| C.694 | The Worshipful the Mayor thanked Rabbi Jonathan Guttentag for offering the Opening Prayers of this meeting.
The Mayor offered the Council’s best wishes for continuing recovery by Councillors Joan Grimshaw and Ann Garner who had both received hospital treatments recently.
Former Councillor Albert Little had been injured recently in a fall and the Mayor had passed to him the Council’s best wishes for a speedy recovery.
The Mayor had received two Petitions, one concerning street lightning in the Sedgley area of Prestwich, and the other, concerning proposals for Youth Club and Youth provision in the Borough.
The Mayor also reported the achievements of Danny Boyle who has strong connections with Radcliffe, in the award of an Oscar by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, an Award from the British Academy of Film and Televisions Arts (BAFTA) and a Golden Globe Award from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, for directing the film ‘Slumdog Millionaire’. The Council’s congratulations had been sent to Mr Boyle.
The Mayor also congratulated the Bury-based Group ‘Elbow’ who, at last week’s Brit Awards, received an award for Best British Band. The Council is currently planning to grant Mr Boyle, the members of ‘Elbow’ and the Paralympian Zoe Robinson, the Freedom of the Borough
The Mayor advised the Council that St George’s Day, 23 April 2009, will be recognised by the raising of the Flag of St George at the Town Hall, Bury early in the morning and during the evening, a Dinner and Ball will be held with the proceeds donated to the ‘Help the Heroes’ Charity.
Following on from Minute C.606 of the last meeting of the Council when the death of Mr Aidan Loynes was reported, the Mayor advised that he had received a letter from Mr Loynes’ father on behalf of his family thanking Councillors and colleagues for their donations in Aidan’s memory to the ‘Rotary Club of Manchester Breakfast’.
The Mayor reported the sad death of David Cameron’s son, Ivan. The Council’s condolences would be sent to the Conservative Party Leader and his family.
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| C.696 | (a) Minute EX.627 of the meeting of the Executive held on 18 February 2009 - Housing Revenue Account 2009/2010
At the invitation of the Mayor, Councillor Gartside, Executive Member for Learning, Skills and Employment made a Statement on the Housing Revenue Account for 2009/2010
It was moved by Councillor Bibby and seconded by Councillor Creswell and on being put with no Member voting against and with the Mayor abstaining.
(b) Minute EX.628 of the meeting of the Executive held on 18 February 2009 - Budget 2009/2010 to 2011/2012
At the invitation of the Mayor, Councillor Redstone, Executive Member for Resource made a statement on the Budget 2009/2010 to 2011/2012
(A) It was moved by Councillor Bibby and seconded by Councillor Creswell that the recommendation contained in Minute EX.628 of the meeting of the Executive held on 18 February 2009, concerning the Budget for 2009/2010 be approved and adopted subject to the following amendment:-
“DELETE
1. That the report be noted and the Council requested to consider and determine all matters relating to the Budget, the Capital Programme and the level of the Council Tax for 2009/2010 at its meeting on 25 February 2009.
RENUMBER / ADD
Section A - Capital Programme 2009/10 to 2011/12
1. That the Capital Programme for 2009/10 and future years, shown in Appendix B be approved subject to the additions shown in the table in paragraph 4.3 and subject to the following additions:
£0.030m to fund the refurbishment of the toilets in Bury market;
£0.600m to fund additional Disabled Facilities Grants/Public Sector
adaptations, with the funding being held centrally and released as required following an on-going assessment of demand and performance
2. That the shortfall in resources identified in paragraph 4.3 of the report (as amended in 1 above) be met by making a provision for slippage of £0.730m;
3. That the proposed financing of the Capital Programme set out in paragraph 3.8 of the report be approved subject to the amendment in 2. above;
4. That the use of £0.353m of general capital receipts to support the Programme be noted;
5. That the risk assessment set out in section 5 of section A of the report be noted and the risk mitigation actions be approved.
Section B - Revenue Budget 2009/10 to 2011/12
6. That the details of the final Formula Grant Settlement for 2009/10 be noted;
7. That proposals around the use of the Area Based Grant set out in paragraph 2.9 be approved;
8. That the level of repayment of principal on General Fund debt at the minimum of 4% be approved pending a further report to the Council on the implementation of the new Minimum Revenue Provision guidance for 2008/09 and future years;
9. That it be noted that under delegated powers the Director of Finance and E-Government calculated the amount of 59823.96 as the Council Tax base for the year 2009/10 in accordance with the Local Government Act 2003 and with regulations made under section 33(5) of the Local Government Finance Act 1992;
10. That the forecast outturn position for 2008/09 be noted;
11. That the Golden Rules set in section 4.3 be reaffirmed subject to the amendment set out in paragraph 4.3.4 increasing within the formula the amount below which the balances cannot fall to £3.4m;
12. That the actual minimum level of balances for 2009/10 be increased to £3,700,000;
13. That the recommendations of the Schools’ Forum around education funding issues set out in section 4.11 be approved;
14. That the statements by the Director of Finance and E-Government on the robustness of budget assumptions and on the minimum level of balances be noted and endorsed;
15. That the Bury element of the Council Tax should rise by 4.79%;
16. That the Revenue Budget for 2009/10 of £141.885m as set out in paragraph 4.6.2 of the report be approved subject to the following amendments
Net Budget £m141.885
Less: Savings options
Savings options (paragraph 6.5/appendix C) £m-4.100
One-off corporate savings option £m-0.414
- use of balances/capitalisation of revenue £m-4.514
Add: On-going Priority developments
Council Tax reduction for over 65s (4.79% on Bury element) £m0.125
Contribution to GM wide initiative on economic development £m0.100
Additional resources for child protection £m 0.250
Promotion of the Borough £m0.035
Additional apprentices £m0.020
Increase in base budget for services to people with £m2.100
Learning and physical disabilities £m2.630
Add: One-off Priority developments
Provision for costs arising from the recession £m0.200
Funding to partly restore Shopmobility
saving (£25k for two years) £m0.025
total £ml0.225
Less: Funding of Priority developments
Contribution from Priority Investment Reserve £m-1.900
Reduction in provision for pay inflation to 2.0% (including reduced pension costs) £m-0.520
One-off contribution from Transformation Reserve £m-0.225
total £m-2.645
NET BUDGET 2009/10 £m137.581
Funded by:
Income from Council Tax @ 4.79% increase £m-72,893
Income from Formula Grant £m-64.688
total £m137.581
17. That the following recommendations in relation to the Revenue Budget and Council Tax for 2009/10 be approved:
1. That the following amounts be now calculated by the Council for the year 2009/10 in accordance with Sections 32 to 36 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992:
(a) £431,118,000 being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 32(2)(a) to (e) of the Act;
(b) £293,579,000 being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 32(3)(a) to (c) of the Act;
(c) £137,539,000 being the amount by which the aggregate at 2(a) above exceeds the aggregate at 2(b) above, calculated by the Council, in accordance with Section 32(4) of the Act, as its budget requirement for the year;
(d) £64,646,500 being the aggregate of the sums which the Council estimates will be payable for the year into its General Fund in respect of redistributed Non-domestic Rates and Revenue Support Grant, decreased by the amount of the sums which the Council estimates will be transferred in the year from its General Fund to its Collection Fund;
(e) £1218.45 being the amount at 2(c) above less the amount at 2(d) above, all divided by the Council Tax Base of 59823.96, calculated by the Council in accordance with Section 33(1) of the Act as the basic amount of its Council Tax for the year; and
(f) Valuation Bands
A £812.30
B £947.68
C £1083.07
D £1218.45
E £1489.22
F £1759.98
G £2030.75
H £2436.90
being the amounts given by multiplying the amount at 2(e) above by the number which, in the proportion set out in Section 5(1) of the Act, is applicable to dwellings listed in a particular valuation band divided by the number which in that proportion is applicable to dwellings listed in valuation band D, calculated by the Council, in accordance with Section 36(1) of the Act, as the amounts to be taken into account for the year in respect of categories of dwellings listed in different valuation bands.
2. That it be noted that for the year 2009/10 the Greater Manchester Police Authority and the Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Authority have stated the following amounts in precepts issued to the Council, in accordance with Section 40 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, for each of the categories of the dwellings shown below:
Police
A £89.51
B £104.42
C £119.34
D £134.26
E £164.10
F £193.93
G £223.77
H £268.52
Fire
A £34.24
B £39.95
C £45.66
D £51.37
E £62.78
F £74.20
G £85.61
H £102.74
3. That, having calculated the aggregate in each case of the amounts at 2(f) and 3 above, the Council, in accordance with Section 30(2) of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, hereby sets the following amounts as the amounts of Council Tax for the year 2009/10 for each of the categories of dwellings shown below:
A £936.05
B £1092.05
C £1248.07
D £1404.08
E £1716.10
F £2028.11
G £2340.13
H £2808.16
18. That, in accordance with Section 13A of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, the Council will reduce the Bury element of the Council Tax for the year 2009/10 by 4.79% for persons who are:
(i) Liable on 1st April 2009 to pay Council Tax either jointly or in their own right by being an owner occupier or tenant of a dwelling within the Bury MBC boundary, which is their sole or main residence;
ii) Aged 65 or over on 1st April 2009 and
(iii) Not in receipt of Council Tax benefit on 1st April 2009
For information only - in respect of people falling into the above categories the following amounts will be payable as Council Tax for the year 2009/10 for each of the categories of dwellings shown below:
Police
A £89.51
B £104.42
C £119.34
D £134.26
E £164.10
F £193.93
G £223.77
H £268.52
Fire
A £34.24
B £39.95
C £45.66
D £51.37
E £62.78
F £74.20
G £85.61
H £102.74
Bury
A £773.39
B £902.29
C £1031.19
D £1160.09
E £1417.89
F £1675.69
G £1933.48
H £2320.18
TOTAL
A £897.14
B £1046.66
C £1196.19
D £1345.72
E £1644.77
F £1943.82
G £2242.86
H £2691.44
19. That, in making the necessary decisions, the Council has taken into account the forecast budget position for 2010/11 and future years, as outlined in section 10 of the report submitted.
(B) An amendment was moved by Councillor Campbell and seconded by Councillor Connolly that:-
“The Conservative Party should be held to account for its budget amendment but with the following changes:
Capital
Add in to the 2009/10 Programme:
£500,000 for the redevelopment of Prestwich
£500,000 for additional Disabled Facilities Grants
The above to be funded by making an additional provision for slippage of £1.0m
Revenue:
The following cuts to be restored with £414,000 being taken from the provision for non-pay inflation:
Terminating Shopmobility’s funding £53,000
Cutting funding for Age of Opportunities projects £90,000
Cuts in Youth Service management £0
Cuts in the Education Welfare service £60,000
Reducing the Book Fund £25,000
Switching off Street lights £42,000
Saving from reducing highways gangs £54,000
Reducing the opening hours at the crèche £30,000
Reducing swimming pool opening hours £10,000
Savings in parks budgets £50,000
Total £414,000”
The Mayor called a ten-minute recess for consideration to be given to both of the above amendments.
On being put, with 16 Members voting for, 25 against with 9 abstentions, the amendment was declared lost.
(C) A further amendment was moved by Councillor Pickstone and seconded by Councillor Baum by way of addition to the amendment at (A) above:-
“1. In addition to the Conservative amendment, that the following allocations be made from the Priority Investment Reserve:
£300,000 to increase on an on-going basis the level of funds for road and pavement repairs across the borough that are delegated to the Local Area Partnerships - to be paid for by additional procurement efficiencies; and
£300,000 to provide an additional one-off Credit Crunch Advice Fund - to be paid for from General Fund balances
[The Fund would ask for bids from external agencies and Council departments to provide:
- advice and information individuals facing debt, money and housing problems
- advice, information, re-training and volunteering opportunities for individuals facing unemployment
- advice for individuals around benefits, particularly benefits around warm homes and energy conservation
- advice and information to small and medium businesses about grants and access to support];
2. That any savings resulting from the review of the Youth Service be ring-fenced and re-invested back into the service.”
On being put, with 23 Members voting for, 25 against and with the Mayor abstaining, the amendment was declared lost.
The substantive Motion on being put, with 25 Members voting for, 23 against with the Mayor abstaining, was declared carried.
(c) Minute EX.629 of the meeting of the Executive held on 18 February 2009 - Draft Treasury Management Strategy and Prudential Indicators 2009/2010
On being put with no Members voting against and with the Mayor abstaining, it was:
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