Agenda, decisions and minutes

Cllrs Alvey, Mrs Beeton, Blunden, Dow, Mrs Rostand, Olliff-Cooper, Rippon-Swaine, and Wade.

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 12 December 2016 as a correct record.

RESOLVED:

That the minutes of the meeting held on 12 December 2016 be signed by the Chairman as a correct record.

To note any declarations of interest made by members in connection with an agenda item.  The nature of the interest must also be specified.

Members are asked to discuss any possible interests with Democratic Services prior to the meeting.

Cllr Ms Bellows in Minute 51, item 4 of the Report of Cabinet dated 1 February

2017.

Cllrs Mrs and B Andrews in Minute 56, Report of the Planning Development Control Committee dated 8 February 2017.

All members of the Council had been granted dispensations to speak and to vote on Minute No. 54, the 2017/18 Council Tax.

The Chairman’s activities since the last Council meeting had been listed in the latest information bulletin.

Chairman’s Charity Dinner

On Saturday 11 February the Chairman had hosted his Charity Dinner at HoburneBashley. The event had raised over £3,500 which would go towards the Chairman’s chosen charities. The Chairman thanked all those who had attended and officers for their support, in particular Donna Langfield.

The Chairman reminded members that in accordance with the law, recorded votes would be taken under the budget items.

There were none.

To consider the report of the Audit Committee dated 27 January 2017.

The recommendation was agreed.

Cllr O’Sullivan, Chairman of the Audit Committee, presented the report of the meeting held on 27 January 2017.

On the motion that the report be received and the recommendation adopted, it was

RESOLVED:

That the report be received and the recommendation be adopted.

To consider the report of the General Purposes & Licensing Committee dated 13 January 2017.

The recommendations were agreed.

Cllr Clarke, Chairman of the General Purposes & Licensing Committee, presented the report of the meeting held on 13 January 2017.

On the motion that the report be received and the recommendations adopted, it was

RESOLVED:

That the report be received and the recommendations be adopted.

To consider the reports of the Cabinet dated:

The recommendations arising from the meetings of 4 January, 1 February and 20 February 2017 were agreed.

Cllr Ms Bellows disclosed a pecuniary interest in item 4 of the report of the Cabinet dated 1 February, on the grounds that she was a Council tenant. There was no discussion on this item. She did not vote.

The Leader of the Council, as Chairman of the Cabinet, presented the reports of the meetings held on 4 January, 1 February and 20 February 2017.

1 February 2017, Item 2 – Community Grants

Cllr Binns thanked the members of the Community Grants Task & Finish Group and the officers involved for the thorough work they had done in bringing forward recommendations to the Cabinet. The Council now had a robust and transparent grants system.

1 February 2017, Item 3 – The Medium Term Financial Plan and Annual

Budget 2017/18

The Chairman moved that Standing Order 47.6 be suspended to allow the Leader of the Council and the Leader of the Opposition to exceed the time limit for making their speeches. The motion was seconded and carried.

The Chairman ruled that in accordance with Standing Order 47.11 he would allow more than one amendment to be proposed and discussed at the same time.

The Leader of the Council made the statement on the Administration’s proposed budget, attached as Appendix 1 to these minutes.

The Deputy Leader of the Council seconded the recommendation.

The Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group then made the statement attached as Appendix 2 to these minutes.

Members discussed the Cabinet’s budget proposals together with the Liberal Democrat Leader’s speech.

Some members expressed the view that as the Liberal Democrat Leader had not sought to offer an alternative budget the statements made in his speech could not be substantiated. The budget recommended by the Cabinet ensured that front line Council services would be maintained. The Council would continue to meet corporate priorities, such as delivering affordable housing. The Housing and Communities Portfolio Holder pointed out that this Council was one of only two councils in the country to start a programme of purchasing and building new housing.

The Deputy Leader of the Council expressed the view that the recommended small increase of £3 per week in Council tax for band D properties, would be acceptable to residents as it meant that valued services would continue to be delivered. Other members spoke in support of the budget.

The Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group expressed disappointment that the points raised by him, particularly regarding unnecessary spending by the Council, had not been taken on board.

The Leader of the Council commended the budget to the Council for approval.

A recorded vote was taken on the Cabinet’s proposed budget. The outcome was:

Members voting for: 50

Members voting against: 1

Abstentions: 0

Details are shown in Appendix 3 to these minutes.

The motion was carried.

RESOLVED:

That the reports of the Cabinet dated 4 January, 1 February and 20 February 2017 be received and the recommendations be adopted.

There were none.

To ask questions of Portfolio Holders. Questions received will be tabled at the meeting. (Members are reminded that questions must be submitted to the Chief Executive or to the Executive Head of Governance and Regulation by not later than noon on Friday 17 February 2017.)

There were none.

To set the Council Tax for 2017/2018.

The recommendations were agreed.

All members of the Council had been granted dispensations to speak and to vote on this matter.

The Council considered the Council Tax for 2017/18.

A recorded vote was taken on the recommendation.

The outcome was:

Members voting for: 50

Members voting against: 1

Abstentions 0

Details are shown in Appendix 4 to these minutes.

The motion was carried.

RESOLVED:

1.         That it be noted that on 4 January 2017 the Council calculated the Council Tax Base for the year 2017/18:

(a)             for the whole Council area as 70,155.20 [Item T in the formula in Section 31B(1) of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, as amended (the “Act”)]; and

(b)        for dwellings in those parts of its area to which a Parish precept relates. 

2.         To calculate that the Council Tax requirement for the Council’s own purposes for 2017/18 (excluding Parish Precepts) is £11,460,550.

3.         That the following amounts be calculated for the year 2017/18 in accordance with Sections 31A, 31B and 34 to 36 of the Local Government and Finance Act 1992 as amended by the Localism Act 2011: -

(a)        £141,641,781              being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 31A(2) of the Act taking into account all precepts issued to it by Parish Councils.

(b)        £124,712,010              being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 31A(3) of the Act.

(c)        £16,929,771                being the amount by which the aggregate at 3(a) above exceeds the aggregate at 3(b) above, calculated by the Council, in accordance with Section 31A(4) of the Act as its Council Tax requirement for the year.  (Item R in the formula in Section 31B(1) of the Act).

(d)        £241.32                       being the amount at 3(c) above (Item R), all divided by the Council Tax Base, Item T (1(a) above), calculated by the Council, in accordance with Section 31B(1) of the Act, as the basic amount of its Council Tax for the year (including Parish precepts).

(e)        £5,469,221                  being the aggregate amount of all special items (Parish precepts) referred to in Section 34(1) of the Act.

(f)         £163.36                       being the amount at 3(d) above less the result given by dividing the amount at 3(e) above by Item T (1(a) above), calculated by the Council, in accordance with Section 34(2) of the Act, as the basic amount of its Council Tax for the year specifically for the District Council.  There are no non-parished areas.

(g)                   

being the amounts given by adding to the amount at 3(f) above the amounts of the special item or items relating to dwellings in those parts of the Council’s area mentioned above divided in each case by the amount at 1(b) above, calculated by the Council, in accordance with Section 34(3) of the Act, as the basic amounts of its Council Tax for the year for dwellings in those parts of its area to which  ...  view the full minutes text for item 54.

(a)             To appoint four members and four substitute members to the Employee Engagement Panel (these are to be filled by the Conservative Group); and

(b)             To consider any changes to the membership of Committees or Panels that might be proposed by the political groups.

Cllr Frampton has resigned from the Planning Development Control Committee.  The vacancy will be filled at a later date.

Cllrs M Harris, Mrs Holding, Rickman and Steele were appointed as the Employers’ Side representatives on the Employee Engagement Panel, with Cllrs E Heron, J Heron, Mrs Crisell and J Ward as substitutes.

RESOLVED:

(a)             That it be noted that Cllr Frampton has resigned from the Planning Development Control Committee and that the vacancy would be filled at a later date; and

(b)             That Cllrs M Harris, Mrs Holding, Rickman and Steele be appointed as the Employers’ Side representatives on the Employee Engagement Panel, with Cllrs E Heron, J Heron, Mrs Crisell and J Ward as substitutes.

To consider an item of confidential business, the Chairman will move

"That, under Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public and the Press be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraphs 1 & 5 of Part I of Schedule 12A of the Act and the public interest in maintaining the exception outweighs the public interest in disclosing it."

RESOLVED:

"That, under Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public and the Press be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraphs 1 & 5 of Part I of Schedule 12A of the Act and the public interest in maintaining the exception outweighs the public interest in disclosing it."

RESOLVED:

That, under Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public and the Press be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraphs 1 & 5 of Part I of Schedule 12A of the Act and the public interest in maintaining the exception outweighs the public interest in disclosing it.

The Council considered a confidential report of the Planning Development Control Committee dated 8 February 2017 for which there is a confidential minute.