Agenda and minutes

          The minutes of the meeting held on 7 December 2016, having been circulated, were taken as read and signed as a correct record.

          The Mayor made the following announcements:

 

·       The Mayor hosted a reception for Mr Bill Armes who had recently celebrated his 100^th birthday and who had been a volunteer at Halton Play Council for 29 years since his retirement;

·       An MBE medal and citation, awarded to the late Miss M J Preece had been passed to the Council for safe keeping. This would be on display in the reception area at Runcorn Town Hall; and

·       The Mayor had been presented with a pen, the case of which had been carved by local craftsmen, from wooden pews once situated in St John’s Church, Weston, Runcorn.

 

          The Leader made the following announcements:

 

·       He reported on the Budget Speech which had been made in Parliament earlier in the day. Confirmation of its contents and how they would affect Halton, were awaited;

·       Merseyflow, the web site dedicated to the administration of the tolling system for the new Mersey Gateway Bridge and the Silver Jubilee Bridge, had been launched; and

·       He thanked all Council staff and those from other agencies that had helped members of the community in a practical way on the day that ‘Storm Dorris’ arrived.

          The Council considered the minutes of the executive Board meetings on 15 December 2016, 19 January 2017 and 23 February 2017.

 

          RESOLVED: That the minutes be received.

The Council considered the minutes of the Health and Wellbeing Board meeting on 18 January 2017.

 

          RESOLVED: That the minutes be received.

 

          It was noted that no questions had been submitted under Standing Order No 8.

Executive Board considered the attached report.

 

RECOMMENDED: That Council adopt the resolution as set out in Appendix A of the report, which includes setting the budget at £102.700m, the Council Tax requirement of £44.378m (before Parish, Police and Fire Precepts) and the Band D Council Tax for Halton of £1,312.27.

The Executive Board had considered a report setting out a recommendation to Council in respect of the Budget, Capital Programme and Council Tax for 2017/18. Since then the Cheshire Fire Authority and the Cheshire Police and Crime Commissioner had set their budgets and council tax precepts and these had been included in the report to full Council.

 

          The report included detail on the following:-

 

·       Medium Term Financial Strategy;

·       Budget Consultation;

·       Review of the 2016/17 Budget;

·       2017/18 Budget;

·       the Local Government Finance Settlement;

·       Budget Outlook;

·       Halton’s Council Tax;

·       Parish Precepts;

·       Average Council Tax;

·       Police Precept;

·       Fire Precept;

·       Total Council Tax;

·       Capital Programme;

·       Prudential Code; and

·       School Budgets.

 

The Executive Board had recommended that Council adopt the resolution set out in Appendix A of the report, which included setting the budget at £103.249m, the Council Tax requirement of £44.378m (before Parish, Police and Fire precepts) and the Band D Council Tax for Halton of £1,312.27.

 

Councillor Wharton, Resources Portfolio Holder, thanked all the Officers involved for their support in producing this budget and wished to record his thanks to the Members of the Executive Board, the Budget Working Group and the Chairs of the Policy and Performance Boards for their contribution. In addition he thanked the Leader for his help and support in delivering this budget.

 

In accordance with Standing Order 16 (3), a recorded vote was taken.

 

          The following Members voted FOR the motion:

 

Councillors Philbin, Abbott, S. Baker, M. Bradshaw, J. Bradshaw, D. Cargill, E. Cargill, Cassidy, Cole, Dennett, Edge, Fry, C. Gerrard, J Gerrard, Gilligan,  P. Hignett, R. Hignett, S. Hill, V. Hill, Horabin, Howard, Jones, M. Lloyd Jones, P. Lloyd Jones, C. Loftus, K. Loftus, Logan, A. Lowe, J. Lowe, MacManus, McDermott, A. McInerney, T. McInerney, Morley, Nelson, Osborne, Parker, Polhill, C. Plumpton Walsh, N. Plumpton Walsh, Joe Roberts, June Roberts, Rowe, Sinnott, J. Stockton, Thompson, Wainwright, Wall, Wallace, Wharton, Woolfall, Wright and Zygadllo

 

There were no votes against the motion.

 

There were no abstentions.

 

          RESOLVED: That Council adopt the following resolution –

 

 

1)       The policies outlined in this paper be adopted, including the budget and council tax for 2017/18, the savings set out in Appendix B and the Capital Programme set out in Appendix F.

 

2)       That it be noted that at the meeting on 07 December 2016 the  Council agreed the following:

 

(a)      The Council Tax Base 2017/18 for the whole Council area is 33,818 (item T in the formula in Section 31B(3) of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, as amended (the Act) and

 

(b)      For dwellings in those parts of its area to which a Parish precept relates, be set out as follows:

 

Parish	Tax Base
Hale	662
Daresbury	174
Moore	328
Preston Brook	332
Halebank	522
Sandymoor	1,020

 

          being the amounts calculated by the Council, in accordance with Regulation 6 of the Regulations, as the amounts of its Council Tax Base for the year for dwellings in those parts of its area to which special items relate.

 

3)  ...  view the full minutes text for item 64.

(N.B. Councillor Martha Lloyd Jones made a Disclosable Other Interest in the following item of business as she was a Governor of St Edward’s Catholic Primary School)

Executive Board considered the attached report.

 

RECOMMENDED: That Council approve the revised Capital Programme, as set out in the report.

 

          Executive Board had considered a report of the Operational Director, Finance, on revisions to the 2016/17 Capital Programme.

 

          RESOLVED: That the revisions to the Council’s 2016/17 Capital Programme, as set out in paragraph 3.2 of the report, be approved.

Executive Board considered the attached report.

 

RECOMMENDED: That Council approve the Capital Programme 2017/18.

 

          Executive Board had considered a report of the Strategic Director, People, on Capital Programmes for 2017/18 for the People Directorate.

 

          RESOLVED: That the Capital Programme for 2017/18 be approved.

Executive Board considered the attached report.

 

RECOMMENDED: That Council adopt the policies, strategies, statements and prudential and treasury indicators outlined in the report.

          Executive Board considered a report of the Operational Director, Finance, on the Treasury Management Strategy Statement 2017/18.

 

          RESOLVED: That Council adopt the policies, strategies, statements, prudential and treasury indicators outlined in the report.

Executive Board considered the attached report.

 

RECOMMENDED: That

 

1)    Council approve the introduction of a scheme of Support for SMEs, in accordance with the circumstances and criteria outlined in the report;

 

2)    Subject to the approval of the scheme, the award of business loans up to £1m for successful applicants, be delegated to the Operational Director, Finance, in liaison with the Executive Board Portfolio Holder for Resources and the Operational Director, Economy, Enterprise and Property;

 

3)    Subject to the approval of the scheme, the award of business loans of between £1m and £5m for successful applicants, be delegated to the Chief Executive in liaison with the Leader of the Council, the Executive Board Portfolio Holder for Resources, the Operational Director, Finance and the Operational Director, Economy, Enterprise and Property; and

 

4)    Subject to the approval of the scheme, the award of business loans over £5m for successful applicants, be a matter for decision by the Executive Board.

 

          Executive Board considered a report of the Operational Director, Finance, on the adoption of a scheme to provide financial support to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).

 

          RESOLVED: That

 

1)    Council approve the introduction of a Scheme of Support for SMEs, in accordance with the circumstances and criteria outlined in the report;

 

2)    The award of business loans up to £1m for successful applicants, be delegated to the Operational Director, Finance, in liaison with the Executive Board Portfolio holder for Resources and the Operational Director, Economy, Enterprise and Property;

 

3)    The award of business loans of between £1m and £5m for successful applicants, be delegated to the Chief Executive  in liaison with the Leader of the Council, the Executive Board Portfolio holder for Resources, the Operational Director, Finance, and the Operational Director, Economy, Enterprise and Property; and

 

4)    The award of business loans over £5m for successful applicants, be a matter for decision by Executive Board.

Executive Board considered the attached report.

 

RECOMMENDED: That Council approve the Calendar of Meetings for the 2017/18 Municipal Year, as appended to the report.

          Executive Board considered a report of the Strategic Director, Enterprise, Community and Resources, on a proposed calendar of meetings for the 2017/18 Municipal Year.

 

          RESOLVED: That the calendar of meetings for the 2017/18 Municipal Year, attached at Appendix 1, be approved.

Council is asked to consider the attached report.

 

RECOMMENDED: That Council appoint the Chief Executive as the Local Returning Officer for the Combined Authority Mayoral Election to be held on 4 May 2017.

          Council considered a report of the Strategic Director, Enterprise, Community and Resources, on the appointment of a Local Returning Officer for the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority Mayoral Election to be held on 4 May 2017.

 

          RESOLVED: That the Chief Executive be appointed as the Local Returning Officer for the Combined Authority Mayoral Election on 4 May 2017.

Council is asked to consider the attached report.

 

RECOMMENDED: That Council adopts this Pay Policy Statement for 2017/18.

 

 

          Council considered a report of the Strategic Director, Enterprise, Community and Resources, on the Pay Policy Statement for 2017/18.

 

          The Localism Act 2011 required every local authority to prepare a pay policy statement each year, which detailed the Council’s approach to a range of issues relating to the pay of its employees.

 

          The report detailed the following information:

 

·       Background to the Pay Structure;

·       Senior Management  Remuneration;

·       Recruitment of Chief Officers;

·       Additions to Salaries of Chief Officers;

·       Pension Contributions;

·       Payments on Termination;

·       Publication;

·       Lowest Paid Employees; and

·       Accountability and Decision Making.

 

RESOLVED: That the Pay Policy Statement for 2017/18 be adopted.

Council is asked to consider the attached report.

 

RECOMMENDED: That Council

 

1)                 note the content of the report; and

 

2)        formally designate the Strategic Director, People, as  the

           Council’s Statutory Director of Children Services.

 

          Council considered a report of the Chief Executive, on revised arrangements within the People Directorate, as required by the legislative framework for Children’s, Adults and Public Health Services.

 

          The report set out the administrative and managerial arrangements for the Operational Director for Adults (DASS), the Director of Children’s Services (DCS) and the Director of Public Health (DPH).

 

          RESOLVED: That

 

1)    the content of the report be noted; and

 

2)    the Strategic Director, People, be formally designated as the Council’s Statutory Director of Children’s Services.

 

         

The Mayoral Committee considered a Part II item making recommendations for the appointment of Mayor and Deputy Mayor for the 2017/18 Municipal Year:-

 

Council is requested to note these recommendations as follows. Formal confirmation will be sought at the annual meeting.

 

1)          Councillor Alan Lowe be appointed as the Mayor; and

 

2)          Councillor John Bradshaw be appointed as the Deputy Mayor.

 

 

          The Mayoral Committee had considered a Part II item which made recommendations for the appointment of Mayor and Deputy Mayor for the 2017/18 Municipal Year. Formal confirmation would be sought at the Annual Meeting of Council.

 

          RESOLVED: That Council note that

 

1)    Councillor Alan Lowe be appointed  Mayor; and

 

2)    Councillor John Bradshaw be appointed Deputy Mayor.

(N.B. The following Councillors made a Disclosable Other Interest in Minute HEA 35 of the Health Policy and Performance Board for the reasons stated: Councillor Alan Lowe and Councillor Joan Lowe as their sons’ partner worked for a provider of domiciliary care in Halton; Councillor Osborne, as his wife was an employee of Halton Borough Council)

          The Council considered the reports of the following Boards in the period since the meeting of Council on 7 December 2016:-

 

·       Children, Young People and Families;

·       Employment, Learning and Skills and Community;

·       Health;

·       Safer;

·       Environment and Urban Renewal;

·       Corporate Services; and

·       Business Efficiency Board.

The Council considered the reports of the following Committees in the period since the meeting of Council on 7 December 2016:-

 

·       Development Control;

·       Regulatory;

·       Appeals Panel;

·       Standards; and

·       Appointments.