Members are reminded of their responsibility to declare any pecuniary interest in respect of matters contained in this agenda.

If you have a pecuniary interest you must withdraw from the meeting. Normally you should leave the room before the business starts to be discussed. You do, however, have the same right to speak as a member of the public and may remain in the room to enable you to exercise that right and then leave immediately. In either case you must not seek to improperly influence a decision on the matter.

No declarations of interests were declared.

No declarations of interests were declared.

Resolved (unanimously) that the minutes of the Council meeting held on 24 January 2023 be approved as a correct record for signature by the Mayor.

The Mayor advised that Councillors Hasina, Samir and Zara Khan would be undertaking a sponsored fast for Ramadan, starting on 21 March – all money raised would go towards the Mayor’s Chosen Charities.

The Mayor thanked everyone who had booked their tickets for the Charity Ball and reminded those who hadn’t paid to contact Paula Brindle as soon as possible to arrange payment.

Members of the public who have requested the opportunity to ask question(s) on any item(s) on the agenda will have three minutes to put their question(s) to the relevant Councillor. Members of the public will be allowed to ask one short supplementary question.

To view the procedure for public questions/ speaking click here and scroll to page 119

There were no public questions for consideration.

To seek approval to recommendations from the Executive contained in the attached report of the Chief Finance Officer (Introduced by the Executive Member for Resources) and within the appendices listed below.

a)    Approve the budget and proposals set out in this report, including the level of Council Tax as set out in the Formal Council Tax Resolution, including Special Expenses & Parish Precepts 2023/24, at Appendix A;

b)    Note the advice of the Chief Finance Officer in relation to the robustness of the estimates within the overall budget, including the risks contained within it and the adequacy of the proposed level of financial reserves, as set out in the Statutory Report at Appendices B1 – B3;

c)    Approve the council’s Medium-Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) at Appendix C;

d)    Note the council’s forecast Cumulative Budget Deficit and Budget Strategy 2023-24 to 2025-26 at Appendix D;

e)    Note the analysis of the movement in the 2023/24 Budget from the position approved by Council in February 2022 at Appendix E;

f)     Approve the capital programme for 2023/24 to 2025/26 (Appendices F1, F2 & F3);

g)    Approve the Capital Strategy at Appendix G;

h)    Approve the Treasury Management Strategy at Appendix H and note the advice of the treasury management consultants at Appendix H1;

i)     Approve the council’s Pay Policy at Appendix I for publication on the council’s website from April 2023 (including Appendix I (i) – the payscales for Chorley Council and Appendix I (ii) – the payscales for Shared Services);

j)     Note the budget consultation 2023/24 Report at Appendix J;

k)    Note the Assessing the Impact of Budget Proposals 2023/24 Report at Appendix K

The Deputy Executive Leader and Executive Member for Resources, Councillor Peter Wilson, presented the Executive’s Revenue Budget 2023/24, Medium Term Financial Strategy and Capital Programme 2023-26.

Councillor Wilson thanked officers and the Labour Group for their hard work and input into the proposed budget. He noted the previous post-covid budgets and the uncertainties this continued to create. The main challenges for the council included the rapid increase in inflation, the cost of living crisis and the impact of the Government’s budget on local councils. The proposed budget would continue to provide the support needed for residents, communities, and businesses in the borough.

The 2023/24 budget and the MTFS for the next 2 years had been updated to take account of the following:

·         Due to the continued pressures on council budgets, alongside reduced levels of funding from government to meet these increasing costs, the figures include a proposed 1.99% increase in council tax in 2023/24;

·         The figures also include a proposed 2.99% increase in council tax in 2024/25 and of 1.99% in 2025/26; these proposals will be revisited each year as part of the budget setting process and will be dependent upon the outcome of the government’s reviews of both the future funding framework and the future distribution of funding between councils (i.e. the log awaited Fair Funding Review), the review of the business rates system and the development of the ‘Levelling-Up’ agenda;

·         Continued investment is reflected in ongoing revenue budgets to ensure delivery of corporate strategy priorities.

Although the level of funding in cash terms has increased by £1.9m from £13.6m in 2016/17 to £15.5m in 2023/24 (13.9%), the real terms reduction over this period, as measured by CPI, is 26.9%. Despite this, the council has been, and remains, ambitious in its approach to addressing the budget deficit by generating efficiency savings and additional income.

Councillor Wilson referred to the achievements of the council in recent years, and the plans within the Corporate Strategy, which would be delivered by the proposed budget, including:

Housing where residents can live well

·         £2.8m of further investment in affordable homes and adaptation grants

·         £100k investment in measures to improve home energy efficiency

·         £50k to investigate flexible housing solutions to meet the needs of all communities

A green and sustainable borough

·         £35k to plant more trees as part of establishing green corridors

·         £200k environmental improvements and proactive activity to clean up neighbourhoods

·         £80k to deliver energy improvement measures for businesses

·         £50k to deliver additional Electric Vehicle charging points

An enterprising economy with vibrant local centres in urban and rural areas

·         £150k to continue improving Astley Hall

·         £400k to improve rural business connectivity

·         £240k to provide additional support for businesses

·         £10k to launch a skills and jobs programme for local residents

·         £441k over the MTFS for investment within bus shelters

Healthy, safe and engaged communities

·         £120k to provide more support for families and young people to access services that can give them the best start in life

·         £15k for health and wellbeing activities that can be  ...  view the full minutes text for item 85.

The Conservative Group would like to propose the amendments within the enclosed document.

Shadow Cabinet Member (Finance, Shared Services and Governance), Councillor Sam Chapman expressed his thanks to the Conservative group and officers for their contribution to the proposed amendment.

Councillor Chapman highlighted that the Administration’s proposed 1.99% increase to Council Tax would generate an additional £140,000 in revenue to the council in 2023/24, and in each subsequent year thereafter. Similarly, the proposed 1.99% increase to Special Expenses would generate an additional £21,135 in revenue.

Therefore, the Conservative Group proposed:

1.    a freeze on Council Tax in 2023/24,

2.    a freeze on Special Expenses in 2023/24,

with the loss in revenue offset in 2023/4 by reducing the Climate Change Reserve by the same amount, and with the future loss in revenue addressed by the same means as the identified funding gap for those years in the Medium Term Financial Strategy i.e. through savings identified in the development and delivery of the Transformation Strategy and Savings Programme.

The Leader of the Opposition, Councillor Alan Cullens, seconded and supported the amendments, particularly regarding the freeze on Council Tax and Special Expenses.

Amendment

The adoption of the Alternative Budget as set out in the report, was moved as an amendment by the Shadow Cabinet Member (Finance, Shared Services and Governance), Councillor Sam Chapman and seconded by the Leader of the Opposition, Councillor Alan Cullens.

In line with the legal requirement for all budget decisions to be recorded, this proposal was put to the vote and recorded as follows:

For: Councillors Martin Boardman, Sam Chapman, Alan Cullens, Magda Cullens, Keith Iddon, Alan Platt, Debra Platt, Aidy Riggott, and John Walker.

Against: Councillors Sarah Ainsworth, Aaron Beaver, Julia Berry (Mayor), Alistair Bradley, Mark Clifford, Karen Derbyshire, Gordon France, Margaret France, Danny Gee, Tom Gray (Deputy Mayor), Terry Howarth, Hasina Khan, Samir Khan, Zara Khan, Roy Lees, Adrian Lowe, Michelle Le Marinel, June Molyneaux, Alistair Morwood, Dedrah Moss, Beverley Murray, James Nevett, Jean Sherwood, Arjun Singh, Kim Snape, Ryan Towers, Jenny Whiffen, Neville Whitham, Alan Whittaker and Peter Wilson.

The vote was lost (9:30:0).

Substantive motion

The substantive motion, as indicated in Agenda Item 5 was proposed by the Deputy Executive Leader, Councillor Peter Wilson, and seconded by the Executive Leader, Councillor Alistair Bradley, was then put to the vote.

In line with the legal requirement for all budget decisions to be recorded, this proposal was put to the vote and recorded as follows:

For: Councillors Sarah Ainsworth, Aaron Beaver, Julia Berry (Mayor), Alistair Bradley, Mark Clifford, Karen Derbyshire, Gordon France, Margaret France, Danny Gee, Tom Gray (Deputy Mayor), Terry Howarth, Hasina Khan, Samir Khan, Zara Khan, Roy Lees, Adrian Lowe, Michelle Le Marinel, June Molyneaux, Alistair Morwood, Dedrah Moss, Beverley Murray, James Nevett, Jean Sherwood, Arjun Singh, Kim Snape, Ryan Towers, Jenny Whiffen, Neville Whitham, Alan Whittaker and Peter Wilson.

Against: Councillors Martin Boardman, Sam Chapman, Alan Cullens, Magda Cullens, Keith Iddon, Alan Platt, Debra Platt, Aidy Riggott,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 86.

With the agreement of the Mayor an urgent Notice of Motion has been accepted, on the basis that it is time constrained.

The enclosed Notice of Motion has been submitted by Councillor James Nevett. 

Approved, subject to agreed amendments.

The Mayor accepted an urgent item of business on the basis that it was time constrained.

Councillor James Nevett proposed, and Councillor Jean Sherwood seconded the following Notice of Motion:

“The week 27th February to 5th March marks Eating Disorders Awareness Week (EDAW) in the UK, a time marked annually to increase awareness of the more than 1.25 million people who suffer from eating disorders in the United Kingdom (according to Beat, the UK eating disorder charity) and the millions of people who are indirectly affected as family, friends and loved ones. For 2023, the theme of EDAW is raising awareness about male sufferers of eating disorders who often go ignored or overlooked. One in four sufferers of eating disorders are men, yet harmful stereotypes about eating disorders only affecting girls and women, that they are about attention-seeking, that male sufferers just enjoy ‘working out’, or they are ‘fussy eaters’, persist. Research from Beat suggests that 1 in 5 male sufferers have never spoken out, 3 in 5 were disappointed with the support available, and 4 in 5 believed greater awareness would help men to access treatment sooner.

Therefore, this motion calls on the council to acknowledge the importance of Eating Disorders Awareness Week and raising the profile of male sufferers. This motion encourages the council’s Lead Member for Health Services and the Champion for Mental Health Awareness to raise the importance of improving NHS eating disorders services for both children and adults wherever possible, and to highlight these issues in their work with community groups and partner organisations. This motion calls on the council to establish an eating disorders support page on its website in the residents section, alongside the current pages on alcohol, drugs, smoking and adult mental health, to signpost members of the public to the support available from Beat and the Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust. The council should have available the range of digital and print resources published by Beat which provide useful information on eating disorders, how sufferers can access treatment, and advice to family and friends who support loved ones suffering from eating disorders.”

Councillor Le Marinel thanked Cllr James Nevett for bringing the important motion forward to Council and the proposed an amendment which was seconded by Councillor Margaret France. Following discussion, a friendly amendment was agreed.

Resolved (unanimously) to support the amended Notice of Motion as follows:

The week 27th February to 5th March marks Eating Disorders Awareness Week (EDAW) in the UK, a time marked annually to increase awareness of the more than 1.25 million people who suffer from eating disorders in the United Kingdom (according to Beat, the leading UK eating disorder charity) and the millions of people who are indirectly affected as family, friends and loved ones. For 2023, the theme of EDAW is raising awareness about male sufferers of eating disorders who often go ignored or overlooked. One in four sufferers of eating disorders are men, yet harmful stereotypes about eating disorders only affecting girls and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 87.

To replace Cllr Alex Hilton on Equalities Forum with Cllr Michelle-le-Marinel. 

The Mayor advised she had accepted this item of urgent business.

The Executive Leader, Councillor Alistair Bradley proposed and the Deputy Executive Leader, Councillor Peter Wilson seconded, and it was Resolved (unanimously):

That Councillor Michelle Le Marinel replace Councillor Alex Hilton on the Equality Forum.