Agenda item

To consider a report of the Conservative Group. 

The Leader of the Opposition, Councillor Martin Boardman, presented the Alternative Budget 2020/21.  This follows on from the alternative corporate strategy and sets out the Opposition’s plan putting the wellbeing of residents and businesses at the heart of everything it does, while providing high quality services at a cost the people of Chorley can afford.

 

Councillor Boardman advised that, broadly, the Opposition support the direction of the administration’s budget, but do not agree with the level of borrowing and risk undertaken by the administration. 

 

The proposals within the Alternative Budget include revenue investment totalling up £1.4m per year and savings and additional income of up to £2.2m per year to ensure the budget is balanced without the need to increase Chorley Council’s council tax charge.

 

The proposals include working better across teams and with partners to make many small changes that can have significant impacts across five themes:

·                The Environment

·                Economy & Education

·                Commmunity Safety

·                Housing

·                Health

 

In debating the proposals put forward by the opposition, Members raised issues around the proposed reduction to the annual charge for garden waste collection, savings from staffing, housing proposals and transport provision to enable young people to access the Youth Zone. 

 

Members then debated the General Fund Revenue and Capital Budget and Council Tax 2020/21 and the Fees and Charges Review 2020/21.

 

In debating the proposals Members raised issues around the allocation of Section 106 money in Buckshaw Village, affordable housing provision, outreach work undertaken by the Youth Zone and the differing approaches of community centres. 

 

The Leader of the Opposition, Councillor Martin Boardman, made comments in relation to investment within the Town Centre and rural areas, the outcome of the pension review and works planned to Union Street offices. 

 

There was general support for the proposals around the green agenda. 

 

AMENDMENT

 

The adoption of the Alternative Budget as set out in the report, was moved as an amendment by the Leader of the Opposition, Councillor Martin Boardman and seconded by the Shadow Cabinet Member (Early Intervention and Support), Councillor John Walker.

 

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: E Bell, M Boardman, V Caunce, K Iddon, J Walker. 

 

AGAINST: H Khan, S Holgate, A Beaver, T Brown, M Clifford, J Cronshaw, J Fitzsimons, C France, P Gabbott, A Gee, D Gee, T Gray, A Hilton, Z Khan, M Lees, R Lees, L Lennox, A Lowe, M Lowe, M Lynch, J Molyneaux, A Morwood, S Murfitt, B Murray, G Sharples, P Sloan, J Snape, K Snape, P Walmsley, N Whitham, A Whittaker, P Wilson. 

 

The vote was LOST.

 

SUBSTANTIVE MOTION

 

The substantive motion, as indicated in Agenda Items 5 and 6, with the additional recommendations relating to delivering the green agenda was proposed by the Deputy Leader and Executive Member (Resources), Councillor Peter Wilson, and seconded by the Executive Member (Early Intervention), Councillor Bev Murray, 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: H Khan, S Holgate, A Beaver, T Brown, M Clifford, J Cronshaw, J Fitzsimons, C France, P Gabbott, A Gee, D Gee, T Gray, A Hilton, Z Khan, M Lees, R Lees, L Lennox, A Lowe, M Lowe, M Lynch, J Molyneaux, A Morwood, S Murfitt, B Murray, G Sharples, P Sloan, J Snape, K Snape, P Walmsley, N Whitham, A Whittaker, P Wilson. 

 

AGAINST: E Bell, M Boardman, V Caunce, K Iddon, J Walker. 

 

The vote was CARRIED and it was therefore a DECISION

 

1.         That the budget and proposals as set out in the report in item 5 and supporting appendices be approved to include:

a)        Approve the budget and proposals set out in this report including:

•           Council Tax set out in the resolutions (at Appendix A)

b)        Note Special Expenses and Parish Precepts (at Appendix B)

c)        Approve the Council’s Medium-Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) (Appendix C)

d)        Note the Council’s forecast cumulative budget deficit & budget strategy 2020-21 to 2022- 23 (Appendix D)

e)        Note significant budget movements from the 2019/20 Budget (at Appendix E)

f)         Note the general fund forecast assumptions (at Appendix F)

h)        Approve the Capital Strategy (Appendix H)

i)          Approve the Treasury Management Strategy (Appendix I) and note the advice of the treasury management consultants (Appendix I1)

j)          Approve the Council’s Pay Policy (at Appendix J) and publication on the Council’s website from April 2020

k)        Note the advice of the Statutory Finance Officer in relation to the robustness of the budget and the risks contained within it as set out in the Statutory Report (Appendix K).

l)          Note the Budget Consultation 2020/21 Report (at Appendix L)

m)      Note the Assessing the Impact of Budget Proposals 2020/21 Report (at Appendix M)

n)        Approve the recommendations from the outcome of consultation regarding changes to Council Tax Support Scheme (at Appendix N)

 

2.         Delivering the green agenda

a)        That the £500k investment in the proposed initiatives is approved.

b)        That the revised appendices to the budget report, ‘G1 Capital Programme 2019/20 – 2022/23 – Amended’, ‘G2 Capital Financing 2019/20 – 2022/23 – Amended’ ‘G3 Developer’s Contributions 2017/18 - 2020/22 - Amended” are approved. 

c)        That the amended performance indicators outlined in paragraphs 16 and 17 of the report are approved. 

 

3.         Review of Fees and Charges

That the proposed 2% increase in fees and charges outlined in table 2 of this report be approved.