Agenda item

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

Please note: The report of the Corporate Director Resources (Section 151 Officer) on the Council’s Revenue Budget, Council Tax and Capital Programme, which was considered by the Cabinet on 12 February 2020, 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 ofthe Corporate Director Resources to the Cabinet is not reproducedin this agenda. That report can be viewed via the Cabinetagenda on the Council’s website at:

https://wyre.moderngov.co.uk/documents/s8423/20200121%20Cabinet-120220%20new%20template.pdf

The Leader of the Council (Cllr Henderson) submitted a report on the determination of the Council Tax for the Borough for the 2020/21 financial year. His report included reference to the report of the Resources Portfolio Holder and Corporate Director Resources and Section 151 Officer, which had been considered by the Cabinet at its meeting on 12 February 2020.  The minute detailing the Cabinet’s recommendations was set out in Appendix 1 of his report to this Council meeting.

The Resources Portfolio Holder (Cllr A Vincent) seconded Cllr Henderson’s proposal that the recommendations made by the Cabinet be approved.

Cllr Fail proposed and Cllr Beavers seconded the following amendment, that the formal Council Tax resolution as agreed by Cabinet on 12 February 2020, as set out in Appendix 1, be agreed with 3 additional changes:

1       Fees & Charges: Hire Of Sports Pitches

The previously approved rise in the cost of hire (ranging from 3% to 6%) is revised down to 2% (rounded to the nearest pound).

The reduction in revenue is predicted to be £335 in 2020/21.

2       Fees & Charges: Green Waste Subscription

That the decision for the green waste subscription to be increased to £35 per bin per annum for single year subscriptions made online, by post, cheque, or in person be reversed, with subscriptions remaining at £30 as for those paying by Direct Debit.

The reduction in revenue is predicted to be £11,010 in 2020/21.

3       Climate Change Fund

£500,000 is allocated from general balances to create a Climate Change Reserve to fund a tree planting and land management programme.

£300,000 would be guaranteed to fund tree planting and the creation and preservation of natural wetland areas, and it is proposed that up to £200,000 would be made available to match donations from Wyre residents and businesses who can afford and wish to tackle the threats faced. This match funding would be ring-fenced for tree planting.

If this is approved, and as a gesture to get this fund up and running, the Labour Group will donate £50 for each Councillor. Other Groups are asked to do likewise.

Initially General Balances would reduce by £500,000 and Earmarked Reserves would increase by £500,000. Of the £500,000 transfer, £200,000 would only be released on the achievement of equivalent match funding.

The following members voted for the amendment: Councillors Beavers, B Birch, Fail, Longton, Smith, Stirzaker and Swales.

The following members voted against the amendment: Councillors I Amos, R Amos, Lady D Atkins, Sir R Atkins, Ballard, Baxter, Berry, C Birch, Bowen, Bridge, Cartridge, Catterall, Collinson, Cropper, E Ellison, P Ellison, Fairbanks, George, Gerrard, Henderson, Holden, Ibison, Ingham, Kay, Le Marinel, Leech, Minto, Moon, O’Neill, Orme, Robinson, A Turner, S Turner, A Vincent, Matthew Vincent, Michael Vincent, D Walmsley, L Walmsley, Webster and Williams.

The amendment was therefore lost (by 7 votes to 40).

A vote was then taken on the Cabinet’s recommendations on the budget for 2020/21 and on the level of 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, R Amos, Lady D Atkins, Sir R Atkins, Ballard, Baxter, Berry, B Birch, C Birch, Bowen, Bridge, Cartridge, Catterall, Collinson, Cropper, E Ellison, P Ellison, Fairbanks, George, Gerrard, Henderson, Holden, Ibison, Ingham, Kay, Le Marinel, Leech, Minto, Moon, O’Neill, Orme, Robinson, A Turner, S Turner, A Vincent, Matthew Vincent, Michael Vincent, D Walmsley, L Walmsley, Webster and Williams.

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

The proposal was therefore carried (by 41 votes to 6).

Agreed:

1. That the formal Council Tax resolution as agreed by Cabinet on 12 February 2020, as set out in Appendix 1 of the Leader’s report and attached as Appendix 1 to these minutes, be approved.

2. That this Council’s Band D equivalent Council Tax for the 2020/21 financial year of £204.74 together with parish precepts, as submitted in the report on the 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 2020/21 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 2 and 3 above, and in accordance with Sections 30 and 36 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, the amounts set as the Council Tax for the year 2020/21 for each part of the Wyre area and for each of the categories of dwellings were as shown in Table C of the Appendix to these minutes.