Agenda and minutes

To receive announcements from the Mayor.

With deep regret the Mayor reported that former councillor Anne Graham had passed away on Friday, 9 February 2018.  It was stated that Anne had first been elected as a member of Stockport Council for the then North Reddish ward in 1992 and served as Deputy Mayor in 1995/1996 before being elected as Mayor in 1996/1997.  Anne retired from the Council in May 2012 after 20 years of service to the Borough.

The Mayor then reported that the Lady Mayoress of Manchester, Councillor Sheila Newman, who was also the Executive Member for Children’s Services, had passed away suddenly over the previous weekend.  The Mayor informed the Council Meeting that she had written to the Lord Mayor of Manchester to convey the Council’s condolences for his loss at this sad time.

Finally, the Mayor advised the meeting that Clyve Bryant, one of her Mayoral Attendants, had passed away on Friday, 9 February. 

The Mayor invited all those present to join her in standing for a minute’s silence as a mark of respect to the memory of former councillor Graham, the Lady Mayoress of Manchester, Councillor Newman and Mr Bryant.

Councillors and officers to declare any interests which they may have in any of the items on the Summons for the meeting.

Councillors and officers were invited to declare any interests which they had in any of the items on the Summons for the meeting.

The following interests were declared:-

Personal Interests

Personal and Prejudicial Interests

Disclosable Pecuniary Interests

Those councillors who were property owners or eligible to pay Council Tax also declared a disclosable pecuniary interest in Summons Item 3(v) – ‘Council Tax 2018/19’ for which a dispensation in respect of this matter had been granted by the Standards Committee.

It was noted that the Standards Committee had approved a wide dispensation to enable any member with a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest or a Personal and Prejudicial interest in any item under consideration as part of the budget setting to take part and vote at the meeting.

To receive any questions from and provide answers to the public in relation to matters relevant to the Council’s activities.

Members of the public were invited to put questions to the Deputy Mayor and Councillors on any matters within the powers and duties of the Council.

Three public questions were submitted as follows:-

·         Relating to the Naylor Report and the forced sale of NHS land and buildings including those attached to public health services and whether there had been any sales of these assets in Stockport or if any were planned.

The Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care (Councillor Wendy Wild) undertook to respond to the questioner in writing.

·         Relating to whether Councillor Hunter would agree that it was wrong for the Mayor of Greater Manchester to ask Stockport residents to pay an additional charge on top of the proposed Council Tax increase especially when none of the other elected Mayors were levying a charge.

Councillor Mark Hunter responded that he agreed with the questioner that the proposed precept was unfair and unreasonable, and that Labour council leaders in the West Midlands had blocked the imposition of such a charge by the Conservative Mayor of the West Midlands.  It was further stated that the Mayor of the Liverpool City Region had indicated that he was not proposing to raise a precept.

·         Relating to whether the questioner had been misinformed at the Cabinet Meeting on the 6 February 2018 when the Leader of the Council said in relation to the recent Unison dispute that the dissatisfaction was not about the new models of care or the principle of where the Council wanted to take things, but it was about what it would mean for individual staff.

The Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Policy, Finance & Devolution (Councillor Alex Ganotis) responded that it was the case that the unions were supportive of the business cases and the new models of care and that the issues that Unison were raising were around job descriptions, the skill mix of staff, ensuring working hours were appropriate and ensuring that there was sufficient capacity for staff to deliver the new models of care in a safe way.

To receive petitions, and by prior arrangement, receive delegations and presentations from members of the public, community groups or partnership organisations.

No such arrangements have been made for this meeting.

There were no petitions or presentations.

To consider a report of the Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Policy, Finance and Devolution.

The Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Policy, Finance & Devolution (Councillor Alex Ganotis) submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) seeking approval for the draft 2018/19 Council Plan.

RESOLVED – (55 for) That the Council Plan 2018/19 be approved and adopted.

To consider a joint Report of the Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Policy, Finance and Devolution and the Cabinet Member for Communities and Housing.

The Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Policy, Finance & Devolution (Councillor Alex Ganotis) submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) requesting the Council Meeting to set the level of rent and service charges in the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) and approve the HRA budget for 2018/19.

RESOLVED – (55 for) That approval be given to:-

(i)         A reduction in the average social rent of 1% for dwelling rents;

(ii)        An increase of 4.4% for rents of shared ownership properties;

(iii)       Service charge increases as outlined in Section 3;

(iv)       Increases in Sheltered Warden, Laundry and Carecall charges as outlined in Section 4; and

(v)        The Housing Revenue Account Budget for 2018/19 as set out in Appendix 1.

The names of those councillors voting on this resolution were recorded as follows:-

Those councillors who voted for the resolution were:-

The Deputy Mayor (Councillor Walter Brett); Geoff Abell, Malcolm Allan, Brian Bagnall, Sheila Bailey, Kenny Blair, Laura Booth, Kate Butler, Anna Charles-Jones, Richard Coaton, Christine Corris, Stuart Corris, Becky Crawford, Dickie Davies, Tom Dowse, Roy Driver, Annette Finnie, Dean Fitzpatrick, Colin Foster, Alex Ganotis, Lord Goddard, Chris Gordon, Tom Grundy, Yvonne Guariento, Paul Hadfield, Philip Harding, Daniel Hawthorne, Keith Holloway, Sylvia Humphreys, Mark Hunter, Oliver Johnstone, Julian Lewis-Booth, Syd Lloyd, John McGahan, Tom McGee, Wendy Meikle, Chris Murphy, Adrian Nottingham, John Pantall, Paul Porgess, Iain Roberts, Lisa Smart, June Somekh, Andy Sorton, David Sedgwick, Charlie Stewart, John Taylor, Jon Twigge, Alanna Vine, Lisa Walker, Wendy Wild, David Wilson, Elise Wilson, John Wright and Suzanne Wyatt.

To consider a joint report of the Deputy Chief Executive and Borough Treasurer.

The Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Policy, Finance & Devolution (Councillor Alex Ganotis) submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) providing an update the Council’s 2018/19 to 2022/23 Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP) forecasts and assumptions taking account of local and national changes including the Government’s 2017 Autumn Budget, Provisional Local Government Finance Settlement (PLGFS) and Final Local Government Finance Settlement (FLGFS) announcements since the completion of the Summer Review.

RESOLVED - That the Medium Term Financial Plan forecasts for the Council’s finances for the period 2018/19 to 2022/23 be noted.

To consider a joint report of the Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Policy, Finance and Devolution and the Cabinet Member for Reform and Governance.

The Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Policy, Finance & Devolution (Councillor Alex Ganotis) submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) detailing the Cabinet’s Revenue Budget Proposals for 2018/19 and Capital Programme Investment Plans and outlining the Council’s financial outlook and challenges across the medium term period

2018/19 to 2022/23.

MOVED AND SECONDED – That:-

(1) approval be given to the Budget for 2018/19 described in the report and set out in Appendix 2 and 3;

(2) the risk assessment of the Budget at Appendix 5 and the report of the Borough Treasurer on the adequacy of proposed financial reserves and robustness of the estimates included at Appendix 5 be noted;

(3) the financial forecasts for 2018/19 to 2022/23 (Appendix 6), and the key issues to be addressed in formulating a response to the future financial challenges facing the Council be noted;

(4) approval be given the 2018/19 to 2020/21 Capital Programme and the funding arrangements as described in the report and set out at Appendix 7; and

(5) approval be given the prudential indicators set out in Appendix 8.

AMENDMENT MOVED AND SECONDED – That the Council Meeting gives approval to the proposed amendments to the 2018/19 Cabinet Revenue Budget and Capital Programme put forward by the Liberal Democrat Group and as set out in its proposals and summarised in the document entitled

“Liberal Democrat Amendment to the Council Budget 2018” which had been circulated at the meeting and which would result in consequential revisions to Appendices 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 9 to the report.

At 6.53 pm it was

RESOLVED – That the meeting be adjourned.

The meeting reconvened at 7.13 pm

Upon the meeting reconvening, it was MOVED AND SECONDED that the meeting be adjourned for a further 20 minute period.

At 7.15 pm it was

RESOLVED – That the meeting be adjourned.

The meeting reconvened at 7.35 pm

Upon the meeting reconvening, it was MOVED AND SECONDED that the meeting be adjourned for a further 10 minute period.

At 7.37 pm it was

RESOLVED – (32 for, 23 against, 1 abstention) That the meeting be adjourned.

The meeting reconvened at 7.47 pm

The Council Meeting then proceeded to debate the amendment.

Upon the amendment being put to the vote:-

For the amendment 20, against 34, abstentions 2.

AMENDMENT NOT CARRIED

The names of those councillors voting on this amendment were recorded as follows:-

Those councillors who voted for the amendment were:-

Councillors Geoff Abell, Malcolm Allan, Laura Booth, Christine Corris, Stuart Corris, Lord Goddard, Chris Gordon, Daniel Hawthorne, Keith Holloway, Mark Hunter, Sue Ingham, Oliver Johnstone, Wendy Meikle, John Pantall, Paul Porgess, Iain Roberts, Lisa Smart, June Somekh, Jon Twigge, Suzanne Wyatt

Those councillors who voted against the amendment were:-

The Deputy Mayor (Councillor Walter Brett); Councillors Brian Bagnall, Sheila Bailey, Kate Butler, Anna Charles-Jones, Richard Coaton, Becky Crawford, Dickie Davies, Roy Driver, Annette Finnie, Dean Fitzpatrick, Colin Foster, Alex Ganotis, Tom Grundy, Yvonne Guariento, Paul Hadfield, Philip Harding, Sylvia Humphreys, Julian Lewis-Booth, Syd Lloyd, John McGahan, Tom McGee, Chris Murphy, Adrian Nottingham, Andy Sorton, David Sedgwick, Charlie Stewart, John Taylor, Alanna Vine, Lisa Walker, Wendy Wild, David Wilson, Elise Wilson and John Wright.

Those councillors who abstained were:-

Councillors Kenny Blair and Tom Dowse.

The Council Meeting then proceeded to debate the original motion.

At this stage in the proceedings (10.00 pm) the Mayor informed the Council Meeting that the provisions of Council Meeting Procedure Rule 9.1 (Duration of Meeting) would be invoked unless the Council Meeting wished the meeting to continue.

MOVED AND SECONDED - That, notwithstanding the provisions of Council Meeting Procedure Rule 9, the meeting continue to deal with the remaining business on the Summons.

For the motion 26, against 29.

MOTION NOT CARRIED

The provisions of Council Meeting Procedure Rule 9.1 relating to the duration of (Council) meetings were then duly invoked.

It was then

RESOLVED – (36 for, 19 against, 1 abstention) That:-

(1) approval be given to the Budget for 2018/19 described in the report and set out in Appendix 2 and 3;

(2) the risk assessment of the Budget at Appendix 5 and the report of the Borough Treasurer on the adequacy of proposed financial reserves and robustness of the estimates included at Appendix 5 be noted;

(3) the financial forecasts for 2018/19 to 2022/23 (Appendix 6), and the key issues to be addressed in formulating a response to the future financial challenges facing the Council be noted;

(4) approval be given the 2018/19 to 2020/21 Capital Programme and the funding arrangements as described in the report and set out at Appendix 7; and

(5) approval be given the prudential indicators set out in Appendix 8.

The names of those councillors voting on this resolution were recorded as follows:-

Those councillors who voted for the resolution were:-

The Deputy Mayor (Councillor Walter Brett); Councillors Brian Bagnall, Sheila Bailey, Kenny Blair, Kate Butler, Anna Charles-Jones, Richard Coaton, Becky Crawford, Dickie Davies, Tom Dowse, Roy Driver, Annette Finnie, Dean Fitzpatrick, Colin Foster, Alex Ganotis, Tom Grundy, Yvonne Guariento, Paul Hadfield, Philip Harding, Sylvia Humphreys, Julian Lewis-Booth, Syd Lloyd, John McGahan, Tom McGee, Chris Murphy, Adrian Nottingham, Andy Sorton, David Sedgwick, Charlie Stewart, John Taylor, Alanna Vine, Lisa Walker, Wendy Wild, David Wilson, Elise Wilson and John Wright.

Those councillors who voted against the resolution were:-

Councillors Geoff Abell, Malcolm Allan, Laura Booth, Christine Corris, Stuart Corris, Lord Goddard, Chris Gordon, Daniel Hawthorne, Keith Holloway, Mark Hunter, Sue Ingham, Wendy Meikle, John Pantall, Paul Porgess, Iain Roberts, Lisa Smart, June Somekh, Jon Twigge and Suzanne Wyatt.

Those councillor who abstained was Councillor Oliver Johnstone.

To consider a joint report of the Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Policy, Finance and Devolution and the Cabinet Member for Reform and Governance and to pass the appropriate resolutions setting the Council Tax for 2018/19.

(Draft report and resolutions enclosed)

The Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Policy, Finance & Devolution (Councillor Alex Ganotis) submitted a report (copies of which were circulated) setting out the Council Tax for 2018/19 and the level of precepts for the Mayoral Police and Crime Commissioner Precept and Mayoral General Precept.

RESOLVED – (35 for, 18 against, 2 abstentions) (1) That it be noted that on 19 December 2017, the Council has calculated the Council Tax Base for the financial year 2018/19 as:-

·         93,361.2 for the whole Council area [Item T in the formula in Section 31B of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, as amended (the "Act")]

(2) That approval be given to the Council Tax Requirement for the Council’s own purposes for 2018/19 as being £149,164,123.

(3) That the following amounts be calculated by the Council for the year 2018/19 in accordance with sections 31 to 36 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992:

(a) £660,027,080 being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in section 31A(2) of the Act (Appendix Two).

(b) £510,862,957 being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in section 31A(3) of the Act (Appendix Two).

(c ) £149,164,123 being the amount by which the aggregate at 3(a) above exceeds the aggregate at 3(b) 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). (Appendix Two).

(d) £1,597.71 being the amount at 3(c) above, all divided by Item T (1(a) above), calculated by the Council, in accordance with section 31B of the Act, as the basic amount of its Council Tax for the year.

(e) £0.00 being the aggregate amount of all special items referred to in section 34(1) of the Act.

(f) £1,597.71 being the amount at 3(d) above less the result given by dividing the amount at 3(e) above by the amount by Item T (1(a) above), calculated

by the Council, in accordance with section 34(2) of the Act, as the basic

amount of its council tax for the year for dwellings in those parts of its

area to which no special item relates.

(4) That it be noted that for the year 2018/19 the Mayoral Police and Crime Commissioner Precept and the Mayoral General Precept (including Fire Services) have been issued to the Council in accordance with section 40 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, for each category of dwellings in the

Council's area as indicated in the table below.

(5) That the Council, in accordance with Sections 30 to 36 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, hereby sets the aggregate amounts shown in the tables below as the amounts of Council Tax for 2018/19 for each part of its area and for each of the categories of dwellings.

AGGREGATE OF COUNCIL TAX REQUIREMENTS

(6) That the Council, in accordance with section 52ZB of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 hereby determines that the Council’s relevant basic amount of council tax for 2018/19 is not excessive in accordance with the principles determined by the Secretary of State under section 52ZC of the Act.

The names of those councillors voting on this resolution were recorded as follows:-

Those councillors who voted for the resolution were:-

The Deputy Mayor (Councillor Walter Brett); Councillors Brian Bagnall, Sheila Bailey, Kenny Blair, Kate Butler, Anna Charles-Jones, Richard Coaton,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.(ii)

To consider a report of the Borough Treasurer.

The Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Policy, Finance & Devolution (Councillor Alex Ganotis) submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) inviting the Council Meeting to consider the Treasury Management Strategy Statement, the Annual Investment Strategy and the Minimum Revenue Provision Policy 2018/19.

RESOLVED - (56 for) That approval be given to:-

·         The Minimum Revenue Provision Policy for 2018/19;

·         The Capital Expenditure forecasts and Capital Financing Requirement projections;

·         The Treasury Management Strategy 2018/19;

·         The Treasury and Prudential Indicators and limits 2018/19-2020/21; and

·         The Annual Investment Strategy 2018/19.