Meeting documents

To approve as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 12 December, 2018, copy attached as an appendix.

RESOLVED –

That the Minutes of the meeting of Council held on 12 December, 2018, be approved as a correct record.

By the Chairman of the Council.

By the Leader/Cabinet Members.

There were none.

There were none.

Councillor Mordue

Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources

To consider the attached report.

Council received a report, available in full on the Council’s website, summarising Cabinet’s recommendations in relation to the Budget for 2019/2020.  The report had been updated since this matter had been considered by Cabinet to include reference to those factors relevant to the formulation of the budget where there was now more certainty.

The Council report covered:-

·         Government Grant and the impact on budgets for 2019/2020 and beyond.

·         Retained business rates and business rates pooling.

·         New Homes Bonus.

·         Proposed changes to the future funding of local government service provision.

·         Budget pressures (including the outcome of pay negotiations in respect of the forthcoming financial year).

·         Savings and income options.

·         Fees and charges.

·         Reserves and balances.

·         Capital planning and the impact of spending decisions.

·         Investments/net borrowing.

·         The Connected Knowledge programme.

·         Commercial AVDC.

·         The transition to a unitary authority for Buckinghamshire.

·         Council Tax strategy and collection rates.

·         The Medium term Financial Plan (MTFP).

·         The implications of Brexit as far as these could be assessed at this stage.

·         Special Expenses (for Aylesbury).

·         Budget management generally.

·         Risk assessment/management.

The Cabinet report also contained the report of the Chief Financial on the robustness of the estimates made for the purposes of budget and council tax setting calculations and the adequacy of the proposed financial reserves.  The Finance and Services Scrutiny Committee had considered the draft budget proposals and the Committee’s comments had been taken into account in determining the final package to be recommended for approval by Council.

Having outlined the rationale behind the budget proposals, the Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources proposed the adoption of the recommendations contained in the Council report.  This was seconded by Councillor Mrs Glover.

In accordance with Council Procedure Rules, each of the Leaders of the political groups represented on the Council made a statement in connection with the budget proposals after which the matter was subject to debate.  Council Procedure Rules required the names of Members voting for, against or abstaining from voting on any decision at a budget meeting of the Council, including amendments, in the Minutes.

It was thereupon proposed by Councillor Stuchbury and seconded by Councillor Lambert:-

That 2.2 e of the recommendation contained in the Council report be amended by the addition at the end, of the following:-

"The Council agrees that as we move forward towards a Buckinghamshire Council, it is in the interests of Aylesbury residents that community centres, parks and recreation grounds within the Parish of Aylesbury and the Aylesbury Market, are transferred to Aylesbury Town Council; to be achieved by December, 2019"."

Upon being put to the meeting, the amendment was declared to be LOST.  Voting was as follows:-

For

Councillors Lambert, Jarvis, Khan, Raven and Stuchbury.

Against

Councillors Irwin, Sir Beville Stanier, Bowles, Renshell, Brandis, Mordue, Strachan, Bond, S Cole, Everitt, Fealey, Chilver, Foster, Glover, Hawkett, Jenkins, King, Mills, Powell, Cooper, N Blake, Rand, Newcombe, Stamp, Town and Whyte.

Abstentions

None.

NOTE:

Councillors Smith, W Chapple, S Chapple, Moore, Christensen, Hussain, Raja, Bloom, Morgan, Bateman, C Adams, Russell  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

Councillor Mordue

Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources

To consider the attached report.

Council considered a report similar to that submitted to Cabinet in December 2018 but updated to reflect the latest information, on the Capital Programme for the period 2019/20 to 2022/23.  The report had been posted in full on the Council’s web site.

The focus of the Capital Programme was on the delivery of existing schemes which had already been approved by Council.  In order to comply with the revised CIPFA Prudential and Treasury Management Codes, the report set out the Council’s capital strategy.

The Capital Programme had been considered by the Finance and Services Scrutiny Committee which was supportive of the proposals.

The Cabinet member for Finance and Resources explained the rationale behind the Programme, after which he proposed that the Council report recommendation be approved.  This was seconded by Councillor Strachan.

Upon being put to the meeting the motion was declared to be CARRIED.  Voting was as follows:-

For

Councillors Irwin, Sir Beville Stanier, Bowles, Renshell, Brandis, Mordue, Strachan, Hunter-Watts, Raja, Lambert, Jarvis, Christensen, Bond, Bloom, B Chapple, S Chapple, A Cole, S Cole, Everitt, Fealey, Khan, Hussain, Smith, Morgan, Raven, Chilver, Foster, Glover, Hawkett, Jenkins, King, Mills, Moore, Powell, Bateman, Stuchbury, C Adams, Cooper, N Blake, Rand, Newcombe, Russell, Stamp, Town and Whyte.

Against

None.

Abstentions

None.