Agenda item

RECOMMENDED:

 

1.            THAT THE MEDIUM TERM FINANCIAL STRATEGY BE APPROVED AS SET OUT IN THE REPORT.

 

2.            THAT THE GENERAL FUND BUDGET FOR 2020/21, UPDATED FORECAST FOR 2019/20, AND THE SUMMARY BE AGREED AS SHOWN IN APPENDIX A TO THE REPORT.

 

3.            THAT THE INVESTMENT PROPOSALS SET OUT IN SECTION 17 OF THIS REPORT BE SUPPORTED, INCLUDING:

a.    £50,000 PER ANNUM TO FUND ADDITIONAL PARKING ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS;

b.    AN ANNUAL PROVISION OF £350,000 TO THE PARKING RESERVE TO FUND ADDITIONAL PARK AND RIDE INITIATIVES AND SUPPORT INVESTMENT IN OTHER TRANSPORT AND PUBLIC TRANSPORT RELATED SERVICES;

c.    £247,000 TO IMPLEMENT A FULL SURVEY OF ALL COUNCIL TREES AND FUND ASSOCIATED REMEDIAL WORKS (NET IMPACT OF £84,000 ON THE GENERAL FUND, WITH THE REMAINING COSTS MET FROM WINCHESTER TOWN ACCOUNT AND THE HOUSING REVENUE ACCOUNT FOR TREES WITHIN THE CONTROL OF THOSE BUDGETS);

d.    ONE OFF PROVISION OF £105,000 TO SUPPORT FEASIBILITY STUDIES AND BUILDING SURVEY WORK FOR THE CENTRAL WINCHESTER REGENERATION PROJECT;

e.    THAT £750,000, FUNDED FROM THE TRANSITIONAL RESERVE, BE APPROVED TO FUND THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CARBON NEUTRALITY ACTION PLAN WITH FURTHER DETAILS OF SPECIFIC PROPOSALS TO BE REPORTED TO CABINET IN JUNE 2020;

f.     THAT ONE-OFF PROVISION OF £500,000, FUNDED FROM THE TRANSITIONAL RESERVE BE MADE TO SUPPORT THE TRANSFORMATION PROPOSALS SET OUT IN THE MEDIUM TERM FINANCIAL STRATEGY, WITH SPECIFIC PROPOSALS TO BE REPORTED TO CABINET LATER IN 2020.

 

4.            THAT THE SAVINGS PROPOSALS SET OUT IN SECTION 18 OF THE REPORT BE APPROVED, INCLUDING:

a.    THE IMPLEMENTATION OF AN ENHANCED GARDEN WASTE SERVICE FROM FEBRUARY 2021, WITH FURTHER DETAILS ON THE PROPOSAL INCLUDING THE CHARGING ARRANGEMENTS BEING REPORTED TO CABINET IN JUNE 2020;

b.    THE CLOSURE OF PUBLIC CONVENIENCES AT MIDDLEBROOK ST AND WORTHY LANE, WINCHESTER.

 

5.            THAT THE PROPOSALS FOR CHANGES TO PARKING CHARGES BE APPROVED, AS SET OUT IN SECTION 19 OF THE REPORT:

a.    PARKING CHARGES (WITH THE EXCEPTION OF (PARK AND RIDE CHARGES) BE INCREASED BY 3% (ROUNDED TO THE NEAREST 10P);

 

b.    THAT A “FLAT RATE” CHARGE OF £2 BE INTRODUCED ON SUNDAYS IN ALL “CENTRAL” CAR PARKS, THE ACCESS TO WHICH ALL FALL WITHIN THE CITY’S AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT AREA. THESE INCLUDE:

 

 

·         THE BROOKS

·         MIDDLEBROOK ST

·         COLEBROOK ST

·         FRIARSGATE

·         GUILDHALL YARD

·         JEWRY ST

·         COSSACK LANE

·         UPPER BROOK ST

·         ST PETERS ST

·         TOWER ST

·         GLADSTONE ST

 

c.    THAT WEEKDAY CHARGING PERIOD FOR THE “CENTRAL” AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT AREA CAR PARKS BE EXTENDED TO 7PM FOR A PILOT 6 MONTH PERIOD;

d.    THAT DAILY PARK AND RIDE CHARGES BE INCREASED BY 50P;

e.    THAT DISCOUNTED PARKING CHARGES FOR WEEKLY AND MONTHLY SEASON TICKETS AT CATTLE MARKET AND WORTHY LANE CAR PARKS BE REMOVED;

f.     THAT A REVISED PARKING INVESTMENT PROGRAMME BE BROUGHT BACK TO CABINET BY SEPTEMBER 2020 WITH DETAILED PROPOSALS FOR ADDITIONAL INVESTMENT IN TRANSPORT RELATED SERVICES;

g.    THAT ALL PARKING RELATED CHANGES SET OUT ABOVE, BE IMPLEMENTED WITH EFFECT FROM JULY OR AS SOON AS PRACTICABLE THEREAFTER;

h.    THAT, SUBJECT TO CONTRACT, PARK AND RIDE BUS SERVICES BE EXTENDED IN THE EVENINGS AND INTRODUCED ON SUNDAYS FROM THE ST CATHERINES PARK AND RIDE SITE.

 

6.            THAT THE POLICY AS PREVIOUSLY AGREED BY THE COUNCIL ON 14 JULY 1999 (MIN 186 REFERS) TO TREAT ALL EXPENSES OF THE COUNCIL AS GENERAL EXPENSES OTHER THAN THOSE SPECIFICALLY IDENTIFIED AND ITEMISED IN THE WINCHESTER TOWN ACCOUNT BE CONFIRMED.  IN CONSEQUENCE OF WHICH THE SUM OF £1,006,776 BE TREATED AS SPECIAL EXPENSES UNDER SECTION 35 OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT FINANCE ACT 1992 IN RESPECT OF THE WINCHESTER TOWN AREA, APPENDIX D.

 

7.            THAT THE COUNCIL TAX FOR THE SPECIAL EXPENSES IN THE WINCHESTER TOWN AREA AT BAND D FOR 2020/21 BE INCREASED IN LINE WITH THE TOWN FORUM RECOMMENDATION.

 

8.            THAT THE TOTAL DEFICIT BALANCE ON THE COUNCIL TAX COLLECTION FUND CALCULATED IN JANUARY 2020 OF £144,278, £18,676 FOR THIS COUNCIL BE APPROVED.

 

9.            THAT THE LEVEL OF COUNCIL TAX AT BAND D FOR CITY COUNCIL SERVICES FOR 2020/21 BE INCREASED BY 3% TO £143.09.

 

NOTE: CAB3228 – ACTIONS & FEEDBACK FROM SCRUTINY COMMITTEE HELD 5 FEBRURAY 2020 ON CABINET REPORTS has been included in the agenda pack as background for Council’s decisions related to financial papers including the budget.

 

TO PASS A FORMAL RESOLUTION SETTING THE COUNCIL TAX FOR THE CITY OF WINCHESTER FOR THE YEAR COMMENCING

1 APRIL 2020.

 

(CAB3211)

 

Councillor Cutler (Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance and Risk), moved that the recommended minute be approved and adopted (seconded by Councillor Tod, Cabinet Member for Service Quality and Transformation).

                                                                                                            

Council proceeded to ask questions and debate the matters in the report and recommended minute.

 

AMENDMENT -Moved by Councillor Godfrey and seconded by Councillor Horrill, as follows:

 

 “THAT RECOMMENDATIONS 2, 3, 4, 5 AND 9 OF AGENDA ITEM 5 (b) (RECOMMENDED MINUTE OF CABINET OF HELD 12 FEBRUARY 2020 - MEDIUM TERM FINANCIAL STRATEGY, BUDGET AND COUNCIL TAX 2020/21 (CAB3211) BE AMENDED AS INDICATED BELOW (CHANGES IN BOLD, DELETIONS HAVE BEEN STRUCK THROUGH):

 

 2.        THAT THE GENERAL FUND BUDGET FOR 2020/21, UPDATED FORECAST FOR 2019/20, AND THE SUMMARY AS SHOWN IN APPENDIX A TO THE REPORT BE AMENDED TO TAKE ACCOUNT OF THE CHANGES SET OUT IN THE TABLE INCLUDED WITHIN THIS AMENDMENT.

 3.        THAT THE INVESTMENT PROPOSALS SET OUT IN SECTION 17 OF THIS REPORT BE SUPPORTED, INCLUDING:

a.   £50,000 PER ANNUM TO FUND ADDITIONAL PARKING ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS;

b.   AN ANNUAL PROVISION OF £350,000 £200,000 TO THE PARKING RESERVE TO FUND ADDITIONAL PARK AND RIDE INITIATIVES AND SUPPORT INVESTMENT IN OTHER TRANSPORT AND PUBLIC TRANSPORT RELATED SERVICES;

c.   £247,000 TO IMPLEMENT A FULL SURVEY OF ALL COUNCIL TREES AND FUND ASSOCIATED REMEDIAL WORKS (NET IMPACT OF £84,000 ON THE GENERAL FUND, WITH THE REMAINING COSTS MET FROM WINCHESTER TOWN ACCOUNT AND THE HOUSING REVENUE ACCOUNT FOR TREES WITHIN THE CONTROL OF THOSE BUDGETS);

d.  ONE OFF PROVISION OF £105,000 TO SUPPORT FEASIBILITY STUDIES AND BUILDING SURVEY WORK FOR THE CENTRAL WINCHESTER REGENERATION PROJECT;

e.  THAT £750,000, FUNDED FROM THE TRANSITIONAL RESERVE, BE APPROVED TO FUND THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CARBON NEUTRALITY ACTION PLAN WITH FURTHER DETAILS OF SPECIFIC PROPOSALS TO BE REPORTED TO CABINET IN JUNE 2020;

f.   THAT ONE-OFF PROVISION OF £500,000, FUNDED FROM THE TRANSITIONAL RESERVE BE MADE TO SUPPORT THE TRANSFORMATION PROPOSALS SET OUT IN THE MEDIUM TERM FINANCIAL STRATEGY, WITH SPECIFIC PROPOSALS TO BE REPORTED TO CABINET LATER IN 2020. 

4.        THAT THE SAVINGS PROPOSALS SET OUT IN SECTION 18 OF THE REPORT BE AMENDED TO ONLY INCLUDE:

a.  THE IMPLEMENTATION OF AN ENHANCED GARDEN WASTE SERVICE FROM FEBRUARY 2021, WITH FURTHER DETAILS ON THE PROPOSAL INCLUDING THE CHARGING ARRANGEMENTS BEING REPORTED TO CABINET IN JUNE 2020;

a.   THE CLOSURE OF PUBLIC CONVENIENCES AT MIDDLEBROOK ST AND WORTHY LANE, WINCHESTER. 

5.        THAT THE PROPOSALS FOR CHANGES TO PARKING CHARGES AS SET OUT IN SECTION 19 OF THE REPORT BE AMENDED TO ONLY INCLUDE:

a.  PARKING CHARGES (WITH THE EXCEPTION OF (PARK AND RIDE CHARGES) BE INCREASED BY 3% (ROUNDED TO THE NEAREST 10P);

b.   THAT A “FLAT RATE” CHARGE OF £2 BE INTRODUCED ON SUNDAYS IN ALL “CENTRAL” CAR PARKS, THE ACCESS TO WHICH ALL FALL WITHIN THE CITY’S AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT AREA. THESE INCLUDE:

 

 

·         THE BROOKS

·         MIDDLEBROOK ST

·         COLEBROOK ST

·         FRIARSGATE

·         GUILDHALL YARD

·         JEWRY ST

·         COSSACK LANE

·         UPPER BROOK ST

·         ST PETERS ST

·         TOWER ST

·         GLADSTONE ST

 

c.    THAT WEEKDAY CHARGING PERIOD FOR THE “CENTRAL” AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT AREA CAR PARKS BE EXTENDED TO 7PM FOR A PILOT 6 MONTH PERIOD;

 

b.  THAT DAILY PARK AND RIDE CHARGES BE INCREASED BY 50P;

c.  THAT DISCOUNTED PARKING CHARGES FOR WEEKLY AND MONTHLY SEASON TICKETS AT CATTLE MARKET AND WORTHY LANE CAR PARKS BE REMOVED;

d.   THAT A REVISED PARKING INVESTMENT PROGRAMME BE BROUGHT BACK TO CABINET BY SEPTEMBER 2020 WITH DETAILED PROPOSALS FOR ADDITIONAL INVESTMENT IN TRANSPORT RELATED SERVICES;

e.  THAT ALL PARKING RELATED CHANGES SET OUT ABOVE, BE IMPLEMENTED WITH EFFECT FROM JULY OR AS SOON AS PRACTICABLE THEREAFTER; 

9.        THAT THE LEVEL OF COUNCIL TAX AT BAND D FOR CITY COUNCIL SERVICES FOR 2020/21 BE INCREASED BY 3% TO £143.09 BE RETAINED AT £138.92, REPRESENTING A 0% INCREASE ON 2019/20.  (A REVISED COUNCIL TAX RESOLUTION IS APPENDED TO THIS AMENDMENT).”

Following questions and debate in respect of the Amendment, in accordance with legislative requirements on recorded votes at Budget Meetings, a recorded vote was taken.

 

 

Division Lists

 

The following Members voted in favour of the amendment to the recommended minute of Cabinet:

 

Councillors Brook, Clementson, Cook, Cunningham, Gemmell, Godfrey, Griffiths, Horrill, Humby, Lumby, Mather, McLean, Read, Ruffell, Scott, Weston

 

The following Members voted against the amendment to the recommended minute of Cabinet:

 

Councillors Achwal, Becker, Bell, Bentote, Bronk, Clear, Craske, Cutler, Evans, Fern, Ferguson, Gordon-Smith, Gottlieb, Green, Hiscock, Hutchison, Laming, Learney, Porter, Power, Prince, Rutter, Thompson, Tod, Weir, Williams

 

AMENDMENT LOST

 

Following summing up by the proposer and seconder of the substantive motion (Councillors Cutler and Tod, respectively) in accordance with legislative requirements on recorded votes at Budget Meetings, a recorded vote was first taken with regard to Recommendations 1 – 6 and 8 of the recommended minute of Cabinet   

 

Division Lists

 

The following Members voted in favour of the Recommendations 1 – 6 and 8 of the recommended minute of Cabinet:

 

Councillors Achwal, Becker, Bell, Bentote, Bronk, Clear, Craske, Cutler, Evans, Fern, Ferguson, Gordon-Smith, Gottlieb, Green, Hiscock, Hutchison, Laming, Learney, Porter, Power, Prince, Rutter, Thompson, Tod, Weir, Williams

 

The following Members voted against Recommendations 1 – 6 and 8 of the recommended minute of Cabinet:

 

Councillors Brook, Clementson, Cook, Cunningham, Gemmell, Godfrey, Griffiths, Horrill, Humby, Lumby, Mather, Mclean, Read, Ruffell, Scott, Weston

 

 

RESOLVED:

 

That Recommendations 1 – 6 and 8 of the recommended Minute of Cabinet held 12 February 2020 with regard to Medium Term Financial Strategy, Budget and Council Tax 2020/21 (as follows), be approved and adopted.   

 

In accordance with legislative requirements on recorded votes at Budget Meetings, a recorded vote was the taken with regard to Recommendations 7 and 9 of the recommended minute of Cabinet.