(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)          Members must consider their interests, and act according to the following:

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

In addition, to receive and consider a report from the Council’s Monitoring

Officer, which requests the Council to grant a dispensation to all Members who have certain Disclosable Pecuniary Interests, 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 2023/24 during the Budget Council meeting on 23

February 2023.

Recommended:

That Council:

            1.         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 2023/24 and to set the Council Tax and Business Rates for 2023/24.

            2.         Approves the dispensation for a period of 2 years until 23

                        February 2024.

            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 the Budget meetings.

The Monitoring Officer submitted a report 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, in the decision to approve the budget and to set the level of Council Tax and Business Rates for 2023/24 during the Budget Council meeting on 23 February 2023.

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 at appendices A and B to the report had been updated with further notifications by Members on their declarations.

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

·         Councillor Nazam owned a children’s nursery which received funding from the Council.

·         Councillor Kamran Hussain was a member of the Co-operative Party and Unison.

·         Councillor Regan was a member of Unison and the Royal College of Nursing.

Resolved –

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 2023/24 and to set the Council Tax and Business Rates for 2023/24.

b)    Approves the dispensation for a period of two years until 23 February 2024.

c)    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 the Budget meetings.

Recommended – That the minutes of the meeting held on 24 January 2023 be signed as a correct record (previously circulated).

(Guy Close – 07811 503906)

Resolved – That the minutes of the meeting held on 24 January 2023 be signed as a correct record.

To receive any apologies for absence.

(Guy Close – 07811 503906)

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Barker, Birch, Joan Clarke, Goodall, Kyle Green, Majkowski, Smith and Warnes.

(To be circulated before the meeting).

A copy of the Lord Mayor’s announcements had been circulated and published on the Council’s website.

(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)

There were no restricted items.

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).

There were no membership changes to consider.

To consider any recommendations arising from meetings of the Executive and Committees.

(Guy Close – 07811 503906)

There were no other recommendations (budget recommendations to be considered under minute no. 74) from the Executive and Committees to consider.

The Executive at its meeting on 21 February 2023 will make recommendations to Council on the Budget for 2023/24.

The following reports are submitted:

(i)            2023/24 Budget Update

The report of the Director of Finance (Executive Document AP) provides an update on the 2023/24 budget position following national announcements outlined in the Provisional Local Government Settlement (20 December 2022), and the impact following the setting of the Council Tax and Business rates bases for 2023/24.

(Andrew Cross – 07870 386523)

(ii)          The Council’s Revenue Estimates for 2023-24

The report of the Director of Finance (Executive Document AU)

 provides details of the Council’s Revenue Estimates for 2023/24.

(This report may need updating following the meeting of the Executive on Tuesday, 21 February 2023)

(Andrew Cross – 07870 386523)

(iii)         Allocation of the Schools’ Budget 2023/24 Financial Year

The report of the Director of Finance (Executive Document AV) seeks approval of the recommendations of the Schools Forum in allocating the Dedicated Schools Grant for 2023/24.

(This report may need updating following the meeting of the Executive on Tuesday, 21 February 2023)

(Andrew Redding – 01274 432678)

(iv)         Capital Investment Plan 2023/24 to 2026/27

The report of the Director of Finance (Executive Document AW) proposes the Capital Investment Plan for 2023/24 to 2026/27 and an updated Capital Strategy for 2023/24.

(This report may need updating following the meeting of the Executive on Tuesday, 21 February 2023)

(Lynsey Simenton – 07582 102779)

(v)          Housing Revenue Account

The report of the Director of Finance (Executive Document AX) presents Council with the recommendations agreed by Executive on 31 January 2023 in relation to the re-opening of the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) on 1 April 2023 and the budget proposals. 

(This report may need updating following the meeting of the Executive on Tuesday, 21 February 2023)

(ArfatLohn – 07866 887377)

(vi)         2023/24 Budget Proposals and Forecast Reserves – Section 151 Officer Assessment

The report of the Director of Finance (Executive Document AY) sets out the Section 151 Officer’s assessment of the proposed budget for the financial year 2023/24, 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 Tuesday, 21 February 2023)

(Chris Kinsella – 07890 418367)

Note:  In view of the short timescale between the Executive meeting on Tuesday, 21 February 2023 and the meeting of Council on Thursday, 23 February 2023, the budget recommendations from the Executive to Council will be e-mailed to all Members of Council following the Executive meeting on 21 February 2023 and will be published on the Council’s website.  The recommendations will also be circulated at the Council meeting.

The Executive met on 21 February 2023 to make recommendations to Council on the Budget for 2023/24.

The following reports were submitted:

i)             2023/24 Budget Update (Executive Document AP)

ii)            The Council’s Revenue Estimates for 2023-24 (Executive Document AU)

iii)           Allocation of the Schools’ Budget 2023/24 Financial Year (Executive Document AV)

iv)           Capital Investment Plan 2023/24 to 2026/27 (Executive Document AW)

v)            Housing Revenue Account (Executive Document AX)

vi)           2023/24 Budget Proposals and Forecast Reserves – Section 151 Officer Assessment (Executive Document AY)

An amendment to the Executive’s recommendations was moved by Councillor Stubbs.  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 (6)

Councillors Riaz Ahmed, Griffiths, Knox, Naylor, Stubbs and Sunderland.

Against the Amendment (70)

Councillors Aneela Ahmed, Akhtar, Alipoor, Amran, Azam, Berry, Choudhry, Cunningham, Dearden, Dodds, Duffy, Engel, Ferriby, Firth, Godwin, David Green, Hayden, Hinchcliffe, Humphreys, Arshad Hussain, Ibrar Hussain, Kamran Hussain, Mohsin Hussain, Shabir Hussain, Tariq Hussain, Iqbal, Jabar, Jamil, Johnson, Hassan Khan, Imran Khan, Sabiya Khan, Lal, Lee, Lintern, Nussrat Mohammed, Mukhtar, Mullaney, Nazir, Regan, Ross-Shaw, Rowe, Salam, Shafiq, Shaheen, Slater, Tait, Thirkill, Thornton, Walsh, Wheatley, Wood, Falak Ahmed, Ali, Brown, Peter Clarke, Coates, Davies, Felstead, Glentworth, Herd, Loy, Nazam Mohammed, Pollard, Poulsen, Sullivan, Winnard, Hawkesworth, Elahi and Sajawal. 

Abstentions (5)

Councillors Love, Edwards, Hickson, Watson and Whitaker.

An amendment to the Executive’s recommendations was moved by Councillor Pollard.  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 (16)

Councillors Falak Ahmed, Ali, Brown, Peter Clarke, Coates, Davies, Felstead, Glentworth, Herd, Loy, Nazam Mohammed, Pollard, Poulsen, Sullivan, Winnard and Hawkesworth.

Against the Amendment (64)

Councillors Aneela Ahmed, Akhtar, Alipoor, Amran, Azam, Berry, Choudhry, Cunningham, Dearden, Dodds, Duffy, Engel, Ferriby, Firth, Godwin, David Green, Hayden, Hinchcliffe, Humphreys, Arshad Hussain, Ibrar Hussain, Kamran Hussain, Mohsin Hussain, Shabir Hussain, Tariq Hussain, Iqbal, Jabar, Jamil, Johnson, Hassan Khan, Imran Khan, Sabiya Khan, Lal, Lee, Lintern, Nussrat Mohammed, Mukhtar, Mullaney, Nazir, Regan, Ross-Shaw, Rowe, Salam, Shafiq, Shaheen, Slater, Tait, Thirkill, Thornton, Walsh, Wheatley, Wood, Riaz Ahmed, Griffiths, Knox, Naylor, Stubbs, Sunderland, Edwards, Hickson, Watson, Whitaker, Elahi and Sajawal.

Abstentions (1)

Councillor Love.

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, Hickson, Watson and Whitaker.

Against the Amendment (76)

Councillors Aneela Ahmed, Akhtar, Alipoor, Amran, Azam, Berry, Choudhry, Cunningham, Dearden, Dodds, Duffy, Engel, Ferriby,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 74.