Report of the Executive Director, Resources is attached

 

Contact:  James Walton.  Tel. 01743 258915

It was proposed by Councillor Lezley Picton, Leader and Portfolio Holder for Policy and Strategy, Improvement and Communications, and seconded by Councillor Gwilym Butler, Portfolio Holder for Finance, Corporate Resources and Communities that the report of the Executive Director of Resources, a copy of which is attached to the signed minutes and the recommendations contained therein, be received and agreed.

 

In response to a request from Councillor Roger Evans, the Chairman confirmed that he would split the recommendations in two for the purposes of voting, taking recommendations i to iv (council tax resolution) first and the remaining recommendations second.

 

By way of amendment Councillor Julia Buckley made the following proposal

 

“That in lieu of the proposed redundancies, Council enter into consultations with the trade unions and employees, to introduce 12 days unpaid leave for all staff. This would amount to an additional day’s holiday per month, and a saving of 4.6% on salaries, totalling £10.6m based on the most recent annual pay bill.

 

Based on the median salary, this would protect 292.68 Full Time Equivalent?jobs (including on costs at an average of 27%)

 

All those staff below scp 39 (band 13) would still receive a net increase on their salary following a pay rise of £1800 which has been budgeted for by the Council.”

 

This was seconded by Councillor Alan Mosley

 

The Portfolio Holder for Finance, Corporate Resources and Communities stated that whilst he could not currently commit to this proposal, he would investigate the matter further.

 

On being put to a recorded vote with 29 Members voting for, 38 against and 2 abstentions as follows:

 

FOR:

 

Councillors Bagnall, Bentick, Boddington, Buckley, Clarke, Connolly, Dartnall, Davies, Dean, J Evans, R Evans, Green, Halliday, Hartin, Houghton, R Huffer, Kerr, Kidd, Moseley, Mosley, Pardy, Parry, Parsons, Sherrington, Taylor, Vasmer, Wagner, M Williams and Wilson

 

AGAINST:

 

Councillors Aldcroft, Anderson, Bardsley, Barrow, Biggins, Bird, Burchett, Butler, Carroll, Charmley, Dakin, Davenport, Elner, D Evans, Gill, Gittins, Harris, Hignett, Hunt, Hurst- Knight, M Jones, S Jones, Lea Luff, Lumby, Macey, Morris, Motley, Mullock, Nellins, Picton, Potter, Price, Schofield, Thomas, Tindall, Wild and B Williams

 

ABSTAIN:

 

Councillors Minnery and Towers

 

The amendment proposed by Councillor Buckley fell.

 

By way of amendment Councillor Julian Dean proposed the following

 

“Delete all from 

‘In respect of the revenue budget’ to ‘xv agree the Capital Programme as set out in Appendix 2 section 6 and Annex B to capital Strategy’. 

 

Delete all from and In relation to the delivery partner’  

 

Insert at the end:  

 

1.    Require the cabinet to return to full council in time to set a balanced budget with new proposals which rebalance the Capital Strategy specifically to support more investment in infrastructure that will support care for adults and children which mitigate the need for residential care.  
 

1a. Specifically the £2m identified in savings from children services to be retained by the dept and used to fund the repayments on a revised capital programme designed to enable the development of in-house residential alternatives to expensive privately operated care homes. 

 

2.    To require the cabinet to bring forward an asset disposal strategy that requires the council to approach parish and town councils and community groups for assets earmarked for disposal, with a view to for such assets to stay in public or community hands, whether for management or ownership.  

 

3.    To require the cabinet to set up cross party working groups to consider the implications and enactment of agreed budget measures within each portfolio area, with terms of reference that allow them to bring forward alternatives throughout the year.

 

4.    To require the cabinet to produce portfolio specific equalities and community impact assessments to be considered by the working parties as part of the process at 3.”? 

 

The amendment was seconded by Councillor Duncan Kerr

 

The Leader stated that she would be happy to consider cross party working as suggested but could not accept the specifics of the amendment proposed.

 

Following a vote with 28 votes for, 39 votes against and 1 abstention Councillor Dean’s  amendment fell.

 

Following further discussion the Chairman reminded the Members that he would take recommendations i to iv first and on being put to a recorded vote with 69 Members voting for, none against and no abstentions as follows:

 

FOR:

 

Councillors Aldcroft, Anderson, Bagnall, Bardsley, Barrow, Bentick, Biggins, Bird, Boddington, Buckley, Burchett, Butler, Carroll, Charmley, Clarke, Connolly, Dakin, Dartnall, Davenport, Davies, Dean, Elner, D Evans, J Evans, R Evans, Gill, Gittins, Green, Halliday, Harris, Hartin, Hignett, Houghton, R Huffer, Hunt, Hurst-Knight, M Jones, S Jones, Kerr, Kidd, Lea, Luff, Lumby, Macey, Minnery, Morris, Moseley, Mosley, Motley, Mullock, Nellins, Pardy, Parry, Parsons, Picton, Potter, Price, Schofield, Sherrington, Taylor, Thomas, Tindall, Towers, Vasmer, Wagner, Wild, B Williams, M Williams and Wilson.

 

It was RESOLVED:

 

That Council

 

                  i.        approve a 4.99% Council tax rise (a 2.99% increase to Council Tax and a 2% increase to Adult Social Care Precept) resulting in a basic amount of council tax for a Band D property of £1,720.80 in the billing authority’s area, calculated in accordance with the provisions of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 (section 42b). 

 

                 ii.        in accordance with the provisions of Section 40 (2) of the 1992 Act, approve the amount of Council Tax calculated for each category of dwelling in the billing authority’s area to be as follows: 

 

Property Band	2024/25 Charge  £
A	1,147.20
B	1,338.40
C	1,529.60
D	1,720.80
E	2,103.20
F	2,485.60
G	2,868.00
H	3,441.60

 

                iii.        approve a total precept of £205,104,165. 

 

                iv.        approve the formal council tax resolution as set out in Appendix 4 to determine the levels of Council Tax for Shropshire Council for 2024/25. 

 

Cllr Buckley asked for an explanation as to why the reference to “Bridgnorth Town Centre Parking and Public Realm Works” which had been included in previous Capital Strategy had been removed from the Priority Capital Schemes Schedule (Appendix C to the Report). In response the Portfolio Holder for Finance and Corporate Support gave his assurance that the scheme was in the Council’s Aspirational Schemes Schedule and remained under consideration for inclusion in the Capital Programme subject to a clear specification and business case.

 

Recommendations v to xvii were then taken and on being put to a recorded vote with 37 Members voting for, 32 against and no abstentions as follows:

 

FOR:  

 

Councillors Aldcroft, Anderson, Bardsley, Barrow, Biggins, Bird, Burchett, Butler, Carroll, Charmley, Dakin, Davenport, Elner, D Evans, Gill, Gittins, Harris, Hignett, Hunt, Hurst- Knight, M Jones, S Jones, Lea, Luff, Lumby, Macey, Morris, Motley, Mullock, Nellins, Picton, Potter, Price, Schofield, Thomas, Wild and B Williams 

 

AGAINST:

 

Councillors Bagnall, Bentick, Boddington, Buckley, Clarke, Connolly, Dartnall, Davies, Dean, J Evans, R Evans, Green, Halliday, Hartin, Houghton, R Huffer, Kerr, Kidd, Minnery, Moseley, Mosley, Pardy, Parry, Parsons, Sherrington, Taylor, Tindall, Towers,  Vasmer, Wagner, M Williams and Wilson

 

It was RESOLVED:

 

That Council

 

                 v.         approve the 2024/25 gross budget of £709.472m outlined in the Budget Book at Appendix 3.

 

                vi.        note the key changes to the MTFS as outlined in Appendix 1 since the December update of the MTFS and the advice relating to those changes, in particular:

·         the public consultation and related findings

·         the Alternative Budget process and findings

·         the Financial Settlement and implications for the Council

·         the Collection Fund outturn and the impact on next year

·         the latest budget forecast for the current year and the resulting likely impact on reserves in this year and next (also included in the MTFS assumptions)

·         Inclusion of the Equality, Social Inclusion and Health Impact Assessment (ESIHA)

              vii.        note the alignment of this report with other reports on this agenda, including the Fees and Charges proposals, and the proposed Treasury Strategy.

 

             viii.        note the revised funding gap for the years 2025/26 to 2028/29.

 

                ix.        note the Statement of the Chief Financial Officer on the Robustness of Estimates and Adequacy of Reserves as set out in Sections 6.1 – 6.3 of the MTFS at Appendix 1.

 

                 x.         approve the recommended level of general fund balances to support the 2024/25 revenue budget of £49.682m, noting that the projected balance is presently significantly below this for 2024/25.

 

                xi.        note the projected recommended level of general reserves for the following four years at £47.463m in 2025/26, £45.539m in 2026/27, £45.874m in 2027/28 and £46.934m in 2028/29.

 

              xii.        note the continued use of the Policy for Flexibility around the use of Capital Receipts as detailed in section 8.1 of the MTFS at Appendix 1.

 

             xiii.        agree the adoption of the Capital Strategy 2023/24 – 2028/29 attached as Appendix 2.

 

             xiv.        note the prioritised capital schemes identified at Appendix 2 section 8 including the need to identify and confirm funding sources for these schemes.

 

              xv.         agree the Capital Programme as set out in Appendix 2 section 6 and Annex B to the Capital Strategy.

 

             xvi.        agree the Pay and Rewards Policy for all Council staff for 2024/25 as set out in Appendix 5.

 

            xvii.        approve a delegation to the CFO in consultation with the Portfolio Holder - Finance, Corporate Resources and Communities to enable specific work to be commissioned from PwC in line with the conditions set out in paragraph 4.8.