Agenda item

The report papers for this item can be found on pages 1-69 of the Cabinet papers from 16 February 2021 Special Cabinet meeting.

 

The Cabinet made the following recommendations:

 

(a) That a net budget requirement of £15,041,200 for 2021-22 be approved.

 

(b) That Council Tax be increased by £5.00 from £165.81 to £170.81 for a Band D equivalent in 2021-22.

 

(c) That a contribution from the General Fund Reserve of £2,099,300 be approved to help fund the 2021-22 budget.

 

(d) Should the final settlement differ from the draft settlement, the sum in 3.1 (c) above be adjusted accordingly.

 

(e) The capital programme, including the asset renewal programme (appendix 1c and 1d of the agenda report) be approved.

 

Two Budget motions have been submitted by Cllr Brown and Cllr Moss respectively. These motions are attached and if duly seconded will be debated as part of the Budget item debate.

Cllr Wilding was invited to introduce the report. Cllr Wilding then moved the recommendations which were seconded by Cllr Lintill.

 

Cllr Brown then introduced his amendment motion detailed in the agenda pack which was seconded by Cllr O’Kelly.

 

Cllr Wilding as Cabinet Member for Finance responded to the proposal first. He asked whether pension and employee costs had been considered and if they had whether they had been benchmarked. He explained that a PID could be brought forward at any point once the proposal had been fully costed.

 

Cllr Plant as Cabinet Member for the Environment then responded. She noted that the proposal contained some good ideas. She explained that a consultant was already instructed to consider all of the council owned properties and a new post would need further consideration by the Environment Panel and Cabinet. She added that consideration should be given to where the proposal overlaps with work being undertaken, where the proposals rely on central government funding and where the proposals relate to discretionary spending items which would need to be discussed under the Future Services Framework.

 

Cllr Plant proposed the following counter motion:

 

That these motions be passed to the Environment Panel for its detailed consideration and for Environment Panel to subsequently advise Cabinet on the way forward.

 

The counter motion was seconded by Cllr Lintill.

 

Cllr Plowman explained he supported the amendment motion as it addressed the need to take action on Climate Change.

 

Cllr Hobbs explained that he supported the counter motion as the Environment Panel would be able to work on the proposals and put forward a PID if required.

 

Cllr Elliott asked that the salary of proposed posts be reconsidered in order to attract someone with the right skill set.

 

Cllr O’Kelly explained that she supported the amendment motion as it would give the Environment Panel a clear steer on its focus.

 

Cllr Bowden explained that he supported the amendment motion as allocating funding demonstrates support for action on the Climate Emergency.

 

Cllr Donna Johnson explained that she saw the proposal as an investment rather than an expense.

 

Cllr Sharp explained that the amendment motion would support the need for behaviour change.

 

Cllr Briscoe explained that the amendment motion was premature in being brought before Full Council.

 

Cllr Lintill explained that she agreed with Cllr Hobbs and supported Cllr Plant’s counter motion. She added that Cllr Elliott’s salary comment could then be addressed by the Environment Panel.

 

Cllr Purnell explained that she felt the amendment motion should be allocated to the Environment Panel and worked up to a full Business Plan before being considered any further by Cabinet or Full Council.

 

Cllr Sutton explained that he did not oppose the amendment motion in principle but that it would be better placed discussed by the Environment Panel. He added that consideration needed to be given to where the funding would come from and the impact that would have on other areas the council funds.

 

Cllr Oakley aired caution in overcommitting to something which the council has no power over. He also explained that there would be potential overlap with the West Sussex County Council projects.

 

Cllr Bangert gave her support to the amendment motion.

 

Cllr Brown responded and explained his disappointment in the amendment motion not being supported by members of all political parties.

 

Cllr Lintill responded and explained that the proposed referral to the Environment Panel was not dismissing the ideas.

 

As legally required a recorded vote was carried out. The vote for Cllr Plant’s counter motion was as follows:

 

Cllr Apel – Against

Cllr Bangert – Against

Cllr Barrett – For

Cllr Barrie – Against

Cllr Bell – For

Cllr Bowden – Against

Cllr Briscoe – For

Cllr Brown – Against

Cllr Dignum – For

Cllr Duncton – For

Cllr Elliott – For

Cllr Evans – Against

Cllr Fowler – Against

Cllr Graves – For

Cllr Hamilton – For

Cllr Hobbs – For

Cllr Hughes – Absent

Cllr Donna Johnson – Against

Cllr Tim Johnson – Against

Cllr Lintill – For

Cllr Lishman – Against

Cllr McAra – For

Cllr Moss – Against

Cllr Oakley – For

Cllr O’Kelly – Against

Cllr Page – For

Cllr Palmer – For

Cllr Plant – For

Cllr Plowman – Against

Cllr Potter – For

Cllr Purnell – For

Cllr Rodgers – Against

Cllr Sharp – Against

Cllr Sutton – For

Cllr Taylor  - For

Cllr Wilding – For

 

The vote was carried 20 votes to 15 with one absent member.

 

RESOLVED

 

That the amendment motions submitted by Cllr Brown be passed to the Environment Panel for its detailed consideration and for Environment Panel to subsequently advise Cabinet on the way forward.

 

Cllr Moss then introduced his amendment motion explaining that since its submission he had been in conversation with Cllr Dignum and Cllr Sharp individually and was agreeable to combining all points raised. The amendment motion therefore reading:

 

That Full Council agrees to remit the motion to the Economic Recovery Group for further consideration and subsequently to bring back a report to the June 2021 meeting of Overview and Scrutiny Committee. The plans and strategies to comply with the aims set out in CDC’s Climate Change Declaration and support an inclusive and socially just recovery.

 

The amendment motion was seconded by Cllr Plowman.

 

Cllr Plowman explained that he was in support of the motion as it gives the opportunity to look at the recovery as a whole.

 

Cllr Dignum acknowledged Cllr Moss accepting his proposed amendment and explained that he had since invited Cllr Moss to join the Economic Recovery Group.

 

Cllr Donna Johnson explained the importance of building a brand for the district.

Cllr Moss responded and explained that he had sought advice of senior officers and was therefore prepared to work further on the figures included in the amendment motion.

 

Cllr Sharp thanked Cllr Moss for including her amendment to the end of the motion.

 

Cllr Lintill and Cllr Hobbs then both gave support to the amendment motion.

 

Cllr Bell explained that he was minded to support the amendment motion but did not support the last sentence proposed by Cllr Sharp. Cllr Moss confirmed that he had agreed the inclusion of the sentence.

 

As legally required a recorded vote took place on the amendment motion as amended submitted by Cllr Moss. The vote was as follows:

 

Cllr Apel – For

Cllr Bangert – For

Cllr Barrett – For

Cllr Barrie – For

Cllr Bell – Abstain

Cllr Bowden – For

Cllr Briscoe – For

Cllr Brown – For

Cllr Dignum – For

Cllr Duncton – For

Cllr Elliott – For

Cllr Evans – For

Cllr Fowler – Absent during vote

Cllr Graves – For

Cllr Hamilton – For

Cllr Hobbs – For

Cllr Hughes – Absent

Cllr Donna Johnson – For

Cllr Tim Johnson – For

Cllr Lintill – For

Cllr Lishman – For

Cllr McAra – Abstain

Cllr Moss – For

Cllr Oakley – Abstain

Cllr O’Kelly – For

Cllr Page – Abstain

Cllr Palmer – For

Cllr Plant – Abstain

Cllr Plowman – For

Cllr Potter – Abstain

Cllr Purnell – For

Cllr Rodgers – For

Cllr Sharp – For

Cllr Sutton – Abstain

Cllr Taylor – For

Cllr Wilding - Abstain

 

The vote was carried by 26 votes with 8 abstentions and two absent members.

 

RESOLVED

 

That Full Council agrees to remit the motion to the Economic Recovery Group for further consideration and subsequently to bring back a report to the June 2021 meeting of Overview and Scrutiny Committee. The plans and strategies to comply with the aims set out in CDC’s Climate Change Declaration and support an inclusive and socially just recovery.

 

Members then turned to the substantive recommendations. Mr Ward explained that recommendation D was no longer required and therefore recommendation E would become recommendation D.

 

As legally required a recorded vote took place with the vote as follows:

 

Cllr Apel – For

Cllr Bangert – For

Cllr Barrett – For

Cllr Barrie – For

Cllr Bell – For

Cllr Bowden – Against

Cllr Briscoe – For

Cllr Brown – Against

Cllr Dignum – For

Cllr Duncton – For

Cllr Elliott – For

Cllr Evans – For

Cllr Fowler – For

Cllr Graves – Absent during vote

Cllr Hamilton – For

Cllr Hobbs – For

Cllr Hughes – Absent

Cllr Donna Johnson – For

Cllr Tim Johnson – For

Cllr Lintill – For

Cllr Lishman – For

Cllr McAra – For

Cllr Moss – For

Cllr Oakley – For

Cllr O’Kelly – Against

Cllr Page – For

Cllr Palmer – For

Cllr Plant – For

Cllr Plowman – For

Cllr Potter – For

Cllr Purnell – For

Cllr Rodgers – For

Cllr Sharp – Against

Cllr Sutton – For

Cllr Taylor – For

Cllr Wilding - For

 

The vote was carried by 30 votes to 4 with two absent members.

 

RESOLVED

 

a)    That a net budget requirement of £15,041,200 for 2021-22 be approved.

b)    That Council Tax be increased by £5.00 from £165.81 to £170.81 for a Band D equivalent in 2021-22.

c)    That a contribution from the General Fund Reserve of £2,099,300 be approved to help fund the 2021-22 budget.

d)    The capital programme, including the asset renewal programme (appendix 1c and 1d of the agenda report) be approved.