Agenda item

Report of Councillor Michael Vincent, Leader of the Council.

Please note: The report of the Corporate Director Resources (Section 151 Officer) on the Council’s Revenue Budget, Council Tax and Capital Estimates, which was considered by the Cabinet on 15 February 2023, 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 the minutes of that meeting, setting out the Cabinet’s recommendations, is attached as Appendix 1 of the Leader of the Council’s report to this meeting. However, the detailed information from the report of the Corporate Director Resources to the Cabinet is not reproduced in this agenda. That report can be viewed via the Cabinet agenda on the Council’s website at: https://wyre.moderngov.co.uk/documents/g1737/Public%20reports%20pack%2015th-Feb-2023%2017.00%20Cabinet.pdf?T=10

The Leader of the Council, Councillor Michael Vincent, submitted a report on the setting of Council Tax for 2023/24.  His report included reference to the report of the Corporate Director Resources (Section 151 Officer) on the Revenue Budget, Council Tax and Capital Programme, which had been considered by the Cabinet at its meeting on 15 February 2023. 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 agreed unanimously.

It was proposed by Councillor Michael Vincent and seconded by Councillor Henderson that the recommendations made by Cabinet be approved.

The following amendments were proposed by Councillor Fail and seconded by Councillor Beavers:

1.     Reduce Fly-Tipping – free collections for all

The cost would be an estimated £50k-£80k a year which would be funded from the Value For Money reserve. An end of year one review would identify cost reductions and additional income from other fees and charges to offset any impact on general balances.

2.    Reduce Littering and Dog-fouling - Bring District Enforcement In-house

The cost based on figures provided to O&S (assuming a like for like service) would be in the region of £130k for Year 1, and £100k thereafter. This would be funded from the Value For Money reserve. An end of year one review would identify cost reductions and additional income from other fees and charges to offset any impact on general balances.

During the debate, Councillor Beavers raised a personal explanation in response to Councillor Berry to clarify she did not mention builders waste in her speech.

Councillor Michael Vincent raised a personal explanation by clarifying that wording of the first Labour Group amendment did not mention the word “household waste”. The Chief Executive confirmed that the wording of the amendment was “Reduce Fly-Tipping – free collections for all. The cost would be an estimated £50k-£80k a year which would be funded from the Value For Money reserve. An end of year one review would identify cost reductions and additional income from other fees and charges to offset any impact on general balances.”

Following a proposal by Councillor Fail to amend the wording of the Labour Group’s first amendment, a point of order was raised by Councillor Le Marinel regarding the procedure for further amendments. The Mayor ruled that no further amendments were to be heard as members had moved to the debate.

The following members voted in support of the first amendment proposal: Councillors Beavers, Fail, Longton, Rushforth, Smith, Stirzaker and Swales.

The following members voted against the first amendment proposal: Councillors I Amos, Lady D Atkins, Sir R Atkins, Ballard, Berry, C Birch, Bowen, Bridge, Cartridge, Catterall, E Ellison, P Ellison, Gerrard, Henderson, Holden, Ibison, Ingham, Kay, Le Marinel, Leech, McKay, Minto, Moon, Orme, Rendell, Robinson, A Vincent, Matthew Vincent, Michael Vincent, D Walmsley, L Walmsley and Webster.

The amendment was therefore lost (by 7 votes to 32).

The following members voted in support of the second amendment proposal: Councillors Beavers, Fail, Longton, Smith, Stirzaker and Swales.

The following members voted against the second amendment proposal: Councillors I Amos, Lady D Atkins, Sir R Atkins, Ballard, Berry, C Birch, Bowen, Bridge, Cartridge, Catterall, E Ellison, P Ellison, Gerrard, Henderson, Holden, Ibison, Ingham, Kay, Le Marinel, Leech, McKay, Minto, Moon, Orme, Rendell, Robinson, Rushforth, A Vincent, Matthew Vincent, Michael Vincent, D Walmsley, L Walmsley and Webster.

The amendment was therefore lost (by 6 votes to 33).

A vote was then taken on the Cabinet’s recommendations on the budget for 2023/24 and on the level of the Council Tax as set out in paragraphs 3.1, 3.2, 3.3 and 3.4 of the Leader’s report.

The following members voted in support of the proposal: Councillors I Amos, Lady D Atkins, Sir R Atkins, Ballard, Berry, C Birch, Bowen, Bridge, Cartridge, Catterall, E Ellison, P Ellison, Gerrard, Henderson, Holden, Ibison, Ingham, Kay, Le Marinel, Leech, McKay, Minto, Moon, Orme, Rendell, Robinson, Rushforth, A Vincent, Matthew Vincent, Michael Vincent, D Walmsley, L Walmsley and Webster.

The following members voted against the proposal: Councillors Beavers, Fail, Longton, Smith, Stirzaker and Swales.

The proposal was therefore approved (by 33 votes to 6) and it was agreed:

1.    That the formal Council Tax resolution as agreed by Cabinet 15 February 2023, as set out in Appendix 1 to these minutes, be approved.

2.    That this Council’s Band D equivalent Council Tax for the 2023/24 financial year of £219.74 together with parish precepts, as submitted in the report on Budget, be approved for each of the valuation bands as set out in Table A of Appendix 2 to these minutes.

3.    That it be noted that for the year 2023/24 the major precepting authorities have stated the following amounts in precepts, in accordance with Section 40 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, for each of the categories of dwellings in the Council’s area, as shown in Table B of Appendix 2 of these minutes.

4.    That having calculated the aggregate in each case of the amounts at 3.2 and 3.3 above, and in accordance with Sections 30 and 36 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, the following amounts are set as the Council Tax for the year 2023/24 for each part of its area and for each of the categories of dwellings, as shown in Table C of Appendix 2 to these minutes.