Agenda and minutes

The Mayor will open the meeting and welcome all present.

The Mayor’s Chaplain, the Reverend Mike Herbert, will lead the Council in prayer.

The Mayor opened the meeting and welcomed all present, making particular reference to newly elected Councillors, Greg Chance and Gay Hopkins.

To receive any apologies for absence on behalf of Council members.

Apologies for absence were received on behalf of Councillors Banks and Hicks.

To invite Councillors to declare any interests they may have in items on the agenda.

Councillor Braley declared a personal but not prejudicial interest in Item 8 (Budget Savings 2009/10 – 2011/12) as detailed separately at Minute 133 below.

To confirm as a correct record the minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 9 March 2009.

(Minutes attached)

RESOLVED that

the minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 9 March 2009 be confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Mayor.

To receive a report from the Mayor on civic matters which have arisen since the last meeting or events which may be occurring in the near future.

To give notice of any variation to the items listed in the Forward Plan and/or items accepted as “Urgent Business”.

(No separate report / oral update)

The Mayor’s communications and announcements were considered under the following headings:

a)         Mayor’s announcements

The Mayor thanked Councillors for their good wishes while he was ill.

The Mayor thanked the Deputy Mayor, Councillor Hall, for standing in, during his period of hospitalisation and subsequent recovery, at Council meetings and for attending the following functions on his behalf: the Friends of Auxerre AGM, the Redditch One World Link AGM, the Student Council AGM, the Hereford & Worcester Sports Partnership Awards, an Art & Heritage Day, the Young Musicians of the Year Event, Where Next’s Royal Visit by the Duke of Gloucester, Astwood Bank Operatic Society’s production of the Count of Luxembourg; and the Chinese New Year Celebrations. The Mayor also thanked Councillors Hunt and Thomas for standing in as Past Mayors for different events.

The Mayor advised that, since his return, he had attended the Civic Dinner which had raised £439 towards his charities; Kingsley College’s production of “We will Rock You”; and the City of Worcester, Stratford on Avon District Council and Stourport Town Council’s Civic Dinners. He had also visited the Children’s Ward at the Alexandra Hospital.

b)         Forthcoming events

The Mayor advised that forthcoming events included receiving visitors from Burg in Germany, Kidderminster’s Civic Dinner and the St George’s Day Service with the Scouts.

c)         Urgent Business

The Mayor advised that he had accepted one late document as urgent business:

Item 8 – Appendix 2 to the Budget Savings 2009/10 – 2011/12.

Other Notices:

d)         Church Green Improvements

With the agreement of the Mayor, Members reported that correspondence had been received congratulating the Council for its work to Church Green. It was agreed that thanks would be passed on to the Officers concerned.

e)         Former Councillor George Langston

With the agreement of the Mayor, Members noted with regret the recent passing of former Councillor George Langston.

To formally receive and note the report of the Returning Officer as to the results of the local elections held on 26 March 2009 and consider any consequent effect on the membership of Committees, Sub-Committees etc.

(Report attached)

Members received the Returning Officer’s report of the results of the recent Borough Council By-Elections in the Central Ward, where Cllr Greg Chance had been elected; and the Headless Cross and Oakenshaw Ward, where Cllr Gay Hopkins had been elected.

RESOLVED that

the Returning Officer’s report in respect of Borough Council By-Elections held in the Central and Headless Cross and Oakenshaw Wards on 26 March 2009 be received and noted.

To consider a Notice of Motion submitted by Councillor W Hartnett, in accordance with Standing Order 6  and, exceptionally, Standing Order 15, concerning the budget considered by Council no 9 March 2009.

(Report attached)

A Notice of Motion had been submitted by Councillor Hartnett in accordance with Standing Orders 6 and 15 in respect of the Budget considered by the Council on 23 February 2009.

The Mayor advised that, as this Notice of Motion related to the following item,  the amendment contained within the Notice of Motion would be considered alongside that item, Budget Savings 2009/10 to 2011/12.

To consider a number of proposals  to address the budget gap following the end of the period of staff and public consultation on a number of options for achieving the required savings.

(Report attached)

The Council considered a number of proposals designed to address the budget gap following the end of the period of staff and public consultation on a range of options for achieving the required savings.

The Leader introduced a report detailing which of the basket of options that had been the subject of the consultation process were being recommended to continue to receive funding through the revenue budget. The proposed basket of options was tabled at the meeting.

Two of the more significant recommendations put forward saw the management of the Pitcheroak Golf Course and the REDI Centre being transferred to alternative providers. A potential service provider had already been identified for the golf course whereas the management of the REDI Centre would be the subject of a formal procurement process.

A number of further recommendations were highlighted. The provision of Christmas lights, a rat control service and the annual firework display were to remain in the Council’s revenue budget going forward. A decision on the Neighbourhood Groups was to await the outcome of an Overview and Scrutiny review. Proposed car parking charges were now being recommended only for the Town Hall Car Park and Trescott Road Car Park until 6.00 pm at weekends.

During the course of the discussion, the following proposed amendment in respect of Budget Savings 2009/10 to 2011/12, and as detailed in the previously mentioned Notice of Motion, was the subject of a named vote in accordance with Standing Order 16:

‘Following the public consultation on the Council budget for 2009/10,
we move an amendment to the Budget considered by Council on 9 March 2009(should read 23 February 2009). The amendment is as attached.’  (at pages 11-12 of the Council agenda)

Members voting FOR the amendment to the motion:

Councillors Chance, Cookson, Enderby, Fry, Hartnett, Hunt, R King, W King, Mould, Shurmer and Taylor.  (11 votes)

Members voting AGAINST the amendment to the motion:

Councillors Anderson, Braley, Brunner, Chalk, A Clayton, B Clayton, Hopkins, Field, Gandy, Hall, MacMillan, Norton, Pearce, Quinney, Smith and Thomas.

(16 votes)

Members abstaining from voting:

None.

Accordingly, the amendment fell.

Prior to the above named vote being taken, a further amendment to the original motion, which proposed the adoption of a range of further options in respect of revenue and capital bids, was the subject of a second named vote in accordance with Standing Order 16:

Members voting FOR the amendment to the motion:

Councillors Chance, Cookson, Fry, Hartnett, Hunt, R King, W King, Mould, Shurmer and Taylor.  (10 votes)

Members voting AGAINST the amendment to the motion:

Councillors Anderson, Braley, Brunner, Chalk, A Clayton, B Clayton, Hopkins, Field, Gandy, Hall, MacMillan, Norton, Pearce, Quinney, Smith and Thomas.

(16 votes)

Members abstaining from voting:

Councillor Enderby.

(1 vote)

Accordingly, this second amendment to the Motion fell and it was subsequently

RESOLVED that

1)         the proposals for the General Fund budget for 2009/10 to 2011/12, as set out below, be approved:

To note any decisions taken in accordance with Standing Order 36 and/or the Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rules (Constitution), as specified.

(None to date).

There were no Urgent Business decisions under Standing Order 36 for consideration at this meeting.

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 I 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 and/or on the Leader’s Forward Plan.)

There were no separate items of Urgent Business for consideration at this meeting.