken over my life and not many young people would tolerate the time you put in Councillor Neville Phillips

"I agree that the money could have been used for better purposes. It's a mash-mash; a very poor scheme."

"I thought it was bad legislation. I'm a magistrate and I know that I've got to retire at 70.

"Even if I had taken the �20,000 I could have stood again in 2008 and I still wouldn't be of retirement age.

"But there was nothing in this to say I couldn't come back before then in a by-election.

"People are angered by it and Flintshire hasn't had a good press. People here think it's going to cost us money, and Flintshire is the only north Wales authority that has gone for it.

"I really don't know many young people who are willing to go into local government. They give up a career - because that's what it would mean - and I was affected with promotion and so on.

"My wife would tell you it has taken over my life and not many young people would tolerate the time you put in."