Agenda and minutes

Budget Setting, Council - Thursday, 22nd February, 2018 7.30 pm

Venue: Council Chamber - Civic Centre, High Street, Uxbridge UB8 1UW. View directions

Contact: Lloyd White, Head of Democratic Services 

Items
No. Item

41.

Apologies for Absence

Minutes:

Apologies were received from Councillors East, Fyfe, Gardner, Jarjussey, Khursheed, Lakhmana and Markham.

42.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 189 KB

To receive the minutes of the meeting held on 18 January 2018 (attached)

Minutes:

RESOLVED:            That the minutes of the meeting held on 18 January 2018 be approved as a correct record.

43.

Declarations of Interest

To note any declarations of interest in any matter before the Council

Minutes:

None.

44.

Mayor's Announcements

Minutes:

The Mayor welcomed the students from Brunel University who were in attendance.

 

The Mayor went on to announce that she was nine months through her mayoralty and had attended more than 416 varied events and meetings, including the Holocaust Memorial Day Ceremony at City Hall, and 12 ground breaking and ribbon cutting events for the creation of, among other things, outside gyms and refurbished play parks within the Borough.

 

The Mayor had welcomed two residents of the Borough to the Mayor's Parlour; a veteran of WW2 who was given a farewell tea before her impending residence as a Chelsea Pensioner, and the presenting of the Civic Medal to a gentleman as recognition of his 30 years work as a volunteer within the Borough.

 

Fundraising for the Mayor's Charity was going well.  The next Quiz Night would be held on 14 March 2018 and a Murder Mystery Supper was to be held on 1 March 2018.  The Deputy Mayor would be taking part in the Annual London Mayor's Walk, on behalf of the Mayor. Members were encouraged to sponsor the Deputy Mayor.

 

The Mayor concluded by thanking Councillor Lewis for persuading the prestigious Holland and Holland Shooting Club to arrange a clay pigeon shooting day, to raise money for the Mayor's Charities.

45.

Report of the Head of Democratic Services pdf icon PDF 136 KB

Minutes:

i)          Urgent Implementation of Decisions

 

Councillor Puddifoot moved, and Councillor Simmonds seconded, the recommendation as set out on the Order of Business

 

RESOLVED:  That the Urgency decisions detailed in the report be noted.

 

ii)         a) Members' Allowances 2018/19

 

Councillor Puddifoot moved the recommendation as set out on the Order of Business.  The motion was seconded by Councillor Simmonds and put to a recorded vote: 

 

Those voting for: The Mayor (Councillor Melvin), the Deputy Mayor (Councillor Morgan), Councillors Ahmad-Wallana, Barnes, Bianco, Bridges, Burrows, Chamdal, Chapman, G Cooper, J Cooper, Corthorne, Crowe, Dann, Davis, Denys, Duducu, Edwards, Flynn, Gilham, Graham, Haggar, Hensley, Higgins, Jackson, Kauffman, Kelly, Lavery, Lewis, D Mills, R Mills, O’Brien, Palmer, Puddifoot, Riley, Seaman-Digby, Simmonds, Stead, White and Yarrow.

 

Those voting against: none. 

 

Those abstaining: Councillors Allen, Birah, Burles, Curling, Dheer, Dhillon, Dhot, Duncan, Eginton, Garg, Khatra, Money, Morse, Nelson, Oswell, Sansarpuri, Singh and Sweeting.

 

The motion was carried and it was:

 

RESOLVED:  That the current Members’ Allowances Scheme be revoked as of 31 March 2018 and the new Scheme for 2018/19 be approved, as shown in Appendix A to these minutes, for implementation from 1 April 2018 including, for 2018/19 a Basic Allowance of £11,036.71 to be payable to all Councillors and Special Responsibility Allowances to be paid in equal monthly instalments to Councillors holding the responsibilities listed 1 to 16 in the following table:

 

The Basic Allowance and any SRAs agreed under this recommendation and b) below, to be increased each subsequent year in line with the annual Local Government Pay Settlement and to be paid in equal monthly instalments.  The Basic Allowance includes intra borough travel and subsistence costs.

 

 

 

(£)

1.

Mayor

22,193.66

2.

Deputy Mayor

8,655.39

3.

Leader of the Council

54,910.84

4.

Deputy Leader of the Council

46,255.45

5.

Chief Whip of Largest Party

22,193.66

6.

Cabinet Member

38,682.07

7.

Chairman of Scrutiny and Policy Overview Committee

22,193.66

8.

Chairman of Planning Committee

22,193.66

9.

Chairman of Licensing Committee

9,474.86

10.

Vice Chairman of Licensing Committee

6,255.25

11.

Chairman of Standards Committee

3,127.63

12.

Standards Committee Independent Person

1,563.81

13.

Chairman of Audit Committee*

2,975.49

14.

Champion

5,707.22

15.

Council rep' on Adoption and Permanency Panel

12,510.51

16.

Cabinet Assistant

8,655.39

* Where a non-Councillor is Chairman or Vice Chairman a co-optees’ allowance is payable as set out in the Scheme under section 9.

 

ii)         b) Members' Allowances 2018/19

 

Councillor Puddifoot moved the recommendation as set out on the Order of Business.  The motion was seconded by Councillor Simmonds and put to a recorded vote: 

 

Those voting for: Councillors Allen, Birah, Burles, Curling, Dheer, Dhillon, Dhot, Duncan, Eginton, Garg, Khatra, Money, Morse, Nelson, Oswell, Sansarpuri, Singh and Sweeting.

 

Those voting against: none. 

 

Those abstaining: The Mayor (Councillor Melvin), the Deputy Mayor (Councillor Morgan), Councillors Ahmad-Wallana, Barnes, Bianco, Bridges, Burrows, Chamdal, Chapman, G Cooper, J Cooper, Corthorne, Crowe, Dann, Davis, Denys, Duducu, Edwards, Flynn, Gilham, Graham, Haggar, Hensley, Higgins, Jackson, Kauffman, Kelly, Lavery, Lewis, D Mills, R Mills, O’Brien, Palmer, Puddifoot, Riley, Seaman-Digby, Simmonds, Stead, White and Yarrow.

 

The motion was carried and it was:

 

RESOLVED:  That Special Responsibility Allowances of the following amounts be paid in equal monthly instalments to Councillors holding the following responsibilities:

 

 

 

(£)

17.

Leader of 2nd Party

22,193.66

18.

Deputy Leader of 2nd Party

5,707.22

19.

Chief Whip of 2nd Party

5,707.22

20.

2nd Party Lead on Scrutiny and Policy Overview Committee

5,707.22

21.

Party Lead on Planning Committee

5,707.22

 

 

 

 

 

iii)       Waiver of 6 month Councillor attendance rule

 

Councillor Puddifoot moved, and Councillor Simmonds seconded, the recommendation as set out on the Order of Business and it was:

 

RESOLVED:  That, pursuant to Section 85(1) of the Local Government Act 1972, Councillor Jarjussey's non-attendance at meetings of the authority due to ill health for a one month period up to 11 May 2018, be approved.

46.

General Fund Revenue Budget, Housing Revenue Account and Capital Programme 2018/2019 pdf icon PDF 70 KB

To consider the recommendations of Cabinet which will be published, once agreed. The report to Cabinet is available in the Group Offices, on request to the Head of Democratic Services or online at:

 

https://modgov.hillingdon.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=115&MId=3076

 

Section 106 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 will apply to the recommendations of this item. Any Member who is more than two months in arrears with their Council Tax or has arrears of Council Tax must declare that fact and must not vote on this item.

 

Budget Conflict Resolution Procedures – Council is asked to consider the Cabinet’s proposals. It may adopt the proposals, submit objections to Cabinet or invite the Cabinet to make amendments specified by Council. If Council votes to object to the Cabinet proposals or to invite Cabinet to make amendments then the Conflict Resolution Procedure will come into operation.

 

The Council meeting will be adjourned while a special meeting of the Cabinet is held, after which the Council will resume and consider any revised proposals submitted by the Cabinet or the reasons why the Cabinet disagrees with Council’s objections or proposed amendments. The budget would then be open for debate and amendment until a final decision is made.

 

Members are asked to note that, in accordance with the Local Authorities (Standing Orders) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2014, recorded votes will be taken at the annual budget setting meeting on any motion, amendment to motion or substantive motion regarding the General Fund Revenue Budget, Housing Revenue Account and Capital Programme.

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Councillor O’Brien moved, and Councillor Denys seconded, the suspension of Council procedure rule 14.4 to allow unlimited speaking time for the mover and seconder of the motion and the principal speaker / mover of the amendment and seconder of the amendment from the Labour Group. 

 

RESOLVED: That the mover and seconder of the budget motion and the principal speaker / mover and seconder of the principal amendment from the Labour Group be allowed unlimited speaking time on this item.

 

Councillor Bianco moved, and Councillor Puddifoot seconded, the budget recommendations, as set out on the Order of Business. 

 

Councillor Eginton moved, and Councillor Dhillon seconded, the following

amendment:

 

a)     That the Cabinet be invited to consider the Labour Group's amendments to the Cabinet's budget proposals set out in the Council Tax Resolution and report back to the Council. These amendments would result in a Council Tax Requirement of £110,257,975 and Hillingdon Share of Band D Council Tax of £1,112.93;

 

b)     In relation to the General Fund Revenue Budget, the proposals are based on the budget proposals approved by Cabinet on 15 February 2018, subject to the following amendments:

 

 

2018/19

£'000

Council Tax Requirement based on Cabinet Proposals

 

110,258

Remove Priority Growth for continued operation of Uxbridge Police Station

(250)

 

Grant funding to Metropolitan Police to support additional police officers

250

0

Landlord Licensing Team

(2x Full Time POA Posts)

100

 

Minimum Level of Landlord Licensing Income

(100)

0

Additional Investment in Ward Budgets

220

 

Reduction in Leader's Initiative for Older People

(100)

 

Planned Drawdown from Earmarked Reserves (2018/19 Only)

(120)

0

Planning Enforcement Officers

(2x Full Time POA Posts)

100

 

Planned Drawdown from Earmarked Reserves (2018/19 Only)

(100)

0

Divert Priority Growth from Recycling Initiatives

(100)

Fly Tipping Initiative

100

0

Targeted funding for Children's Centres

250

Adult Social Care Assessments

(2x Full Time POB Posts)

112

ASBIT Enforcement Officers
(2x Full Time POA Posts)

100

 

Highways / Parking Management Scheme Officers

(2x Full Time SO1 Posts)

80

Housing Benefit Officers
(2x Full Time SO1 Posts)

80

 

Additional Homeless Prevention Officer

(1x Full Time SO1 Post)

40

Abolish Child Burial Charges

15

 

Reduction of General Contingency to £323k

(677)

0

Council Tax Requirement based on Labour Group Proposals

 

110,258

Change in Council Tax Requirement

 

0

 

c)        In relation to the General Fund Capital Programme, the proposals are based on the budget proposals as approved by Cabinet on 15 February 2018, subject to the removal of the £5,000k provision for the Purchase of Uxbridge Police Station.

 

Following debate (Councillors Burles, Burrows, Curling, Dheer, Duncan, Money, Morse, D Mills, Nelson, Oswell, Puddifoot*, Sansarpuri, Simmonds, Sweeting), the amendment was put to a recorded vote:

 

Those voting for: Councillors Allen, Birah, Burles, Curling, Dheer, Dhillon, Dhot, Duncan, Eginton, Garg, Khatra, Money, Morse, Nelson, Oswell, Sansarpuri, Singh and Sweeting.

 

Those voting against: The Mayor (Councillor Melvin), the Deputy Mayor (Councillor Morgan), Councillors Ahmad-Wallana, Barnes, Bianco, Bridges, Burrows, Chamdal, Chapman, G Cooper, J Cooper, Corthorne, Crowe, Dann, Davis, Denys, Duducu, Edwards, Flynn, Gilham, Graham, Haggar, Hensley, Higgins, Jackson, Kauffman, Kelly, Lavery, Lewis, D Mills, R Mills, O’Brien, Palmer, Puddifoot, Riley, Seaman-Digby, Simmonds, Stead, White and Yarrow.

 

The motion was lost.

 

*During the debate, Councillor Puddifoot confirmed that he had requested that a report reviewing child burial charges be prepared for consideration at a forthcoming Cabinet meeting.

 

Following further debate (Councillors Allen, Burrows, Corthorne, Crowe, Curling, Denys, Dhillon, Lavery, Lewis, D Mills, Sansarpuri, Simmonds, Sweeting), the original motion was put to a recorded vote: 

 

Those voting for: The Mayor (Councillor Melvin), the Deputy Mayor (Councillor Morgan), Councillors Ahmad-Wallana, Barnes, Bianco, Bridges, Burrows, Chamdal, Chapman, G Cooper, J Cooper, Corthorne, Crowe, Dann, Davis, Denys, Duducu, Edwards, Flynn, Gilham, Graham, Haggar, Hensley, Higgins, Jackson, Kauffman, Kelly, Lavery, Lewis, D Mills, R Mills, O’Brien, Palmer, Puddifoot, Riley, Seaman-Digby, Simmonds, Stead, White and Yarrow.

 

Those voting against: Councillors Allen, Birah, Burles, Curling, Dheer, Dhillon, Dhot, Duncan, Eginton, Garg, Khatra, Money, Morse, Nelson, Oswell, Sansarpuri, Singh and Sweeting.

 

The original motion was carried and it was:

 

RESOLVED: That the Cabinet budget recommendations as set out below, be approved.

 

1.     The General Fund revenue budget proposals made by Cabinet be approved, resulting in a Council Tax requirement for 2018/19 of £110,257,975;

 

2.     Council note that at its meeting on 18 January 2018 the Council calculated the amount of 99,070 as its Council Tax Base for the year 2018/19. This was calculated in accordance with the Local Authorities (Calculation of Council Tax Base) (England) Regulations 2012, as its Council Tax Base for the year (Item T in the formula in Section 31B (3) of the Local Government Finance Act 1992);

 

3.     The Hillingdon element of Council Tax be set at £1,112.93 for a Band D property. Taking into account the precept levied by the Greater London Authority, this results in an overall Band D Council Tax of £1,407.16 for the borough;

 

4.     The following amounts have been calculated by the Council for the year 2018/19, in accordance with Sections 32 to 36 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 (the Act):

 

a) £432,448,736    being the aggregate of the amounts that the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 31A (2) (a) to (f) of the Act.(Gross Expenditure including the amount required for additions to working balances)

 

b) £322,190,761    being the aggregate of the amounts that the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 31A (3) (a) to (d) of the Act.(Gross Income including reserves to be used to meet Gross Expenditure)

 

c) £110,257,975    being the amount by which the aggregate at 4 (a) above exceeds the aggregate at 4 (b) above.  This is calculated by the Council in accordance with Section 31A (4) of the Act, as its council tax requirement for the year.  (Item R under Section 31B of the Act)

 

d) £1,112.93           being the amount at 4 (c) above divided by Item T (2 above). This is, calculated by the Council in accordance with Section 31B of the Act, as the basic amount of its Council Tax for the year. (Council Tax at Band D for the Council)

 

e)                                    

The London Borough of Hillingdon Council Tax

Band A

Band B

Band C

Band D

741.95

865.61

989.27

1,112.93

Band E

Band F

Band G

Band H

1,360.25

1,607.57

1,854.88

2,225.86

 

being the amounts given by multiplying the amount at 4 (d) above by the number which, in the proportion set out in Section 5 (1) of the Act, is applicable to dwellings listed in a particular valuation band divided by the number which in that proportion is applicable to dwellings listed in valuation Band D. This is calculated by the Council in accordance with Section 36 (1) of the Act, as the amounts to be taken into account for the year in respect of categories of dwellings listed in different valuation bands;

 

5.     Council note that for the year 2018/19 the Greater London Authority and its functional bodies have stated the following amounts in precepts. These have been issued to the Council, in accordance with Section 40 of the Act, for each of the categories of dwellings shown below:

 

The Greater London Authority Precept

Band A

Band B

Band C

Band D

196.15

228.85

261.54

294.23

Band E

Band F

Band G

Band H

359.61

425.00

490.38

588.46

 

6.     The Council has calculated the aggregate in each case of the amounts at 4 (e) and 5 above. The Council in accordance with Section 30 and 36 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 hereby sets the Council Tax for the year 2018/19 for each category of dwelling below:

 

Total Council Tax 2018/19

Band A

Band B

Band C

Band D

938.10

1,094.46

1,250.81

1,407.16

Band E

Band F

Band G

Band H

1,719.86

2,032.57

2,345.26

2,814.32

 

7.     The Council Tax Discount for Older People be retained at 4.88% of Hillingdon’s element of the Council Tax;

 

8.     The Capital Programme for 2018/19 to 2022/23 as set out in Appendix 6 of the background report to Cabinet be approved;

 

9.     The Housing Revenue Account budget proposals and housing rents set out in Appendix 7 of the background report be approved;

 

10.  The proposed amendments to Fees and Charges set out in Appendix 8 of the background report to Cabinet be approved;

 

11.  The Treasury Management Strategy Statement, Annual Investment Strategy and Minimum Revenue Provision Statement for 2018/19 to 2022/23 as set out in Appendix 10 of the background report to Cabinet be approved;

 

12.  The London Borough of Hillingdon Pay Policy Statement for 2018/19 as set out in Appendix 11 of the background report to Cabinet be approved;

 

13.  Council agrees the Housing Revenue Account Rent Policy in Appendix 12 to the background report and provides for new delegated authority to the Leader of the Council and relevant Cabinet portfolio Member to agree affordable rent levels on a scheme by scheme basis for newly acquired or built properties;

 

14.  Council note the Corporate Director of Finance’s comments regarding his responsibilities under the Local Government Act 2003;

 

15.  Council (as set out in Schedule G of the Constitution - Budget and Policy Framework Procedure Rules) resolves that Cabinet may utilise the general reserves or balances or approve virements between the General Fund budget, Housing Revenue Account budget or Capital budgets during the MTFF financial years 2018/19 to 2022/23 in respect of those functions which have been reserved to the Cabinet in Article 7 of the Constitution;

 

16.  Council confirm that the Council’s relevant basic amount of Council Tax for 2018/19 is not excessive in accordance with principles approved under Section 52ZB Local Government Finance Act 1992 and therefore a referendum will not be triggered.

 

Appendix A - Members' Allowances Scheme 2018/19 pdf icon PDF 95 KB