Agenda item

The minutes of the meeting of the Executive Committee held on 26^th February 2024 were considered.  Members were informed that the recommendations arising from that meeting had previously been approved at the Council meeting held on the same date.  The minutes were being reported for noting, in line with standard practice whereby minutes of Executive Committee meetings were reported to Council.

Members considered recommendations from the meetings of the Executive Committee held on 18^th March and 9^th July 2024.  The Leader confirmed that no recommendations had been agreed at the meeting of the Executive Committee held immediately before Council, as all of the matters had been resolved at that meeting.  Therefore, there were no recommendations arising from that meeting for consideration at Council.

It was noted that the recommendation on the subject of the Productivity Plan discussed at the Executive Committee meeting held on 9^th July would not be considered at this meeting as this had been subject to an urgent decision in order to be submitted to the Government in accordance with the required deadline.

Finance and Performance Quarter 3 Report 2023/24

The Council considered recommendations relating to updated charges for Worcestershire Regulatory Services (WRS) and noting the half yearly Treasury Management report.

Independent Remuneration Panel Members’ Allowances

The Council considered recommendations for the level of Councillors’ allowances for 2024/25. 

The Executive Committee had considered recommendations from the Council’s Independent Remuneration Panel (IRP).  The Committee had not recommended acceptance of the IRP’s recommendations in full.

The Executive Committee had not accepted the IRP’s recommendation for an 8.6% increase to the Basic Allowance, which would in fact have represented a 16.6% increase due to the number of years in which no increases had been made to the basic allowance in Redditch.  Instead, the Executive Committee had recommended to the Council that the basic allowance should be increased by 3%, the same percentage as the increase in Council tax. It was noted that if implemented, the 16.6% increase for 2024/25 would have achieved parity with the basic allowance in other Councils.  The view was expressed that the Council would at some stage need to address its historic decisions not to match the IRP recommendations in order to encourage people from a variety of backgrounds to stand for election.  

In proposing the Executive Committee’s recommendations, the Leader pointed out that the size of the Council had reduced by 2 members at the elections in May 2024, which had left some surplus funds in the allowances budget.  It was proposed to increase the Special Responsibility Allowance (SRA) for the Chair of the Audit, Governance and Standards Committee to £3,500 and for the Group Leader of the opposition to £4,500.  He suggested that these proposed increases reflected the work that these postholders undertook.  These proposals could be accommodated within the total budget.

During consideration of this item the view was expressed that Councillors should not be paid more than one SRA.  However, no agreement was reached on this point.  It was also suggested that the IRP should be asked to refer to office holders as ‘Chair rather than ‘Chairman’ in their reports, in line with terminology used at the Council.

Combined Financial Outturn and Quarter 4 Financial Monitoring Report (Including Update on the Fleet)

The Council considered recommendations relating to reprofiling the budget for capital fleet replacement, which aimed to reduce the impact of extending the anticipated life of domestic refuse collection vehicles; proposals to fund the crematorium sound system, street market and proposals for Dial a Ride charges and medical fares.

The following were the main points raised during the debate on this item:

·       The view was expressed that the changes to Dial a Ride fares potentially undermined local taxi operators.  However, the view was also reported that the changes in fares would encourage better use of the Dial a Ride service as it would be more affordable for service users.  Some Members reported that use of the service had declined since charges increased and the service was important in enabling vulnerable people to be less isolated.

·       A member asked for clarity about whether the Dial A Ride service made or lost money on each journey.  The Deputy Chief Executive and Director of Resources responded that the Council would save money from additional journeys being made, but if an additional vehicle was needed that would add to the costs. 

·       A Member suggested that the Council should not take on running a market as there were other organisations that could do this, such as the Business Improvement District (BID).  However, others expressed the view that a good quality weekly market would be an attraction that the Council should undertake to support the local economy.

·       A request was received for more detail about the reported reduction in carbon dioxide emissions by using HVO vehicles instead of diesel in the domestic waste collection service.  The potential use of virgin palm oil as fuel was also queried.  The question was raised as to whether renting vehicles was an option until a decision was made on the type of vehicle which the Council would use in future.  The Executive Director responded that the use of HVO instead of diesel-powered vehicles should reduce carbon emissions by 80%.  The Council purchased palm oil from suppliers who used sustainable sources.  He also reported that renting or leasing vehicles might be an option for the Council to explore, although there were some risks of increasing costs.  Electrification of the refuse fleet would require additional infrastructure to support this. 

·       Questions were raised about whether the Council’s financial plan was secure.  The Deputy Chief Executive and Director of Resources responded that quarter 1 2024/25 financial monitoring would be reported in September at which point more detail would be available.

·       In response to a query from a Member, the Deputy Chief Executive and Director of Resources reported that design costs on the new library site had been minimal.  The Executive Committee would consider a report about the final position in September 2024.

RESOLVED that

1)    The minutes of the meeting of the Executive Committee held on 26^th February 2024 be noted; and

2)    The minutes of the meetings of the Executive Committee held on 18th March and 9^th July 2024 be received and all recommendations adopted.