Agenda, decisions and minutes

Apologies were received from Councillors Fear, Mrs Hailstones, Hailstones, Lawton, Mrs Lewis, Nixon and White.

To receive Declarations of Interest from Members on items included on the agenda.

There were none.

It was confirmed that the Council had now achieved fair trade status.

The annual Civic Mass would take place at Holy Trinity R C Church on Sunday 4 March 2012 at 9.30am.  All Members were invited.

There would be a Mayor’s Charity Rock ‘n’ Roll Night at Bradwell Community Centre on 25 February 2012.  Tickets were available from the Mayor and/or his secretary.

The Mayor’s Ball was to take place in The Ballroom, Keele Hall, Keele University on 3 March 2012.  Tickets were now available from the Mayor’s Secretary.

The Mayor and a number of Members referred to the death, in January, of Mary Moss a former long serving member of the Council and paid tribute to her enthusiastic and committed contribution to the Council.

The Mayor referred to the recent death of Tony Dobson (Civil Enforcement Officer) and Albert Whittaker (Mace Bearer) and paid tribute to their services to the Council.  He then invited Members to join him in a one minute silence as a mark of respect to the memory of the above mentioned persons.

(a)                   That the petitions be received.

(b)                   That the petitions be referred to Cabinet for consideration in the context of the full consultation exercise which has recently been undertaken in relation to requests for additional recreational facilities in Bateswood Local Nature Reserve.

(c)                    That the petitioners be informed of resolution (b) above.

The Mayor received two petitions submitted by resident groups in relation to requests for additional recreation facilities in Bateswood Local Nature Reserve.

Details of the petitions were outlined in the officer’s report.

Resolved:-   (a)       That the petitions be received.

                        (b)       That the petitions be referred to Cabinet for consideration in the context of the full consultation exercise which has recently been undertaken in relation to requests for additional recreational facilities in Bateswood Local Nature Reserve.

                        (c)        That the petitioners be informed of resolution (b) above.

That the Capital Strategy 2012/15 be approved.

Consideration was given to a report seeking approval of the capital strategy 2012-2015 that set out how the Council proposed to deploy its capital resources in order to assist it to achieve its corporate and service objectives.

Resolved:-   That the Capital Strategy 2012/15 be approved.

 (a)                  That the Treasury Management Strategy Report for 2012/13 be approved.

                        (b)       That the Prudential Indicators contained within the report be approved.

                        (c)        That the Investment Strategy contained within the report be approved.

                        (d)       That the Minimum Revenue Provision Strategy contained within the report be approved.

                        (e)       That the current contract with Sector Treasury Services Ltd be extended for a further 12 months.

Consideration was given to the Treasury Management Strategy 2012/13 including the Prudential Indicators, Investment Strategy and Minimum Revenue Provision Strategy.

Resolved:-   (a)       That the Treasury Management Strategy Report for 2012/13 be approved.

                        (b)       That the Prudential Indicators contained within the report be approved.

                        (c)        That the Investment Strategy contained within the report be approved.

                        (d)       That the Minimum Revenue Provision Strategy contained within the report be approved.

                        (e)       That the current contract with Sector Treasury Services Ltd be extended for a further 12 months.

(a)        That the Revenue Budget for 2012/13 be approved in the sum of £14,260,980 as set out in Appendix B.

(b)                    That £179,000 of the Budget Support Fund be utilised to fund the 2012/13 budget.

(c)                    That the Council Tax at Band ‘D’ be £176.93, unchanged from 2011/12.

(d)                    That the Capital Programme to 2012/13 be approved as set out in Appendix E, together with the Prudential Indicator relating to the Incremental Impact of Capital Investment Decisions on the Council Tax.

(e)                    That the revised minimum balances requirement be £1,500,000 and the excess of £350,000 above the current levels be transferred to the Contingency Reserve (£80,000), the Insurance Fund (£120,000) and the Provision for Bad Debts (sundry debtors) (£150,000).

(f)                     That it be noted that at its meeting on the 18 January 2012 the Cabinet calculated the following amounts for the year 2012/13:

(i)         39,136 being the amount calculated by the Council, in accordance with regulation 3 of the Local Authorities (Calculation of Council Tax Base) Regulations 1992, as its council tax base for the whole Council area for the year (Item T in the formula in Section 31B of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, as amended (the “Act”))

(ii)        For dwellings in those parts of the Council’s area to which a Parish precept relates as in the table below:

(g)        That the Council Tax requirement for the Council’s own purposes for 2012/13 (excluding Parish precepts) is £6,924,370.

(h)        That the following amounts be calculated for the year 2012/13 in accordance with Sections 31 to 36 of the Act:

(i)         £72,857,996 being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 31A (2) of the Act taking into account all precepts issued to it by Parish Councils.

(ii)        £65,602,240 being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 31A (3) of the Act.

(iii)       £7,255,756 being the amount by which the aggregate at (h)(i) above exceeds the aggregate at (h)(ii) above, calculated by the Council, in accordance with Section 31A (4) of the Act, as its Council Tax requirement for the year. (Item R in the formula in Section 31B of the Act).

(iv)       £185.40 being the amount at h (iii) above (Item R), all divided by Item T (f (i) above),  calculated by the Council, in accordance with Section 31B of the Act, as the basic amount of its Council Tax for the year (including Parish precepts).

(v)        £331,386 being the aggregate amount of all special items (Parish precepts) referred to in Section 34 (1) of the Act.

(vi)       £176.93 being the amount at (h) (iv) above less the result given by dividing the amount at (h) (v) above by item T (f (i) above), calculated by  ...  view the full decision text for item 7.

A detailed report was submitted outlining the recommendations made by the Cabinet in respect of the Revenue and Capital Budgets and Council Tax for 2012/13.

A lengthy debate ensued during which the following amendments to the substantive motion were proposed:-

Amendment 1

After the words “………set out in Appendix A” add

To take an additional £80,000 from the Budget Support Fund in the 2012/13 financial year and to refund this from the elections budget in 2013/14, the year in which the Borough does not have elections.  That this money be put into a ‘Newcastle Borough Fund’ to support projects for young people not in education, employment or training.

A requisition pursuant to Standing Order 28 for the voting on such proposition to be recorded in the minutes to show how each member voted resulted as follows:-

For the amendment (24)

The Mayor (T Hambleton), Councillors Allport, Mrs Astle, Bailey, Mrs Bates, Mrs Beech, Boden, Mrs Burnett, Cairns, M R Clarke, Eagles, Mrs Hambleton, Mrs Johnson, Kearon, Miss Olszewski, Olszewski, Robinson, Mrs Simpson, Snell, J Taylor, K-N Taylor, Waring, Mrs Williams and Williams

Against the amendment (28)

Bannister, Blair, Mrs Burke, D Clarke, Miss J M Cooper, Cooper, Mrs Cornes, Gilmore, Mrs Heames, Mrs Heesom, Holland, Howells, Jones, Loades, Matthews, Mrs Myatt, Miss Reddish, Richards, Mrs Shenton, Slater, Studd, Sweeney, J Tagg, S Tagg, Miss Walklate, Welsh, Wemyss and Wilkes.

Amendment 2

After the words “……….set out in Appendix A” add

To establish a new post of Town Centres Manager to be funded in 2012/13 from the funds currently allocated for the Member Local Initiative Fund (£30,000) and subsequently by contributions from businesses and the town and parish councils.

A requisition pursuant to Standing Order 28 for the voting on such proposition to be recorded in the minutes to show how each member present and voting gave their vote resulted as follows:-

For the amendment (23)

The Mayor (T Hambleton), Councillors Allport, Mrs Astle, Bailey, Mrs Bates, Mrs Beech, Boden, Mrs Burnett, Cairns, M R Clarke, Eagles, Mrs Hambleton, Mrs Johnson, Kearon, Miss Olszewski, Olszewski, Robinson, Mrs Simpson, Snell, J Taylor, Waring, Mrs Williams and Williams

Against the amendment (28)

Bannister, Blair, Mrs Burke, D Clarke, Miss J M Cooper, Cooper, Mrs Cornes, Gilmore, Mrs Heames, Mrs Heesom, Holland, Howells, Jones, Loades, Matthews, Mrs Myatt, Miss Reddish, Richards, Mrs Shenton, Slater, Studd, Sweeney, J Tagg, S Tagg, K-N Taylor, Miss Walklate, Wemyss and Wilkes.

Abstention

Councillor Welsh

Amendment 3

After the words “……….set out in Appendix A” add

To establish a fund to subsidise the installation of anti-burglary equipment for older and vulnerable people in areas with the highest crime rates in the Borough.

The fund to be established in 2012/13 through savings on the Council’s car lease scheme.

A named vote was not called for in respect of the above amendment that was lost on a vote of 28 votes to 21.

No further amendments were proposed as a consequence of which the Council proceeded to a vote on the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

That the reports be received.

The Council received verbal updates from the Chairs of the Overview and Scrutiny Committees highlighting work that had been undertaken since the last meeting of the full Council.

Resolved:-   That the reports be received.

To receive from Members any petitions which they wish to present to the Council pursuant to Standing Order 17.

The petitions relating to Bateswood Local Nature Reserve were presented and dealt with at item 4 of these minutes.

Councillor Wemyss also presented a petition signed by residents of High Street and Harrison Close requesting Aspire Housing to re-surface, illuminate and refurbish the garages and land adjacent to them in Harrison Street.

To consider any communications which pursuant to Standing Order No18 are, in the opinion of the Mayor, of an urgent nature and to pass thereon such resolutions as may be  deemed necessary.

There was no urgent business.