Agenda and minutes

The Mayor will open the meeting and welcome all present.

The Mayor’s Chaplain, the Reverend Jo Musson, will lead the Council in prayer.

The Mayor opened the meeting and welcomed all present.

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

There were no apologies for absence.

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

There were no declarations of interest.

To receive any exceptional announcements from the Mayor. (Regular communications and announcements will be considered at the next ordinary meeting of the Council on 28th March).

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)

As this was not an ordinary meeting of the Council there were not the customary Mayor’s Announcements. However, the Mayor did advise the Council of two forthcoming events at the Town Hall, a concert by the Bel Canto Singers and an Older Person’s Forum event.

To receive any exceptional announcements from the Leader on matters considered to be of significance to the Council.

(No separate report / oral update)

The Leader’s Announcements were considered under the following headings:

Housing Services

The Leader reported that the Council’s Housing Service had been awarded Customer Services Excellence Accreditation. The Leader wished the Council’s congratulations to the staff within Housing Services to be put on record.

Careers Fair

The Leader advised that a Careers Fair was to be held at NEW College on 28th June. It was hoped that around 1,800 local children of between 9 and 16 years of age would attend.

Tackling Health Inequalities

The Leader advised that the Primary Care Trust had announced an investment of £50,000 into six areas of highest need across the County. This one-off payment was intended to help tackle health inequalities in areas such as Winyates.

To consider two referrals, the first from the Executive Committee on 1st February and the second from the Council meeting on 7th February which relate to financial decisions relevant to tonight’s business.

• Independent Remuneration Panel for Worcestershire District Councils – Annual Report and Recommendations for 2011/12 (Agreed to defer to this meeting at the meeting of the Executive Committee on 1st February to allow adequate time for consultation between Group Leaders); and
• Introduction of a Private Sector Home Support Service (Deferred at the meeting of the Council on 7th February to allow Officers the opportunity to provide definitive guidance on the funding of private sector users of the service and any potential impact on the Housing Revenue Account).

(Decisions and reports attached)

Independent Remuneration Panel for Worcestershire District Councils – Annual Report and Recommendations for 2011/12

The Council considered the recommendations of the Executive Committee arising from the first report of the Joint Independent Remuneration Panel (IRP) for the Worcestershire Districts.

The IRP had recommended that the allowances available to members of the authority in 2011/12 should remain unchanged from the current levels of allowances. In a departure from the previous two years, it was proposed, in an amendment to the Executive Committee recommendations, that the budget for the allowances also be left unchanged.

Members debated the merits of continually holding down the levels of allowances and the balance that needed to be struck between financial prudence in times of austerity and the attraction and recruitment of new Councillors in the longer term.

RESOLVED that

1)      the Basic Allowance budget figures for 2011/2012 remain unchanged from those recommended for 2010/11 as set out in Appendix 1 to the report;

2)      the Special Responsibility Allowance budget figures for 2011/2012 remain unchanged from those recommended for 2010/11;

however, all allowances continue to be paid to Members at the current 2010/11 payment levels, without increase;  except that allowances be no longer paid to Vice-Chairs of Committees, other than, as detailed in the report, to cover any significant periods of absence of the Chair (any dispute around this to be determined by Group Leaders);

3)      travel and subsistence allowances for 2011/12 continue to be paid in accordance with the HMRC (Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs Office) mileage allowance; and

4)      the Dependent Carer’s Allowance remain unchanged.

Introduction of a Private Sector Home Support Service

The Council received an update on the proposed introduction of a Private Sector Home Support Service following the deferral of this matter at the previous meeting of the Council.

Officers outlined the means by which the private sector element of the Home Support Service would be funded and the extent of the funding available. It was noted that an additional sum would be made available from Supporting People funding to be held within the General Fund for accounting purposes. There was no means, at this stage, of obtaining an accurate estimate of the level of need for this service within the private sector, although the principle of supporting people in their own homes was accepted as being beneficial.

RESOLVED that

1)      the Home Support Service be introduced to the Private Sector; and

2)      an emergency Home Support call out service be introduced to private sector customers.

To adjourn the meeting to permit a meeting of the Executive Committee to be held to consider the setting of the Council Tax for 2011/12 and any associated financial items.

RESOLVED that

the meeting of the Council be adjourned to permit a meeting of the Executive Committee to be held to consider the setting of the Council Tax 2011/12 and other associated financial matters.

(At this point - 7.31 p.m. - the meeting adjourned and reconvened at 8.40 p.m.)

[MEETING OF EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE]

On the resumption of the meeting, to receive and consider recommendations from the Executive Committee and to pass the appropriate resolutions in respect of the review of Fees and Charges 2011/12.

(Executive Committee Report refers)

The Council considered the recommendations from the Executive Committee on the Fees and Charges for 2011/12. Members were generally in agreement with the proposals for Fees and Charges although the possibility of Fees and Charges for 2012/13 being the subject of an in-depth review by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee was discussed. Officers highlighted the fact that the Overview and Scrutiny was at liberty to request a review of any Council function of this nature and did not require a Council resolution to carry out such a review.

RESOLVED that

the fees and charges for 2011/12 as set out in Appendix A-H be approved;

other than in cases where:-

a)      fees or charges are statutory

b)     fees and charges are set externally

c)      fees and charges are established under separate processes, for example Taxi fares.

On the resumption of the meeting, to receive and consider recommendations from the Executive Committee and to pass the appropriate resolutions in respect of the Initial Estimates 2011/12 – 2013/14.

(Executive Committee Report refers)

The Council considered the recommendations of the Executive Committee for the Initial Estimates for the period 2011/12 to 2013/14 and high priority capital and revenue bids, unavoidable pressures and savings for the same period.

It was apparent that the Council faced challenging times ahead and the proposals put forward by the Executive were calculated to be a considered response to a period of reduced central Government funding. The level of reserves being maintained was above the minimum considered necessary according to CIPFA guidance but was seen as financially prudent in a period of uncertainty.

The Council was focussing on economic development and remaining a well-managed organisation, with considerable savings to be achieved through shared services and business transformation. The matter of pre-9.30am concessionary fares was debated and it was reported that Officers had been requested to prepare a report on the capacity of the Dial-a-Ride service to serve the needs of those bus-pass holders who needed to travel at that time.

RESOLVED that

1)         the unavoidable pressures as identified in Appendix A to the report be approved:

2011/12          £498,000

2012/13          £408,000

2013/14          £408,000;

2)         the high bids as identified in Appendix B to the report be approved:

2011/12          £232,000

2012/13          £232,000

2013/14          £232,000;

3)         the savings as identified in Appendix C  to the report be approved:

2011/12          £1,802,000

2012/13          £3,444,000   

2013/14          £3,071,000;

4)         the high capital bids as detailed in Appendix D to the report be approved:

2011/12          £867,000 (General Fund)

                         £120,000 (Housing Revenue Account)

2012/13          £11,000 ( General Fund)

2013/14          £10,000 ( General Fund); and

5)         the use of balances totalling £515,000 be approved.

On the resumption of the meeting, to receive and consider recommendations from the Executive Committee and to pass the appropriate resolutions fixing the Council Tax for the year ending 31st March 2012.

(Executive Committee Report refers)

Members considered a report that enabled the setting of the level of Council Tax for the Borough for the coming year.

The recommendations of the Executive Committee were the subject of the following named vote in accordance with Standing Order 16:

Members voting FOR the motion:

Councillors Peter Anderson, Kath Banks, Michael Braley, Andrew Brazier, Juliet Brunner, Michael Chalk, Simon Chalk, Anita Clayton, Brandon Clayton, Carole Gandy, Adam Griffin, Roger Hill, Gay Hopkins, William Norton, Jinny Pearce, Brenda Quinney and Derek Taylor.

(17 votes)

Members abstaining from voting:

Councillor Greg Chance, Jack Cookson, Andy Fry, Malcolm Hall, Bill Hartnett, Nigel Hicks, Robin King, Wanda King, Mark Shurmer, Debbie Taylor and Graham Vickery.

Accordingly, the Motion was approved.

RESOLVED that

1)      it be noted that at its meeting on the 12th of January 2011 Council calculated the following amounts for the year 2011/12 in accordance with regulations made under Section 33 (5) of the Local Government Finance Act 1992:

a)                                                                                                                          27,569.18

Being the amount calculated by the Council, in accordance with regulation 3 of the Local Authorities (Calculation of Council Tax Base) Regulations 1992, as its Council Tax Base for the year;

b)      Feckenham Parish – 367.29

         being the amount calculated by the Council, in accordance with regulation 6 of the regulations, as the amount of its Council Tax Base for the year for dwellings in those parts of its area to which one or more special items relate;

2)      the following amounts be now calculated by the Council for the year 2011/12 in accordance with Sections 32 to 36 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992:

a)      £48,641,448 (including bids)

being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 32 (2) (a) to (e) of the Act.

(2011/12 Gross General Fund Expenditure)

b)                                                                                                                          £38,150,160

being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 32 (3) (a) to (c) of the Act.

(2011/12 Gross General Fund Income)

c)      £10, 491,288

being the amount by which the aggregate at (a) above exceeds the aggregate at (b) above, calculated by the Council in accordance with Section 32 (4) of the Act as its budget requirement for the year;

(2011/12 Net General Fund Expenditure)

d)      £4,716,488

being the aggregate of the sums which the Council estimates will be payable for the year into its General Fund in respect of redistributed Non-domestic Rates, Revenue Support Grant or additional grant increased by the amount of the sums which the Council estimates will be transferred in the year from its Collection Fund to its General Fund in accordance with Section 97 (3) of the Local Government Finance Act 1988 (Council Tax Surplus) and increased by the amount of any sum which the Council estimates will be transferred from its Collection Fund to its General Fund pursuant to the Collection Fund (Community Charges) directions under Section 98 (4) of the Local Government Finance Act 1988 made on 7 February 1994 (Community Charge  ...  view the full minutes text for item 105.

To consider any additional items exceptionally agreed by the Mayor as Urgent Business in accordance with the powers vested in her 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 and/or on the Leader’s Forward Plan.)

There were no separate items of urgent business for consideration at this meeting.