Local democracy

Agenda, decisions and minutes

Venue: Council Chamber - City Hall, Bradford. View directions

Contact: Guy Close  Tel: 07811 503906 or email  guy.close@bradford.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

60.

DISCLOSURES OF INTEREST pdf icon PDF 27 KB

(Members Code of Conduct - Part 4A of the Constitution)

 

To receive disclosures of interests from members and co-opted members on matters to be considered at the meeting. The disclosure must include the nature of the interest.

 

An interest must also be disclosed in the meeting when it becomes apparent to the member during the meeting.

 

Notes:

 

(1)       In relation to Agenda item 8 to approve the following recommendations contained in the report of the Monitoring Officer (Document “D”) to grant a dispensation to all Members who have certain Disclosable Pecuniary Interests listed in Appendix A to the report, as defined in the Relevant Authorities (Disclosable Pecuniary Interests) Regulations 2012, in the decision to approve the budget and to set the level of Council Tax and Business Rates for 2022/23 and 2023/24 during the Budget Council meetings on 17 February 2022 and 23 February 2023.

That Council:

 

(a)          Grants a dispensation to the Members of the Authority who have requested one, to enable them to participate in full in the decision to approve the budgets for 2022/23 and 2023/24 and to set the Council Tax and Business Rates for 2022/23 and 2023/24.

 

(b)          Approves the dispensation for a period of two years until 24 February 2023.

 

(c)          Notes Members’ personal interests and the Monitoring Officer’s advice that personal interests that may give rise to a perception of a conflict of interest shall not prevent Members from speaking and voting at the Budget meetings.

 

(2)       Members may remain in the meeting and take part fully in discussion and voting unless the interest is a disclosable pecuniary interest or an interest which the Member feels would call into question their compliance with the wider principles set out in the Code of Conduct.  Disclosable pecuniary interests relate to the Member concerned or their spouse/partner.

 

(3)       Members in arrears of Council Tax by more than two months must not vote in decisions on, or which might affect, budget calculations, and must disclose at the meeting that this restriction applies to them.  A failure to comply with these requirements is a criminal offence under section 106 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992. 

 

(4)       Members are also welcome to disclose interests which are not disclosable pecuniary interests but which they consider should be made in the interest of clarity.

 

(5)       Officers must disclose interests in accordance with Council Standing Order 44.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Monitoring Report submitted a report (Document D) which requested the Council to grant a dispensation to all Members who had certain Disclosable Pecuniary Interests, as defined in the Relevant Authorities (Disclosable Pecuniary Interests) Regulations 2012, for approving the budget and setting the Council Tax and Business Rates.

 

Members also disclosed interests which were not disclosable pecuniary

Interests, but which they considered should be made in the interests of clarity.

The lists attached as appendices A and B to the report had been updated with

further notifications by Members on their declarations.

 

In addition, it was requested at the Council meeting that the following interests be included:

 

·         Councillor Poulsen appointed to Nell Bank Charity (in a personal capacity).

·         Councillor Azam owned a children’s nursery, which was funded by the Council.

 

Resolved –

 

That Council:

 

1)     Grants a dispensation to the Members of the Authority who had requested one, to enable them to participate in full in the decision to approve the budgets for 2022/23 and 2023/24 and to set the Council Tax and Business Rates for 2022/23 and 2023/24.

2)    Approves the dispensation for a period of 2 years until 24 February 2023.

3)    Notes the Monitoring Officer’s advice that personal interests that may give rise to a perception of a conflict of interest shall not prevent Members from speaking and voting at Budget meetings.

61.

MINUTES

Recommended –

 

That the minutes of the meeting held on 25 January 2022 be signed as a correct record (previously circulated).

 

(Guy Close – 07811 503906)

Minutes:

Resolved – That the minutes of the meeting held on 25 January 2022 be signed as a correct record.

62.

APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

Minutes:

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors R Ahmed, J Clarke, Dunbar, Firth, Hargreaves, K Hussain, S Khan, Reid, Sajawal, and Smith.

63.

WRITTEN ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM THE LORD MAYOR (Standing Order 4)

(To be circulated before the meeting).

Minutes:

A copy of the Lord Mayor’s Announcements had been circulated and published on the Council’s website in advance of the meeting.

 

Former Councillor Bryan Hobson

 

Members paid tribute to former Councillor Bryan Hobson.  Bryan represented the Heaton Ward from 1979 until 1986, and again from 1987 until 1991, thereafter representing Bingley Ward from 1992 to 1996.  He was also a Parish Councillor in Cullingworth and initiated the building of a new Village Hall there.  He served as Chief Whip in the mid-1980s and undertook the role of Conservative Group Leader from 1994-1995.

 

Bryan served his all constituents with great distinction and diligence and was widely admired for his chairing skills, his good humour and his characterful, no-nonsense approach.

 

A minute’s silence was observed in his memory.

64.

INSPECTION OF REPORTS AND BACKGROUND PAPERS

(Access to Information Procedure Rules – Part 3B of the Constitution)

 

Reports and background papers for agenda items may be inspected by contacting the person shown after each agenda item.  Certain reports and background papers may be restricted. 

 

Any request to remove the restriction on a report or background paper should be made to the relevant Strategic Director or Assistant Director whose name is shown on the front page of the report. 

 

If that request is refused, there is a right of appeal to this meeting. 

 

Please contact the officer shown below in advance of the meeting if you wish to appeal. 

 

(Guy Close – 07811 503906)

Minutes:

There were no appeals to consider.

65.

MEMBERSHIP OF COMMITTEES AND JOINT COMMITTEES (Standing Order 4)

To consider any further motions (i) to appoint members to a Committee or a Joint Committee; or (ii) to appoint Chairs or Deputy Chairs of Committees (excluding Area Committees).

Minutes:

There were no membership changes to consider.

66.

RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE EXECUTIVE AND COMMITTEES (Standing Order 15) pdf icon PDF 83 KB

Appointment of External Auditors for Statutory Financial Statements

 

At the meeting of the Governance and Audit Committee held on 27 January 2022 consideration was given to the report (Document “Y”) of the Director of Finance, which set out the options available to the Council for the appointment of the external auditor.

 

Resolved – That the Committee recommends option 3 (opt into the nationalauditor appointment scheme) to Council as the preferred option and that the recommendation be included within the reports to Budget Council in February 2022.

 

Action: Director of Finance

Minutes:

Governance and Audit Committee:

 

Resolved – That the Council approves option three (opt into the national auditor appointment scheme) as the preferred option and that the recommendation be included within the reports to Budget Council.

67.

RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE EXECUTIVE - BUDGET 2022-23 pdf icon PDF 1 MB

The Executive at its meeting on 15 February 2022 will make recommendations to Council on the Budget for 2022/23.

 

The following reports are submitted: 

 

(i)            2022-23 Budget Update Report

 

The report of the Director of Finance (Executive Document “AU”) provides an update on the 2022-23 Budget Proposals report presented to Executive on 1 February 2022, with additional information derived from the Governments Provisional Local Government Settlement and the impact of information contained within the Council Tax and Business Rates Base setting report (Executive meeting on 4 January 2022).

 

(Andrew Cross – 07870 386523)

 

(ii)          The Council’s Revenue Estimates for 2022/23

 

The report of the Director of Finance provides details of the Council’s Revenue Estimates for 2022/23 (Executive Document “BC”). 

 

(This report may require updating following the meeting of the Executive on 15 February 2022.)

 

                                                            (Chris Chapman – 07971 725105)

 

(iii)         Allocation of the Schools’ Budget 2022/23 Financial Year

 

The report of the Director of Finance seeks approval of the recommendations of the Schools Forum in allocating the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) for 2022/23 (Executive Document “BD”).

 

                                                            (Andrew Redding – 01274 432678)

 

(iv)         Capital Investment Plan 2022-23 to 2025-26

 

The report of the Director of Finance proposes the Capital Investment Plan for 2022/23 to 2025/26 and an updated Capital Strategy for 2022/23 (Executive Document “BE”).

 

(This report may require updating following the meeting of the Executive on 15 February 2022.)

 

                                                      (Chris Chapman – 07971 725105)

                                   

(v)          2022/23 Budget Proposals and Forecast Reserves - Section 151 Officer Assessment

 

The report of the Director of Finance (Executive Document “BF”) sets out the S151 Officer’s assessment of the proposed budget for the financial year 2022/23, the adequacy of the forecast level of reserves and associated risks.

 

(The assessment of the Executive’s recommendations to Council on the budget may require updating following the meeting of the Executive on 15 February 2022.)

                                                           

                                                      (Chris Chapman – 07971 725105)

 

Note: In view of the short timescale between the Executive meeting on 15 February and the meeting of Council on 17 February the budget recommendations from the Executive to Council will be e-mailed to all Members of Council following the Executive meeting on 15 February and will be published on the Council’s website.  The recommendations will also be circulated at the Council meeting.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Executive met on 1 and 15 February 2022 to make recommendations to Council on the Budget for 2022/23.

 

The following reports were submitted:

 

(i)            2022-23 Budget Update Report

 

The report of the Director of Finance (Executive Document AU) provided an update on the 2022-23 Budget Proposals report presented to Executive on 1 February 2022, with additional information derived from the Governments Provisional Local Government Settlement and the impact of information contained within the Council Tax and Business Rates Base setting report (Executive meeting on 4 January 2022).

 

(ii)          The Council’s Revenue Estimates for 2022/23

 

The report of the Director of Finance provided details of the Council’s Revenue Estimates for 2022/23 (Council Document E)

 

(iii)         Allocation of the Schools’ Budget 2022/23 Financial Year

 

The report of the Director of Finance sought approval of the recommendations of the Schools Forum in allocating the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) for 2022/23 (Executive Document BD)

           

(iv)         Capital Investment Plan 2022-23 to 2025-26

 

The report of the Director of Finance proposed the Capital Investment Plan for 2022/23 to 2025/26 and an updated Capital Strategy for 2022/23 (Executive Document BE)

                                   

(v)          2022/23 Budget Proposals and Forecast Reserves – Section 151 Officer Assessment

 

The report of the Director of Finance (Executive Document BF) set out the S151 Officer’s assessment of the proposed budget for the financial year 2022/23, the adequacy of the forecast level of reserves and associated risks.

 

An amendment to the Executive’s recommendations was moved by Councillor Jeanette Sunderland.  The S151 Officer provided an assessment of the amendment.  The amendment was defeated.  In accordance with the Local Authorities (Standing Orders) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2014 a recorded vote was taken on the amendment and the Council voted as follows:

 

For the Amendment (5)

 

Councillors Griffiths, Knox, Stubbs, Jeanette Sunderland and Rachel Sunderland.

 

 

Against the Amendment (68)

 

Councillors Aneela Ahmed, Akhtar, Alipoor, Amran, Azam, Berry, Choudhry, Cunningham, Dearden, Dodds, Duffy, Engel, Ferriby, Godwin, David Green, Greenwood, Hinchcliffe, Humphreys, Ibar Hussain, Mohsin Hussain, Tariq Hussain, Iqbal, Jabar, Jamil, Hassan Khan, Imran Khan, Lal, Lee, Lintern, Mir, Nussrat Mohammed, Mukhtar, Mullaney, Nazir, Ross-Shaw, Salam, Shafiq, Shaheen, Slater, Tait, Thirkill, Thornton, Wainwright, Warburton, Wood, Ali, Barker, Bibby, Birch, Brown, Peter Clarke, Davies, Felstead, Glentworth, Goodall, Kyle Green, Herd, Heseltine, Nazam Mohammed, Pollard, Poulsen, Riaz, Sullivan, Townend, Whitaker, Winnard, Hawkesworth and Jenkins.

 

Abstentions (5)

 

The Lord Mayor Councillor Shabir Hussain and Councillors Edwards, Love, Warnes and Gibbons.

 

An amendment to the Executive’s recommendations was moved by Councillor Warnes.  The S151 Officer provided an assessment of the amendment.  The amendment was defeated.  In accordance with the Local Authorities (Standing Orders) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2014 a recorded vote was taken on the amendment and the Council voted as follows:

 

For the Amendment (4)

 

Councillors Edwards, Love, Warnes and Jenkins.

 

Against the Amendment (68)

 

Councillors Aneela Ahmed, Akhtar, Alipoor, Amran, Azam, Berry, Choudhry, Cunningham, Dearden, Dodds, Duffy, Engel, Ferriby, Godwin, David Green, Greenwood, Hinchcliffe, Humphreys, Ibar Hussain, Mohsin Hussain, Tariq  ...  view the full minutes text for item 67.

68.

ANY OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS

To consider any other recommendations (if any) arising from meetings of the Executive and Committees held after the publication of this agenda and prior to the Council meeting.

Minutes:

There were no other recommendations to consider.