Agenda and minutes
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To receive apologies for absence Minutes: Apologies for absence were received from Councillors R. Jenkins, P. Lammas and P. Thomas. |
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Declarations of Interest To invite Councillors to declare any Disclosable Pecuniary Interests or Other Disclosable Interests they may have in items on the agenda, and to confirm the nature of those interests. Minutes: There were no declarations of interest. |
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Recommendations from the Cabinet - Efficiency Plan To consider the recommendations from the extraordinary meeting of the Cabinet held on 13th October 2016 relating to the Council’s Efficiency Plan. A copy of the report to the Cabinet meeting is enclosed. Additional documents: Minutes: Councillor G. Denaro proposed, Councillor K. May seconded the recommendation from the Cabinet meeting held prior to the Council meeting relating to the Council’s Efficiency Plan. This item had been deferred from the Council meeting on 21st September.
In introducing the recommendation, Councillor Denaro informed Councillors that the Department for Communities and Local Government had confirmed that it was seeking high level, strategic, efficiency plans from local authorities. There were a number of unknown elements such as the amount of New Homes Bonus in future and the outcome of reform of business rates, but he considered that submission of the Plan to central government gave some certainty to financial planning for the next 4 years.
Councillor Denaro thanked Councillors Colella, Hotham and Mallett and the Finance working group for their input since the last Council meeting. He outlined the changes to the Plan, including a revised format; short explanations for each of the proposed efficiencies and savings being set out for one year rather than cumulative.
Councillor L.C.R Mallett proposed, Councillor M. Thompson seconded an amendment that under the proposed efficiencies, the total amount set out for the organisational management review should be increased to £450k (savings to Bromsgrove) and that the commentary should be amended to indicate that external consultants would be used to carry out the review, not the Local Government Association.
During debate on the amendment some members suggested that it was desirable to outline the minimum savings which were achievable and then over-deliver against the target, instead of setting a target which may not be achievable. The LGA offered robust peer review at no extra cost to the subscription paid by the Council to the LGA and using external consultants was likely to involve additional expenditure.
On a requisition under Council procedure rule 18.3 the following details of the voting on the amendment were recorded:
For the amendment: Councillors C. Bloore, M. Buxton, L.C.M. Mallett, C. McDonald, P.McDonald, S. Shannon, M. Thompson (7)
Against the amendment: Councillors C. Allen-Jones, S. Baxter, S. Colella, B. Cooper, R. Deeming, G. Denaro, R. Dent, M. Glass, J. Griffiths, R. Laight, K. May, S. Peters, M. Sherrey, R. Smith, C. Spencer, C.B. Taylor, L. Turner, S. Webb and P Whittaker (19)
Abstention: Councillor C. Hotham (1)
The amendment was declared lost.
Councillor Mallett proposed a further amendment, seconded by Councillor M. Thompson, that there should be an addition to the narrative commentary that a full review should be carried out of the allocation of costs between Bromsgrove and Redditch Councils. In proposing the amendment Councillor Mallett suggested that each Council was receiving different service levels from the shared officer structure.
On a requisition under Council procedure rule 18.3 the following details of the voting on the amendment were recorded:
For the amendment: Councillors S. Baxter, C. Bloore, M. Buxton, S. Colella, C. Hotham, L.C.M Mallett, C. McDonald, P. McDonald, S. Peters, S. Shannon, M. Thompson and L. Turner (12).
Against the amendment: Councillors C. Allen-Jones, B. Cooper, R. ... view the full minutes text for item 57\16 |