Agenda
Venue: Council Chamber, Shirehall, Abbey Foregate, Shrewsbury, SY2 6ND. View directions
Contact: Tim Ward Committee Officer
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Apologies for Absence |
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Disclosable Pecuniary Interests Members are reminded that they must declare their disclosable pecuniary interests and other registrable or non-registrable interests in any matter being considered at the meeting as set out in Appendix B of the Members’ Code of Conduct and consider if they should leave the room prior to the item being considered. Further advice can be sought from the Monitoring Officer in advance of the meeting. |
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To approve as a correct record the minutes of the previous meeting held on 26 September 2024 |
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Announcements To receive such communications as the Chairman, Leader and Head of Paid Service may desire to lay before the Council. |
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To receive any questions from the public, notice of which has been given in accordance with Procedure Rule 14. Deadline for notification is 12.00 noon on Friday 6 December 2024 Additional documents: |
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Questions from Members To receive any questions from Members, notice of which has been given in accordance with Procedure Rule 15.2. Deadline for notification is 12.00 noon on Friday 6 December 2024 Additional documents: |
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Shropshire Corporate Parenting Report of the Executive Director of People attached
Contact Tanya Miles Tel: 01743 255811
Additional documents:
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Annual Report of the Portfolio Holder for Children and Education Report of the Portfolio Holder for Children and Education is attached |
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Setting the Council Tax Taxbase for 2025/26 Report of the Executive Director, Resources is attached
Contact: James Walton. Tel. 01743 258915
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Treasury Strategy 24/25 – Mid Year Review Report of the Executive Director, Resources is attached
Contact: James Walton. Tel. 01743 258915
Additional documents: |
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Gambling Act 2005 Policy Statement 2025 to 2028 Report of the Transactional and Licensing Team Manager is attached.
Contact: Mandy Beever (01743 251702)
Additional documents: |
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Shrewsbury Movement and Public Space Strategy Report of the Executive Director of Place is attached
Contact Mark Barrow Tel: 01743258919
Additional documents:
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Interim Polling District, Polling Place and Polling Station Review 2024 Report of Returning Officer is attached
Contact: Andy Begley, 01743 258675
Additional documents: |
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Electoral Services - Scale of Fees 2025/26 Report of Returning Officer is attached
Contact: Andy Begley, 01743 258675
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Response to Government Consultation on Remote Attendance/Proxy Voting Report of the Assistant Director – Legal and Governance is attached
Contact Tim Collard Tel: 01743 252756
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Constitution of Committees and Allocation of Seats Report of the Assistant Director – Legal and Governance is attached
Contact Tim Collard Tel: 01743 252756
Additional documents: |
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Motions The following motions have been received in accordance with Procedure Rule 16:
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Motion received from Councillor Duncan Kerr and supported by the Green Group It has been widely reported that Oswestry Post Office is one of 115 in the country at risk of closure by the Post Office. This office provides a much needed and valuable service particularly for the elderly and other people with protected characteristics under the Equalities Act.
This Council expresses it absolute opposition to any closure or diminution in services from the Oswestry Post office and calls on the MP for North Shropshire to express in the strongest terms the opposition of residents to this proposal
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Motion received from Councillor Andy Boddington and supported by Councillors Richard Huffer, Tracey Huffer and Rob Wilson Preamble Council will be aware of the concerns of farmers over the imposition of Inheritance Tax (IHT) now that the threshold for Agricultural Property Relief (APR) and Business Property Relief (BPR) has been set at £1 million. This has caused distress among farm owners in Shropshire and beyond, especially those who run smaller and family farms. They fear that payment of IHT by their successors will lead to land being sold to larger farms and investors, ending the centuries old tradition of family farms proving food and protecting the landscape of our county.
Farmers tend to be capital rich and cash poor, especially small farmers. Estimates of the number of small farms with land and business assets valued at £1 million vary from 33% (Treasury) to 66% (Defra). However, the most recent estimate from the NFU suggests that 75% of farms will be affected. It also showed that medium sized farms will not be protected by the ten-year payment window because the IHT payments would be higher than the income on those farms. The average farm sees a 1% return on capital.
The policy IHT will relentlessly erode small family farms. Our future farm landscape will be increasingly large landowners who manage for profit or tax avoidance, not as a livelihood. The £1 million threshold is unrealistically low and would damage the small family owned farms in Shropshire. In 2021, Shropshire had 3,686 farms. Of these, more than four in five are under 100 hectares. Agriculture is one of the counties largest employers.
Family farms are important to our county. They are the places in which transfer of knowledge and skills needed to manage farms is inherited from generation to generation. The new IHT regime as proposed would cause irrevocable erosion of that knowledge and the irrevocable loss of family farms.
Motion
This Council supports the family and small farmers of Shropshire. It recognises the important contribution they make to providing food and renewable energy, protecting the county’s ecology and the beauty of Shropshire’s landscape. It recognises that the farming community is a critical part of the social, economic and environmental fabric of rural Shropshire. Council agrees that:
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Exclusion of Press and Public To resolve that, in accordance with the provisions of schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 and Paragraph 10.4 [3] of the Council’s Access to Information Rules, the public and press be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following items |
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Exempt Minutes To approve as a correct record the exempt minutes of the previous meeting held on 26 September 2024 |
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Chief Executive and Chief Officer Pay Award 2024/25 Exempt report of the Executive Director Resources is attached
Contact: James Walton. Tel. 01743 258915
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