Agenda and minutes

To receive announcements from the Mayor.

With deep regret, the Mayor referred to the recent death of former councillor, Tom Jackson.  The Mayor reported that a thanksgiving service would be held on 4 March 2022 at High lane Village Hall at 2.30 pm.

The Mayor invited all those present to stand in silence as a mark of respect to the memory of Mr Jackson.

The Mayor then announced that he had attended the relaunch of the Armed Forces and Veterans Breakfast Club in Stockport following a hiatus due to the impact of the covid-19 pandemic.

The Mayor further started that this year would be the 40^th anniversary of the Ballykelly bombing in which eight members of the Cheshire Regiment were killed, including three from Stockport.

The Mayor then offered his congratulations to all those who had been involved in Stockport achieving the silver employer defence recognition award which reflected the commitment to those who had served in the armed forces.  It was noted that it was the ambition of the council to achieve the gold award in 2023.

The Mayor then reported that he had attended a commemoration of the 79^th anniversary of the loss of the SS Stockport during the second world war.

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 interest was declared.

Personal Interest

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 Mayor and councillors on matters within the powers and duties of the Council.

One public question was submitted relating to the relationship between the Council Meeting and the Cabinet and the weight attached to the recommendations of the Council Meeting.

The Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Devolution (Councillor Elise Wilson) responded that decisions taken by the Council were done in accordance with the Council’s constitution.

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

There were no petitions or presentations.

To consider a report of the Leader of the Council & Cabinet Member for Devolution.

The Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Devolution (Councillor Elise Wilson) submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) seeking approval for the draft 2022/23 Council Plan.

RESOLVED – That the Council Plan 2022/23 be approved and adopted.

To consider a report of the Cabinet Member for Sustainable Stockport.

The Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Resources, Commissioning & Governance (Councillor Tom McGee) 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 2022/23.

RESOLVED - That approved be given to:-

(a) An increase of 4.1% for social rent;

(b) An increase of 5.4% for rent of shared ownership properties;

(c) Service charge increases as outlined in section 3;

(d) The Housing Revenue Account Budget for 2022/23 as set out in

Appendix 1 to the report.

To consider a joint report of the Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Devolution and Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Resources, Commissioning & Governance.

The Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Devolution (Councillor Elise Wilson) submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) providing an update the Council’s 2022/23 to 2024/25 Medium Term Financial Plan forecasts and assumptions taking account of local and national changes.

RESOLVED - That the Medium Term Financial Plan forecasts for the Council’s finances for the period 2022/23 to 2024/25 be noted.

To consider a joint report of the Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Devolution and the Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Resources, Commissioning and Governance.

The Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Devolution (Councillor Elise Wilson) submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) detailing the Cabinet’s Revenue Budget Proposals for 2021/22 and outlining the Council’s financial outlook and challenges across the medium term period 2021/22 to 2022/23.

MOVED AND SECONDED – (1) That approval be given to the Budget for 2022/23 described in the report and set out in Appendix 2 and 3.

(2 That the risk assessment of the 2022/23 Budget at Appendix 5 and the report of the Section 151 Officer on the adequacy of proposed financial reserves and robustness of the estimates also included at Appendix 5 be noted.

(3) That approval be given to the required Council General Fund Balance to reflect the Section 151 Officer assessment of risks.

(4) That approval be given to the financial forecasts and assumptions for 2022/23 to 2024/25 at Appendix 6, and the key issues to be addressed in formulating a response to the future financial challenges facing the Council.

(5) That the appropriate Council Tax resolutions be passed which produce a Council Tax increase of 3.5% in 2022/23 (1% General increase, 1% Adult Social Care Precept increase and 1.5 deferred 2021/22 Adult Social Care Precept increase) as illustrated in Appendix 7.

AMENDMENT MOVED AND SECONDED - That the Council Meeting gives approval to the proposed amendments to the 2022/23 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 Budget Amendment, February 2022’ that had been circulated in advance of the meeting.

For the amendment 53, against 0, abstentions 8.

AMENDMENT CARRIED

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

Those councillors who voted for the amendment were:-

The Mayor (Councillor Adrian Nottingham); The Deputy Mayor (Councillor David Wilson); Councillors Shan Alexander, Malcolm Allan, Lou Ankers, Paul Ankers, Grace Baynham, Kate Butler, Anna Charles-Jones, Angie Clark, Laura Clingan, Stuart Corris, Becky Crawford, Dickie Davies, Will Dawson, Roy Driver, Dean Fitzpatrick, Colin Foster, Helen Foster-Grime, Chris Gordon, Graham Greenhalgh, Steve Gribbon, Oliver Harrison, Keith Holloway, Mark Hunter, Jilly Julian, Gary Lawson, Rory Leonard, Colin MacAlister, Carole McCann, Tom McGee, Wendy Meikle, David Meller, Janet Mobbs, Tom Morrison, Amanda Peers, Iain Roberts, Mark Roberts, Dena Ryness, David Sedgwick, Becky Senior, Lisa Smart, Andy Sorton, Charlie Stewart, John Taylor, Aron Thornley, Sue Thorpe, Kerry Waters, Jude Wells, Wendy Wild, Elise Wilson, Suzanne Wyatt and Matt Wynne.

The councillors who abstained were:-

Councillors Brian Bagnall, Linda Holt, Mike Hurleston, Oliver Johnstone, John McGahan, Alanna Vine, Lisa Walker and John Wright.

The motion, as amended, was then put as the substantive motion and it was

RESOLVED – (53 for, 8 against) - (1) That approval be given to the Budget for 2022/23 described in the report and set out in Appendix 2 and 3.

(2 That the risk assessment of the 2022/23 Budget at Appendix 5 and the report of the Section 151 Officer on the adequacy of proposed financial reserves and robustness of the estimates also included at Appendix 5 be noted.

(3) That approval be given to the required Council General Fund Balance to reflect the Section 151 Officer assessment of risks.

(4) That approval be given to the financial forecasts and assumptions for 2022/23 to 2024/25 at Appendix 6, and the key issues to be addressed in formulating a response to the future financial challenges facing the Council.

(5) That the appropriate Council Tax resolutions be passed which produce a Council Tax increase of 3.5% in 2022/23 (1% General increase, 1% Adult Social Care Precept increase and 1.5 deferred 2021/22 Adult Social Care Precept increase) as illustrated in Appendix 7.

Subject to:-

·         Funding the ‘general’ increase in council tax for the worst  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.(iv)

To consider a joint report of the Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Devolution and the Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Resources, Commissioning and Governance and to pass the appropriate resolutions setting the Council Tax for 2022/23.

The Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member Devolution (Councillor Elise Wilson) submitted a report (copies of which were circulated) setting out the Council Tax for 2022/23 and the level of precepts for the Mayoral Police and Crime Commissioner Precept and Mayoral General Precept.

RESOLVED – (53 for, 8 against) (1) That it be noted that on 13 January 2022, the Council has calculated the Council Tax Base for the financial year 2022/23 as :

·         96,883.1 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 the Council Meeting approve the Council Tax Requirement for the Council’s own purposes for 2022/23 as being £175,469,827

(3) That the following amounts be calculated by the Council for the year 2022/23 in accordance with sections 31 to 36 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992:

(a) £723,502,468 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) £548,032,641 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) £175,469,827 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) £1,811.15 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) £1,811.15 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 2022/23 the Mayoral Police and Crime Commissioner precept for Greater Manchester 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 2022/23 for each part of its area and for each of the categories of dwellings.

(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 2022/23 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 Mayor (Councillor Adrian Nottingham); The Deputy Mayor (Councillor David Wilson); Councillors Shan Alexander, Malcolm Allan, Lou Ankers, Paul Ankers  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.(v)

To consider a report of the Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Resources, Commissioning & Governance.

The Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Resources, Commissioning & Governance (Councillor Tom McGee) submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) detailing the 2021/22 Capital Strategy and Capital Programme has been set to support the delivery of outcomes and outputs associated with the priorities of the Council.

RESOLVED – (61 for) That approval be given to:-

·         The Capital Strategy at Appendix One to the report;

·         The 2022/23 to 2024/25 Capital Programme and the funding arrangements as described in the report and set out at Appendix Two to the report; and,

·         The prudential indicators set out in Appendix Three to the report.

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

Those councillors who voted for the resolution were:-

The Mayor (Councillor Adrian Nottingham); The Deputy Mayor (Councillor David Wilson); Councillors Shan Alexander, Malcolm Allan, Lou Ankers, Paul Ankers, Brian Bagnall, Grace Baynham, Kate Butler, Anna Charles-Jones, Angie Clark, Laura Clingan, Stuart Corris, Becky Crawford, Dickie Davies, Will Dawson, Roy Driver, Dean Fitzpatrick, Colin Foster, Helen Foster-Grime, Chris Gordon, Graham Greenhalgh, Steve Gribbon, Oliver Harrison, Keith Holloway, Linda Holt, Mark Hunter, Mike Hurleston, Oliver Johnstone, Jilly Julian, Gary Lawson, Rory Leonard, Colin MacAlister, Carole McCann, John McGahan, Tom McGee, Wendy Meikle, David Meller, Janet Mobbs, Tom Morrison, Amanda Peers, Iain Roberts, Mark Roberts, Dena Ryness, David Sedgwick, Becky Senior, Lisa Smart, Andy Sorton, Charlie Stewart, John Taylor, Aron Thornley, Sue Thorpe, Alanna Vine, Lisa Walker, Kerry Waters, Jude Wells, Wendy Wild, Elise Wilson, John Wright, Suzanne Wyatt and Matt Wynne.

To consider a report of the Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Resources, Commissioning & Governance.

The Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Resources, Commissioning & Governance (Councillor Tom McGee) 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 2022/23.

RESOLVED – That approval be given to:-

·         The Minimum Revenue Provision Policy for 2022/23.

·         The Capital Expenditure forecasts and Capital Financing Requirement projections.

·         The Treasury Management Strategy 2022/23.

·         The Treasury and Prudential Indicators and limits 2022/23-2024/25.

·         The Annual Investment Strategy 2022/23.