Agenda and minutes

The Mayor welcomed all those present to the meeting and explained the measures that were in place designed to mitigate against the transmission of Covid-19.

Apologies for absence were received on behalf of Councillors Juliet Brunner, Alex Fogg, Lucy Harrison and Gemma Monaco.

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 Council meeting held on Monday 31^st January 2022 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 made at the meeting:

a)         The Mayor’s Announcements

The Mayor confirmed that he had no announcements to make on this occasion.

b)         The Leader’s Announcements

The Leader explained that he had no announcements to make.

c)          The Chief Executive’s Announcements

The Chief Executive confirmed that he had no announcements to make on this occasion.

Sustainable Warmth Funding

The Portfolio Holder for Climate Change presented a report on the subject of Sustainable Warmth Funding.  Members were advised that the funding was designed to help residents, in households with combined incomes below £30,000 per year, to upgrade the energy efficiency of their properties.  In particular, the funding was due to be used to upgrade the energy efficiency of properties with Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) ratings D – G.

During consideration of this item, it was noted that the report had been pre-scrutinised by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.  Concerns had been raised that the funding would be distributed on a first come first served basis and that some eligible households might miss the opportunity to receive funding in this context.  Questions were raised about how the funding would be promoted to ensure that eligible property owners were aware of the potential to apply for support through the scheme.  Council was advised that communications would form an important part of the process for promoting the scheme and that the Council aimed to target particular properties where it was recognised that they would benefit from the funding.

Pay Policy Statement 2022/23

Council was advised that during the meeting of the Executive Committee held immediately before the Council meeting, Members had endorsed the Pay Policy Statement 2022/23.  This was a report that needed to be agreed by the Council on an annual basis and detailed staff pay scales.

2022/23 Budget and Medium Term Financial Plan 2022/23 to 2024/25 (Including the Capital Programme)

Members were advised that the 2022/23 Budget and Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP) 2022/23 to 2024/25 report had been considered at the meeting of the Executive Committee held immediately prior to the Council meeting, when the recommendations detailed in the report had been endorsed.

The Portfolio Holder for Finance and Enabling presented the report for Members’ consideration.  Reference was made to the ways in which the content of the MTFP compared to proposals in the budget in previous years and Members were reminded that the Council had worked hard to address points raised in the Section 24 Notice that had been issued some years previously. 

The 2022/23 Budget and MTFP 2022/23 to 2024/25 had been prepared at a time of significant uncertainty for local government finances.  Further clarity was needed from the Government regarding long-term future funding arrangements for Councils.  Due to the financial challenges faced by the Council, like other authorities, work would need to begin on the next budget as soon as the 2022/23 budget had been agreed.

After the presentation of the budget, Members discussed the following points in detail:

·            The difficulties faced by local Councils trying to set a balanced budget in a context of increasing financial uncertainty for local government.

·            The role of officers in delivering the proposals detailed in the budget and MTFP.

·            The funding that had been allocated to expenditure in local wards.

·            The potential move of the central library in Redditch to the Town Hall and the income that  ...  view the full minutes text for item 62.

The Chair of the Audit, Governance and Standards Committee presented a recommendation from the Committee on the subject of the appointment of external auditors for the Council.  Members were advised that the Committee had opted to endorse the proposal to opt into the National Scheme for auditor appointments managed by Public Sector Audit Appointments (PSAA), as it was felt that this would result in better value for money in the long-term.

During consideration of this item, the Audit, Governance and Standards Committee were thanked for their hard work reviewing the arrangements for external audit. 

RESOLVED that

the Public Sector Audit Appointments’ invitation to opt into the sector-led option for the appointment of external auditors to principal local government and police bodies for a procurement period of five financial years from 1 April 2023 (that is to say from 2023/24 to 2027/28) be accepted.

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).

The Mayor advised that there had been no urgent decisions taken since the previous meeting of 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.)

There was no urgent business for consideration on this occasion.