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Agenda and minutes

Budget and Local Plan, Council - Tuesday, 23rd February, 2016 6.00 pm

Venue: Council Chamber, Marmion House, Lichfield Street, Tamworth, B79 7BZ. View directions

Contact: Democratic Services 01827 709264 

Items
No. Item

53.

Apologies for Absence

Minutes:

None

54.

To receive the Minutes of the previous meeting pdf icon PDF 100 KB

Minutes:

The minutes of the meeting held on 15 December 2015 were approved and signed as a correct record.

 

(Moved by Councillor D Cook and seconded by Councillor M Thurgood)

55.

Declarations of Interest

To receive any declarations of Members’ interests (pecuniary and non-pecuniary) in any matters which are to be considered at this meeting.

 

When Members are declaring a pecuniary or non-pecuniary interest in respect of which they have dispensation, they should specify the nature of such interest.  Members should leave the room if they have a pecuniary or non-pecuniary interest in respect of which they do not have a dispensation. 

Minutes:

There were no Declarations of Interest.

56.

To receive any announcements from the Mayor, Leader, Members of the Cabinet or the Chief Executive

Minutes:

The Leader of the Council Councillor D Cook made the following announcement:-

 

Under articles within the Constitution it seems within my gift to appoint a Champion in a particular area under a Portfolio Holder. With that in mind I will be appointing Councillor Simon Goodall to Champion certain aspects of housing repairs working alongside Michelle Thurgood. I will happily brief the Chief Executive and anyone else who wishes with the exact details of that.

57.

Question Time:

(i)                 To answer questions from members of the public pursuant to Procedure Rule No. 10.

 

(ii)               To answer questions from members of the Council pursuant to Procedure Rule No. 11

 

Minutes:

QUESTIONS FROM MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC NO. 1

 

Under Procedure Rule No 10, Mr Moore will ask the Portfolio Holder for Operations and Assets , Councillor R Pritchard, the following question:-

                                                                                            

"I would like to ask Councillor Pritchard why he is campaigning on pot holes when he is fully aware that budgets are being brutally slashed by his own party. I believe he made the same veiled promises during his last campaign 3 years ago, but nothing has come to fruition?"

 

Councillor R Pritchard gave the following reply:-

 

Potholes are a menace to all road users. A record £6.1 billion of funding has been made available to local highway authorities in England between 2015 and 2021 to maintain our local roads. This includes an additional £250 million for a dedicated potholes action fund to improve local roads. This is all opposed by is own party.

 

Mr Moore says funding is being slashed by my party.

 

Under this Government, total road maintenance spend is equivalent to £160 for every driver in the UK. This builds on the work of the Coalition Government: between 2010 and 2015 it provided £4.7 billion to local highway authorities, including £168 million to tackle potholes across the county. Again this was opposed by Labour.

 

Between 2010 and 2015, the amount spent on maintenance funding was 27 per cent (or £1 billion) higher than when Labour was in Government.  So we are increasing spending on roads to a level far higher than Labour even did.

 

I have received information from Conservative colleagues at Staffordshire County Council who have informed me that the county around Staffordshire County Council repair 350-400 potholes every week, with approximately 20-30 of these in Tamworth. 

 

I thank Mr Moore for asking the question because it gives me the opportunity to announce that, from my lobbying of the County Council and work by my Conservative Colleagues on Staffordshire County Council, during the next 12 months Tamworth will benefit from a £1.1m programme of surface dressing to tackle potholes and help extending the lifespan of many roads and footways.

 

Part of the question asked “why do I campaign on potholes?” I do because as a Councillor it’s my job to do so. I take the role very seriously. I get them reported so they can be fixed and in the last few years I have reported hundreds of potholes, all subsequently being fixed by Staffordshire County Council.

 

I would like to point out that I am campaigning on more than just potholes.

 

I, and my fellow Conservatives, are campaigning on value for tax for the rate payer, better schools, keeping Tamworth clean, attracting new businesses to Tamworth, more free outdoor events, building more council houses and investment in the Town Centre.

 

I have noted Mr Moore that you too are campaigning on potholes, according to your Facebook page, so given your parties record on highways investment perhaps you should be asking this  ...  view the full minutes text for item 57.

58.

Corporate Vision, Priorities Plan, Budget & Medium Term Financial Strategy 2016/17 pdf icon PDF 756 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Leader of the Council and Cabinet requested the approval of the Vision Statement, Priority Themes, Corporate Priorities and Outcomes and their inclusion in the Corporate Plan and Support Service Plan. He also sought approval of the recommended package of budget proposals and, to comply with the requirement of the Council’s Treasury Management Policy in reporting to Council, the proposed strategy for the forthcoming year and the Local Government Act 2003 with the reporting of the Prudential Indicators.

 

RESOLVED:

That Council

1

approved the Vision Statement, Corporate Priorities and outcomes and their inclusion in the Corporate Plan;

 

2

approved the proposed revisions to Service Revenue Budgets (Policy Changes);

 

3

approved the sum of £81,896 be applied from Council Tax Collection Fund surpluses in reducing the Council Tax demand in 2016/17;

 

4

approved the sum of £560,025 be applied to Business Rates Collection Fund deficits in 2016/17;

 

5

approved that on 26th November 2015, the Cabinet calculated the Council Tax Base 2016/17 for the whole Council area as 20,904 [Item T in the formula in Section 31B(3) of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, as amended (the “Act”)];

 

6

approved that the Council Tax requirement for the Council’s own purposes for 2016/17 is £3,381,222;

 

7

approved the following amounts as calculated for the year 2016/17 in accordance with Sections 31 to 36 of the Act:

 

  1. £55,054,127 being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 31A(2) of the Act (Outgoings excluding internal GF Recharges);

 

  1. £51,672,905 being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 31A(3) of the Act (Income excluding internal GF Recharges);

 

  1. £3,381,222 being the amount by which the aggregate at 7(a) above exceeds the aggregate at 7(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 31A(4) of the Act);

 

  1. £161.75 being the amount at 7(C) above (Item R), all divided by Item T (at 4 above), calculated by the Council, in accordance with Section 31B(1) of the Act, as the basic amount of its Council Tax for the year;

 

 

8

approved the Council Tax level for the Borough Council 2016/17 of £161.75 (an increase of £3.15 (1.99%) on the 2016/17 level of £158.60) at Band D;

 

9

approved an aggregate Council Tax (comprising the respective demands of the Borough Council, Staffordshire County Council, Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Authority) of £1,498.34 at Band D for 2016/17 be noted;

 

10

approved the Council Tax levels at each band for 2016/17;

 

11

approved the sum of £1,724,806 be transferred from General Fund Revenue Balances in 2016/17;

 

12

approved the Summary General Fund Revenue Budget for 2016/17;

 

13

approved the Provisional Budgets for 2017/18 to 2018/19, summarised at Appendix G, as the basis for future planning;

 

14

approved the acceptance of the proposed 4 year  ...  view the full minutes text for item 58.

59.

Tamworth Local Plan pdf icon PDF 51 KB

(Report of the Portfolio Holder for Economy and Education)

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Report of the Portfolio Holder for Economy and Education sought to gain approval from Council to adopt the Tamworth Local Plan 2006 – 2031 in-line with the Inspector’s report and the listed Main Modifications to make the Plan sound and legally compliant. Once adopted the new Local Plan will replace the current Local Plan (2001 – 2011) and become the statutory development plan for Tamworth.

 

As a result of a named vote it was:-

 

RESOLVED:

That Council

1

adopted the Tamworth Local Plan 2006 – 2031 and Policies Map through formal resolution of the Council in line with the Inspector’s report and Main Modification recommendations to ensure the submitted Plan is sound and legally compliant and in accordance with the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 (as amended), the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012 and the Localism Act.

 

2

identified the Other Modifications during the examination process are made to the Local Plan and Policies Map.

 

3

endorsed the Sustainability Appraisal Adoption Statement which has been prepared in accordance with the Environmental Assessment of Plans and Programmes Regulations 2004. 

 

4

in accordance with the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 (as amended) and Regulations 26 and 35 of the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012, The Local Plan, Adoption Statement and Sustainability Appraisal are made publicly available and interested parties notified.

 

 

(Moved by Councillor S Claymore and seconded by Councillor D Cook)

 

 

FOR                                                    AGAINST                                          ABSENT

 

Councillor J Chesworth                  Councillor M Clarke                        Councillor M Thurgood

Councillor S Claymore                   Councillor A Couchman

Councillor T Clements                    Councillor M Couchman

Councillor D Cook                           Councillor J Faulkner

Councillor S Doyle                          Councillor G Hirons

Councillor M Gant                           Councillor T Madge

Councillor J Goodall                       Councillor K Norchi

Councillor S Goodall                       Councillor Dr S Peaple

Councillor M Greatorex                   Councillor T Peaple

Councillor A James                         Councillor P Seekings

Councillor R Kingstone                  Councillor P Standen

Councillor A Lunn

Councillor M McDermid

Councillor J Oates

Councillor M Oates

Councillor R Pritchard

Councillor R Rogers

Councillor E Rowe