COUNCIL MEETING
27TH
FEBRUARY 2008
PRESENT: The
Worshipful the Mayor, Councillor M R Jones;
Deputy Mayor, Councillor M A Martin;
Councillors T E Ankers, R A Bailey, W T Beard, D N Bebbington, D
Brickhill, M Campbell, D J Cannon, R Cartlidge, D H D Charlesworth,
S G Conquest, H W Curran, A Crawford, W S Davies, R E Dodd, J V
Dwyer, B H Dykes, B Evans, G Fenton, C Goff, M Grant, G Griffiths,
P A Hallett, J Hammond, J K Hatfield, K Healey, S W Hogben, M A
Hollins, J Jones, R Jones, A C Johnson, Z S Krizanac, J Lewis, W S
McGinnis, A Moran, S J S Mottram, R W Parker, A Richardson, M
Roberts, S Roberts, R Salmon, B G Silvester, M J Simon, R Stafford,
D J Straine-Francis, C G Thorley, C Waling, M J Weatherill, R
Westwood and L T Wood.
APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
142
Apologies for absence were received from Councillors J A Beech, J D
Bratherton, E Howell, J I Stockton and J Wright.
COMMITTEE OF FULL COUNCIL
143
RESOLVED: That the Council now sit as a Committee of Full
Council.
DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST
144
The Worshipful the Mayor, Councillor M R Jones, Councillors T E
Ankers, W T Beard, D N Bebbington, D Brickhill, W S Davies, R E
Dodd, B H Dykes, B Evans, C Goff, J Hammond, J K Hatfield, S W
Hogben, J Lewis, W S McGinnis, A Moran, R Parker and R Westwood
each declared a personal interest on the basis that they were
either Parish Councillors or Town Councillors. Councillor T E
Ankers declared a personal interest on the basis that his daughter
was an employee of Sir William Stanier School and he was a Member
of Coppenhall Joint Management Committee. Councillor R Jones
declared a personal interest on the basis that he was a member of
the Valley Neighbourhood Project
All declarations were made in respect of
agenda item No. 3 (Budget and Council Tax 2008/2009).
No other Member made any declaration of
interest in any item of business on the agenda at this point in the
proceedings.
BUDGET AND COUNCIL TAX
2008/2009
145
At its meeting held on 21st February 2008, the Board
considered the report of Councillor John Hatfield, Portfolio Holder
for Finance. Councillor Silvester moved the Board’s
recommendations.
145.1 The Committee of
Full Council considered an amendment to the motion –
|
|
Base Budget
|
|
|
Delete
|
Parish Grants
|
(£29,280)
|
|
Include
|
Youth Fund Budget
|
£29,280
|
The amendment to the Motion was put to the vote and was
lost.
145.2
A further amendment to the Motion was moved -
|
|
Base Budget
|
|
|
Delete
|
Non-allocated Community Cohesion Budget
|
(£26,000)
|
|
Include
|
Private Sector Housing Liaison Officer
(Homelessness)
|
£16,500
|
|
Include
|
Payment to Local Safeguarding Board
|
£6,500
|
|
|
No increase in school swim fees
|
£3,000
|
The amendment to the Motion was put to the vote and was
lost.
145.3
A further amendment to the Motion was moved –
|
|
One-off items
|
|
|
Reduce
|
Budget for Designated Public Places Orders
(DPPOs) signage
|
(£35,000)
|
|
Include
|
One-off grant for Alcohol Counselling
Service
|
£35,000
|
The amendment to the Motion was put to the vote and was
lost.
145.4
A further amendment to the Motion was moved -
|
|
Capital Programme
|
|
|
Delete
|
Contingency for non-realisation of external
contributions
|
(£625,000)
|
|
Reduce
|
Public Buildings Repairs budget, viring monies
to enable:
|
(£50,000)
|
|
|
· New changing
rooms at King George V Playing Fields
|
£165,000
|
------145.4 contd -----
|
|
· Increase in CNBC
Budget for Derby Docks Open Space
|
£155,000
|
|
|
· Increase in CNBC
Budget for Leighton Brook Park
|
£355,000
|
The amendment to the Motion was put to the vote and was
lost.
145.5
A further amendment to the Motion was moved -
|
|
Car Parking
|
|
|
No increase
|
Car Parking Fees
|
£135,000
|
|
Delete
|
Spending on car parking infra-structure
|
(£135,000)
|
The amendment to the Motion was put to the vote and was
lost.
(Note: During discussion of this
amendment, Councillor B Evans declared a personal interest on the
basis that a member of his family was a “blue badge”
holder.)
145.6
The original motion was put to the vote, and was
carried.
RECOMMENDED: That the recommendations as
follows be approved –
1. That it be noted
that at its meeting on 27th February 2008 the Council
calculated the following amounts for the year 2008/2009 in
accordance with Regulation 3 of the Local Authorities (Calculation
of Council Tax Base) Regulations 1992 made under Section 33 (5) of
the Local Government Finance Act 1992 -
(a) £41,029.6 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) For each Parish and
Nantwich Town Council are the amounts calculated by the Council, in
accordance with Regulation 6 of the Regulations, as the amounts of
its Council Tax Base for the year for dwellings in those parts of
its area to which one or more special items relate as shown in
Column 2 of Table 1 (attached).
2. That the
following amounts be now calculated by the Council for the year
2008/09 in accordance with Sections 32 to 36 of the Local
Government Finance Act 1992 -
a. £60,407,999
being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for
the items set out in Sections 32 (2) (a) to (e) of the Act;
b. £44,479,408
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;
c. £15,928,591
being the amount by which the aggregate at 2 (a) above exceeds the
aggregate at 2 (b) above, calculated by the Council, in accordance
with Section 32 (4) of the Act as its Budget requirement for the
year;
d. £9,537,778
being the aggregate of the sums which the Council estimates will be
payable for the year into its General Revenue Account in respect of
redistributed Non-Domestic Rates and Revenue Support Grant,
increased by the amount of any sum which the Council estimates will
be transferred from its Collection Fund to its General Revenue
Account pursuant to the Collection Fund (Community Charges)
directions under Section 97 (3) of the Local Government Finance Act
1988 (Community Charge Surplus);
e. £155.76
being the amount at 2 (c) above, less the amount at 2 (d) above,
all divided by the amount at 1 (a) above, calculated by the
Council, in accordance with Section 33 (1) of the Act, as the basic
amount of its Council Tax for the year;
f. £425,519
being the aggregate amount of all special items referred to in
Section 34 (1) of the Act;
g. £145.39
being the amount at 2 (e) above, less the result given by dividing
the amount at 2 (f) above, by the amount of 1 (a) above, calculated
by the Council, in accordance with Section 34 (2) of the Act, as
the basic amount of its Council Tax for the year for dwellings in
those parts of its area to which no special item relates;
h. The figures
shown in column 4 of Table 1 being the amounts given by adding to
the amount at 2 (g) above the amounts of the special items relating
to dwellings in those parts of the Council’s area mentioned above,
divided in each case by the amount at 1 (b) above, calculated by
the Council, in accordance with Section 34 (3) of the Act, as the
basic amounts of its Council Tax for the year for dwellings in
those parts of its area to which special items relate;
i. The
figures shown in Table 2 being the amounts given by multiplying the
amounts at 2 (g) and 2 (h) above by the number which, in the
proportion set out in Section 5 (1) of the Act, is applicable to
dwellings listed in a particular valuation band divided by the
number which in that proportion is applicable to dwellings listed
in valuation band D calculated by the Council, in accordance with
Section 36 (1) of the Act, as the amounts to be taken into account
for the year in respect of categories of dwellings listed in
different valuation bands.
3. That it be
noted for the year 2008/09 Cheshire County Council, Cheshire Police
Authority and Cheshire Fire Authority had stated the following
amounts in precepts issued to the Council, in accordance with
Section 40 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, for each of
the categories of dwellings shown below -
|
Valuation Band
|
Cheshire County
Council
|
Cheshire Police
Authority
|
Cheshire Fire
Authority
|
|
|
£
|
£
|
£
|
|
A
|
691.45
|
90.50
|
41.81
|
|
B
|
806.69
|
105.58
|
48.77
|
|
C
|
921.93
|
120.67
|
55.74
|
|
D
|
1,037.17
|
135.75
|
62.71
|
|
E
|
1,267.65
|
165.92
|
76.65
|
|
F
|
1,498.13
|
196.08
|
90.58
|
|
G
|
1,728.62
|
226.25
|
104.52
|
|
H
|
2,074.34
|
271.50
|
125.42
|
4. That having
calculated the aggregate in each case of the amounts at 2 (i) and 3
above, the Council, in accordance with Section 30 (2) of the Local
Government Finance Act 1992, hereby sets the amounts shown in Table
3 as the amounts of Council Tax for the year 2008/2009 for each of
the categories.
CAPITAL FINANCE: PRUDENTIAL
INDICATORS AND TREASURY
MANAGEMENT
146
At its meeting held on 21st February 2008, the Board
considered the report of Councillor John Hatfield, Portfolio Holder
for Finance.
The report covered the various requirements
of both the Prudential Code for Capital Finance and the Code of
Practice on Treasury Management. It also met the requirements
of anticipated new guidance in respect of the Minimum Revenue
Provision (MRP), being an annual charge to the Revenue Account
relating to debt.
RECOMMENDED:
(a)
That the Prudential Indicators for 2008/2009 in Appendix A of the
report submitted be approved;
(b) That the
policy set out in the Annual Minimum Revenue Provision Statement
2008/2009 in Appendix B of the report submitted be approved;
and
(c)
That the Treasury Management Strategy for 2008/2009 in Appendix C
of the report, and the revised list of Approved Organisations for
investment at Appendix D of the report, be approved.
SCHEME OF MEMBERS ALLOWANCES –
2008/2009
147
In accordance with the Local Authorities (Members Allowances)
(England) Regulations 2003, the Council was required to appoint an
Independent Remuneration Panel every four years to carry out a
comprehensive review of Members’ Allowances.
Following its appointment in September 2007,
the current Independent Remuneration Panel had met on five
occasions to consider the structure and content of the 2008/2009
Scheme of Members’ Allowances.
At its meeting held on 21st
February 2008, the Board considered the report of Councillor
Margaret Simon, Portfolio Holder for Customers, which gave details
of the Final Report of the Panel together with a draft Scheme
incorporating the changes proposed.
The Board had supported the majority of the
Panel’s recommendations, but was of the view that as the index
previously applied (Average Gross National Annual Wage) was no
longer collected, the Use of the Average Earnings (Excluding
Bonuses) Public Sector Inflation Rate, was a more appropriate
comparable alternative measure. In addition, the Board had agreed
to recommend the inclusion of an additional sentence to Paragraph 2
of Schedule 2 of the Draft Scheme.
RECOMMENDED:
(a) That the
index applied to the 2008/2009 Scheme of Members’ Allowances be
that of the Average Earning (Excluding Bonuses) Public Sector
Inflation Rate as published in November 2007;
(b) That the
remaining recommendations set out in the Final Report of the
Independent Remuneration Panel be accepted and implemented, subject
to Paragraph 2 of Schedule 2 of the draft Scheme of Members’
Allowances 2008/2009 being amended, by adding the following
sentence -
“That where a venue is not well-served
by public transport and a Member believes it is not practicable to
use the train, he/she is required to seek authorisation from the
Chief Executive, or, in his absence, a Member of the Senior
Management Team, relating to the mileage which can reasonably be
claimed for the journey”.
RECONVENING OF FULL
COUNCIL
148
RESOLVED: That Full Council be now reconvened.
RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE COMMITTEE OF FULL
COUNCIL
149
RESOLVED: That the recommendations of the Committee
of Full Council be approved and adopted.