Agenda and minutes

The Mayor welcomed all present to the meeting.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Joanne Beecham, Juma Begum, Alex Fogg, and Chris Holtz.

To invite Councillors to declare any Disclosable Pecuniary Interests or Other Disclosable Interests they may have in items on the agenda, and to confirm the nature of those interests.

There were no declarations of interest.

RESOLVED that

The minutes of the meeting held on Monday, 29^th January 2024 be approved as a true and correct record and signed by the Mayor.

To consider Announcements under Procedure Rule 10:

a)           Mayor’s Announcements

b)           The Leader’s Announcements

c)           Chief Executive’s Announcements.

The following announcements were provided at the meeting:

a)    The Mayor’s Announcements

The Mayor announced that as this was the last Council meeting of the Municipal Year he wished to thank all Councillors for their service to Redditch and wished all well in the forthcoming elections.  He also thanked the officers for their support throughout the year.

b)    The Leader’s Announcements

The Leader announced that he had attended a number of meetings including the West Midlands Combined Authority and the Economic Development and Housing Land Delivery Boards.

The Leader also announced that Councillor Joanne Beecham had stood down as Portfolio Holder for Leisure due to personal commitments and he thanked her for her work in that role.  The Leader would now be the point of contact for that portfolio .

c)     The Chief Executive’s Announcements

The Interim Chief Executive confirmed that she did not have any announcements on this occasion.

Members considered recommendations from meetings of the Executive Committee on 6th February 2024 and held immediately prior to the Council meeting.  The Mayor explained that the proposed changes to the budget for the Parking SLA and the Termination of the North Worcestershire Economic Development Service had been incorporated into the Tranche 2 Medium Term Financial Plan and the recommendations on these items would be debated as part of the debate on the budget.

Carbon Reduction Strategy – Annual Review

The Council considered a report on progress with the Carbon Reduction Strategy which had been adopted following the Council declaring a climate emergency in 2022.

During consideration of the report Councillors welcomed the progress made with the actions and the development of an accessible dashboard to measure performance.  They also thanked the officers involved for their work in supporting the Council’s actions.

On being put to the vote, the recommendations were declared carried.

Non-Domestic Rates – Discretionary Rate Relief Policy

Council considered an updated policy for Discretionary Rate Relief.  The policy had been amended following the Non-Domestic Rating Act 2023, which had removed the previous restriction on backdating relief for any period beginning on or after 1st April 2023 and revocation of associated Regulations.  Local authorities would have full flexibility on the award, backdating and revocation of discretionary rate relief from 1^st April 2024. 

The revised policy defined the circumstances in which backdating of relief would be considered and when awards of discretionary relief would be revoked. 

On being put to the vote, the recommendation was declared carried.

Pay Policy 2024/25

As required by the Localism Act the Council considered its Pay Policy for 2025/25. 

The Statement set out policies relating to the remuneration of its chief officers, the remuneration of its lowest-paid employees, and the relationship between the remuneration of its chief officers, and the remuneration of its employees who were not chief officers.

On being put to the vote the recommendation was declared carried.

Medium Term Financial Plan (Including Treasury Management Strategy, Capital Strategy, Minimum Revenue Provision and Investment Strategy (Tranche Two) Including the Parking Enforcement Service Level Agreement and Termination of Shared Service Arrangement; North Worcestershire Economic Development and Regeneration

The Portfolio Holder for Finance and Enabling presented and proposed recommendations in the Council’s Medium Term Financial Plan 2024/25 to 2026/27 together with the Treasury Management Strategy, Capital Strategy and Minimum Revenue Provision.  Council also considered recommendations relating to the Parking Enforcement Service Level Agreement and Termination of Shared Service Arrangement: North Worcestershire Economic Development and Regeneration.  Updated fees and charges for Licensing functions had been circulated separately to the report for Councillors’ consideration. 

The Council set its budget in two tranches.  The initial tranche was published in the autumn and options were approved at Council in January. The second tranche was now being considered following receipt of the final Local Government settlement figures.

Following tranche 1 of the budget there was an overall budget pressure of £353k in the 2024/25 financial year reducing to a deficit  ...  view the full minutes text for item 74.

To note any decisions taken in accordance with the Council’s Urgency Procedure Rules (Part 9, Paragraph 5 and/or Part 10, Paragraph 15 of the Constitution), as specified.

(None to date).

Members were advised that no urgent decisions had been taken since the previous meeting of the Council.

To consider any additional items exceptionally agreed by the Mayor as Urgent Business in accordance with the powers vested in him by virtue of Section 100(B)(4)(b) of the Local Government Act 1972.

(This power should be exercised only in cases where there are genuinely special circumstances which require consideration of an item which has not previously been published on the Order of Business for the meeting.)

The Mayor advised that there was one item of urgent business for the meeting, the Overview and Scrutiny Committee Annual Report 2023/24.  This meeting of the Council was the last in the current Municipal Year at which to consider the report.

Councillor Sid Khan, the Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee presented the report. In doing so he thanked the members of the Committee for their dedicated work during the year and the Democratic Services Team for their support.  Other Councillors echoed his thanks including members of the Executive who referred to the constructive way in which the Chairs of the Committee and its sub Groups had engaged with them.

Councillor Khan summarised the work of the Committee during the year which included scrutiny of Executive Committee items such as the Corporate Peer Challenge Action Plan, Worcestershire Housing Strategy 2040 and Establishment of a Programme Office.  The Budget and Performance Scrutiny Working Groups had played an active role in pre-scrutinising finance and budget related reports.

Councillor Khan reported that at 28^th January 2024, 6 of the 9 recommendations made by Scrutiny bodies had been accepted by the Executive and 11 of 15 recommendations made to all Committees.

RESOLVED that

The Overview and Scrutiny Annual Report 2023/24 be noted.

Immediately prior to the close of the meeting the Leader of the Council and Leader of the Labour Group thanked all the Councillors for their work in their communities and in supporting the governance of the Council.