Agenda and minutes

To approve as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 18 January, 2018.

Councillor Henderson proposed and Councillor A Vincent seconded that the minutes of the previous meeting be confirmed as a correct record.

Councillor Fail proposed an amendment, seconded by Councillor Beavers, that additional words be inserted in paragraph (d) of minute COU.74 (Executive Report of the Planning and Economic Development Portfolio Holder) as follows:

1)    “1^st bullet – in addition to the current wording the following amendment is proposed:

 Cllr Murphy was specifically asked to confirm whether or not proposals for a new access road over the rail line or the sale of parts of the track were in the Masterplan. He was also asked to re-assure Council that actions taken on the Enterprise Zone will not be allowed to adversely affect the ability or the cost of reinstating the rail line to Fleetwood. Cllr Murphy provided details of an internal and subsequent public consultation and added that “we will do whatever we can to make sure it’s in place”

2)    5^th bullet – in addition to the current wording the following amendment is proposed:

Cllr Murphy was specifically asked if he would consider putting forward an amendment to the Constitution so that Councillors from all affected Wards could call in a Planning Application, to which his response was No.”

However, the amendment was lost (by 8 votes to 30).

Councillor Henderson then proposed and Councillor A Vincent seconded an amendment, that words be added to the resolution confirming the minutes of the previous meeting, as follows:

“and, that the Chief Executive be instructed, in future, to write the minutes of full Council meetings in a more concise style, referring only to the documents considered and the decisions taken, and that a footnote be included in each set of minutes providing a link to the recording of the meeting available on the Council’s web site.”

The amendment was carried (by 31 votes to 11).

The accuracy of the minutes of the previous meeting were then confirmed by those present at the meeting (by 29 votes to 7 with 1 abstention) and it was

RESOLVED: (by 31 votes to 11) that the minutes of the Council meeting held on 18 January 2018 be confirmed as a correct record and that the Chief Executive be instructed, in future, to write the minutes of full Council meetings in a more concise style, referring only to the documents considered and the decisions taken, and that a footnote be included in each set of minutes providing a link to the recording of the meeting available on the Council’s web site.

To receive any declarations of interest from any Member or Officer on any item on this agenda.

All Members are asked to submit any declarations in writing by 9.30 am on Wednesday 7 March 2018, if possible.

The Chief Executive reminded Members that on 6 September 2012 the Council had passed a resolution granting a dispensation under Section 33 of the Localism Act 2011 enabling all Councillors to speak and vote on issues relating to the setting of the Council Tax (unless any Member was disqualified from voting under the provisions of Section 106 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 because a Council Tax payment had become payable and had remained unpaid for at least two months).  Councillors did not therefore need to individually declare an interest in agenda item 9 just because they were Council Tax payers.

Cllr Fail and Cllr Hodgkinson both declared a “significant other” interest (under agenda item 11: Council Tax 2018/19) on part of an amendment to the budget proposed by Cllr Beavers relating to Jubilee Gardens because they were members of the Friends of Jubilee Gardens but, as they considered that their interest would not give rise to a perception of a conflict of interest they participated in the debate and voted on the amendment.

To receive any announcements from the Mayor, Leader of the Council, Deputy Leader of the Council, Members of the Cabinet, a Chairman of a Committee or the Chief Executive.

The Mayor made announcements about the following Mayor’s Charity events:

1. A Fashion Show by Almarice to be held at Winmarleigh Village Hall on Friday 9 March 2018 at 7.30 pm.

2. The Charity Ball to be held at Wyreside Hall, Dolphinholme on Friday 20 April at 7pm.

To receive any questions or statements from members of the public under Procedure Rule 9.1.

Any questions or statements received by the specified deadline of noon on Friday 2 March 2018 will be published and circulated separately.

None.

To receive any questions from Members of the Council to the Mayor, a member of the Cabinet or the Chairman of a Committee under Council Procedure Rule 12.1

Any questions received by the specified deadline of noon on Friday 2 March 2018 will be published and circulated separately.

None.

Report of the Service Director Performance and Innovation.

The Service Director Performance and Innovation submitted a report on a review of the Wyre’s Members’ Allowances Scheme carried out by the Independent Remuneration Panel.

The Leader of the Council (Councillor Henderson) introduced the report and proposed that the recommendations of the Panel be approved. The proposal was seconded by the Deputy Leader of the Council and Resources Portfolio Holder (Councillor A Vincent).

RESOLVED (unanimously):

1.    That, in line with the formula applied since 2012, the Basic Allowance paid to each Councillor be increased by 1%, from £4,137 per annum to £4,176 per annum, with effect from 10 May 2018.

2.    That no change be made at this stage to the IT allowance of £186 per annum paid to each Councillor but, the intention of the Panel to review that allowance at its’ next meeting in the Autumn of 2018, in advance of the planned full implementation of paperless meetings from May 2019, be noted.

3.    That no changes be made to the way in which Special Responsibility Allowances for members of the Executive, Group Leaders or Chairmen of Committees are calculated, i.e. that they continue to be based on the various current multipliers of the Basic Allowance for each of the posts set out in the Council’s Members’ Allowances Scheme.

4.    That no changes be made to the Special Responsibility Allowances paid to the Lead Member for Children and Young People, the Lead Member for Older People, the Mayor or the Deputy Mayor.

5.    That the current uncertainty about the position with regard to the payment of registration fees for Councillors under the new General Data Protection Regulations to be implemented from May 2018, be noted.

6.    That no changes be made to any other elements of the Members’ Allowances Scheme.

7.    That the levels of allowances to be paid in 2018/19, as set out in Appendix 2 to the report, be noted.

8.    That the members of the Independent Remuneration Panel be thanked for their work.

Report of the Leader of the Council (Cllr Henderson) and the Service Director Performance and Innovation.

The Leader of the Council (Councillor Henderson) and the Service Director Performance and Innovation submitted a report on the Council’s Pay Policy Statement for the 2018/19 financial year.

RESOLVED (unanimously) that the Pay Policy Statement for 2018/19, attached as Appendix A to the report, be approved.

Report of the Leader of the Council (Cllr Henderson) and the Chief Executive.

The Leader of the Council (Councillor Henderson) and the Chief Executive submitted a report on a refreshed Business Plan for 2015-2019 (2018 update), which had been considered by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 9 January 2018.

Councillor Henderson proposed and Councillor A Vincent seconded that the updated Business Plan be approved.

Councillor Fail proposed an amendment, seconded by Councillor Beavers, that additional wording (in red and in italics below) be inserted and that the word “and” be deleted from the first bullet point, as follows:

“Enterprising Wyre

Priorities:-

·      We will promote economic, housing, and employment growth, and improved transport connectivity (Amended)

Key Programmes and Projects:-

• Adopt a new Local Plan and Infrastructure Delivery Planto manage and deliver development through to 2031, that robustly deals with all infrastructure requirements including transport and open space (Amended)
• Improve the Transport Infrastructure (New)

Measures:-

·         Numbers / % of working age residents employed within the Wyre Boundary (New)

·         Satisfaction levels with transport infrastructure and congestion (New)

·         Average daily commute distance (New)

Healthier Wyre

Key Programmes and Projects:-

• to meet or exceed open space targets in Wyre, by area, and by town. (New)

Measures:-

• actual versus target open space figures (in Wyre, by area, and by town). (New)”

However, the amendment was lost (by 11 votes to 32)

RESOLVED (by 32 votes to 11) that the Business Plan for 2015-2019 (2018 update), as set out in Appendix 1 to the report, be approved.

Report of the Leader of the Council (Cllr Henderson).

Please note: The report of the Head of Finance (S.151 Officer) on the Council’s Revenue Budget, Council Tax and Capital Programme which was considered by Cabinet at its meeting on 14 February 2018 forms part of the background to the attached report of the Leader of the Council, with paragraph 3.1 seeking Council agreement to the recommendations of the Cabinet.  An extract from minutes of that meeting, setting out the Cabinet’s recommendations, is attached as Appendix 1 to the Leader of the Council’s report to this meeting.  However, the detailed information from the Head of Finance’s report to the Cabinet is not repeated in this agenda.  That report can be viewed via the Cabinet agenda on the Council’s website at:

Cabinet – 14 February 2018

(A copy can also be obtained on request from the Democratic Services Team, tel: 01253 887481.)

The Leader of the Council (Councillor Henderson) submitted a report on the setting of Council Tax for 2018/19. His report included reference to the report of the Head of Finance (S.151 Officer) on the Revenue Budget, Council Tax and Capital Programme, which had been considered by the Cabinet at its meeting on 14 February 2018.  The full minute of that Cabinet meeting was included as Appendix 1 to his report.

The Mayor said that, in accordance with the usual convention, Procedure Rule 16.4 would be suspended so that the Leader when proposing the Budget and the Leader of the Opposition when commenting on or proposing any amendments to it, would not be time limited. However, all other speakers in the debate would, as usual, be limited to a maximum of five minutes each.

The Mayor also proposed that Procedure Rule 16.6(b) be suspended to allow a single debate to be held on any amendments proposed, the budget as a whole and the setting of the Council Tax.  The Council indicated its consent.

The Leader of the Council (Councillor Henderson) referred to the Budget proposals approved by the Cabinet on 14 February 2018 and formally proposed the recommendations on the budget and the setting of the Council Tax for 2018/19, as set out in his report (on pages 40 and 41 of the agenda).

The Deputy Leader and Resources Portfolio Holder (Councillor A. Vincent) formally seconded the recommendations proposed by Councillor Henderson.

The Leader of the Labour Group (Councillor Beavers) commented on the budget proposed by Councillor Henderson and proposed an amendment on behalf of the Labour Group, seconded by Councillor Fail, that words be added to the recommendations in paragraph 3 on page 40 of the agenda, as follows:

“That the formal Council Tax resolution as agreed by the Cabinet 14 February 2018, as set out in Appendix 1 attached, be agreed, with 3 additions to the capital programme included.

1 That this council fund FREE swimming during recognised Lancashire school holiday, for all WYRE young people age 16 and below.

At Wyre Public swimming pools.

This will help promote Health and wellbeing amongst our young people.

Cost £10,000

2 That this council fund the purchase of 2 portable Youth Shelters to be used in Wyre as and when required.

To help combat anti-social behaviour within Wyre.

Cost £25,000

3 That this Council award the friends of Jubilee gardens the sum of £20,000 to facilitate the creation of a community café on the car park within Jubilee gardens

To help restore this once beautiful park.

Cost £20,000

 The total cost will be £55,000

This will be taken from the £222,000 intended to be placed into the balances for next year‘s capital programme.

Leaving £167,000 to be placed into balances for future use.”

Following a debate on the budget and Council Tax for 2018/19, including the Conservative budget proposed by the Leader of the Council and the alternative Labour Group Budget proposed by the Leader of the Opposition, a vote was  ...  view the full minutes text for item COU86

None.

None.