Agenda and minutes

To appoint a relief Chairman.

Moved by the Lord Mayor and seconded by Councillor Tim Mitchell that Councillor Louise Hyams be elected Relief Chairman.

Motion put and on a show of hands declared CARRIED.

To sign the Minutes of the Meeting of the Council meeting held on 20 January 2016.

The minutes of the proceedings at the Council meeting held on Wednesday 20 January 2016 were, with the assent of the Members present, signed by the Chairman as a true record of the proceedings.

To receive Declarations of Interest from Members and Officers.

The Chairman advised that there was no requirement on Members to declare an interest on account of being a Council taxpayer and in the Members’ Allowances item as these were noted on behalf of all Members.  There were no other declarations.

To receive and consider the following Cabinet report: 22 February 2016

(a)      Appendix A – Budget and Council Tax 2016-2017 to 2019-2020

          Appendix A1 – Update to Budget and Council Tax Setting

(b)      Appendix B – Capital Strategy and Capital Programme 2015-2016 to 2020-         2021

(c)      Appendix C – Treasury Management Strategy for 2016-2017

(d)      Appendix D – Council’s Pay Policy 2016-2017

The report of the Cabinet on 22 February 2016 was submitted.  Paragraphs 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the report were considered together.

Councillor Philippa Roe delivered the Leader’s Speech and Councillor Adam Hug made the first Opposition Speech.

Councillor Adam Hug moved the following amendments which were seconded by Councillor David Boothroyd.

Amendment 1:

That Cabinet Recommendation (a) (iii) be amended by:

After “use of the Earmarked Reserves in Schedule 5 of the report” inserting the following

“with a reallocation of the £4m proposed addition to the general reserves (from the 2015-2016 underspend) to instead be used to provide:

An additional investment in the Capital Asset Programme of £3.5m

An additional contribution to the Young Westminster Foundation of £500,000

And the Cabinet Recommendation (a) (ix) be amended by:

After “that the cash limited budgets for each service with overall net expenditure for 2016-2017 of £183,804k (as set out in Schedule 3) be approved inserting the following:

“with the changes as follows:  An increase to the proposed figures for 2016-2017 for the Children’s Services Early Help Budget of £484,000 and the creation of a £44,000 virtual ward budget for use by Westminster’s Youth Council.  This will be funded in the following ways:

·       new income from additional Capital Asset Programme funding at a net figure for 2016-2017 of £46,000.

·       savings from closing the senior staff private health care scheme to new entrants to generate in 2016-2017 £24,000.

·       savings from non-revenue generating expenditure by the Policy, Performance and Communications Directorate of £200,000.

This should include:

·       ensuring that the Westminster Reporter is at minimum fully revenue neutral through increased advertising or by otherwise scrapping it outright.  This will generate savings of £167,000.

·       savings from a review the department of the total spending in the Chief of Staff’s area totalling £258,000.

This should include:

Lord Mayor’s office reforms of £100k.

Ending the catering budget for Members events £20,000.

Scrapping payments to Deputy Cabinet Members £48,000 and the Members Allowances Scheme be amended accordingly.

Removal of Committee Vice-Chair payments £10,000 and the Members Allowances Scheme be amended accordingly.

An additional reduction in staffing or running costs of the department in addition to those listed above £80,000.

Amendment 2:

That Cabinet Recommendation (a) (iii) be also amended by:

In recommendations 2.1 on page 5 at the end insert the following:

“The Council will introduce a higher residents parking permit band of £250 for cars with engines over 2500cc in size.  This is intended to improve air quality within the City and reduce CO2 emissions, it will generate part year revenues of £251,000 of which £138,000 will be spent to reduce the standard residents parking permit rate by £6 (from £141 to £135).  The remaining £113,000 is to be used with in the Sustainability and Parking budget for initial consultation and project implementation (including the development of a charging system fully incorporating CO2 emissions), with any remaining funds made available for cycling promotion and highway safety schemes”.

Following debate to which the Leader of the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

To receive and consider the following committee report: 

General Purposes: 24 February 2016

Appendix E - Members Allowances Scheme 2016-2017

The report of the General Purposes Committee was submitted.

Paragraph 1: Members Allowances Scheme 2016-2017

The Lord Mayor put the recommendation of the General Purposes Committee in paragraph 1 to the vote and on a show of hands declared it to be ADOPTED.

Resolved: That the Members Allowances Scheme, attached to the report (Appendix D) be agreed.