Agenda item

Paragraph 1 – Reconciling Policy, Performance and Resources

 

57.1 Under Standing Order 23, the Council agreed that the speeches of the Leaders of the five groups (or their nominees) on paragraph 1 of the Cabinet’s report be extended beyond five minutes.

 

57.2 Councillor Bennett moved the adoption of paragraph 1 of the Cabinet’s report.

57.3 The following amendment was moved by Councillor Webb and seconded:

 

Delete paragraph 1.41 of the Cabinet’s report and replace with:-

 

            (1)  approve, in principle, the draft Council Plan at Appendix 1 and authorise the Chief Executive to finalise the Plan in consultation with the relevant Lead Members;

 

           (2)  approve the net Revenue Budget estimates totalling £403.4m for 2020/21 as set out in Appendices 2 (Medium Term Financial Plan) and 3 (Budget Summary) and authorise the Chief Operating Officer, in consultation with the Chief Finance Officer, Leader and Deputy Leader, to make adjustments to the presentation of the budget to reflect the final settlement and budget decisions subject to the following amendments:

 

1.    Reverse the proposed saving for I-SEND EHCP Assessment Services for one year £188,000

 

Total of proposed revenue amendments - £188,000

 

To be funded by:

 

2.    A draw from Financing Reserve - £188,000

 

Total of proposed revenue funding amendments - £188,000

 

            (3)  in accordance with the Local Government Finance Act 1992 to agree that:

 

(i)           the net budget requirement is £403.4m and the amount calculated by East Sussex County Council  as its council tax requirement (see Appendix 6) for the year 2020/21 is £300.9m;

 

(ii)           the amount calculated by East Sussex County Council as the basic amount of its council tax (i.e. for a band D property) for the year 2020/21 is £1,492.02 and represents a 3.99% (2% of which relates to the Adult Social Care precept) increase on the previous year;

 

(4)  advise the District and Borough Councils of the relevant amounts payable and council tax in other bands in line with the regulations and to issue precepts accordingly in accordance with an agreed schedule of instalments as set out at Appendix 6;

 

(5) note the fees and charges set out in Appendix 10 that have been increased above inflation;

 

(6)  approve the Capital Strategy and Programme as set out at Appendix 9;

 

(7)  note the Medium Term Financial Plan forecast for the period 2020/21 to 2022/23 as set out in Appendix 2 and amended by the proposals in paragraph (2) above;

 

(8)  note the comments of the Chief Finance Officer on budget risks and robustness as set out in Appendix 7; and

 

(9)  note the comments from the engagement exercises as set out in Appendix 8.

 

57.4 A recorded vote on Councillor Webb’s amendment was taken. The amendment was LOST, the votes being cast as follows:

 

FOR THE AMENDMENT

Councillors Charman, Godfrey Daniel, Philip Daniel, Field, Grover, Lambert, O’Keeffe, Osborne, Rodohan, Scott, Daniel Shing, Stephen Shing, Shuttleworth, Swansborough, Tutt, Ungar, Wallis and Webb.

 

AGAINST THE AMENDMENT

Councillors Barnes, Beaver, Belsey, Bennett, Bentley, Bowdler, Charles Clark, Martin Clarke, Davies, Chris Dowling, Claire Dowling, Earl-Williams, Elford, Elkin, Enever, Ensor, Fox, Galley, Glazier, Liddiard, Loe, Maynard, Pragnell, Sheppard, Simmons, Smith, Standley, Stogdon, Taylor, Tidy and Whetstone.

ABSTENTIONS

None

 

57.5     The following amendment was moved by Councillor Philip Daniel and seconded:

Delete paragraph 1.41 of the Cabinet’s report and replace with:-

 

            (1)  approve, in principle, the draft Council Plan at Appendix 1 and authorise the Chief Executive to finalise the Plan in consultation with the relevant Lead Members;

 

           (2)  approve the net Revenue Budget estimates totalling £402.0m for 2020/21 and authorise the Chief Operating Officer, in consultation with the Chief Finance Officer, Leader and Deputy Leader, to make adjustments to the presentation of the budget to reflect the final settlement and budget decisions with the following amendments to the estimates as set out in Appendices 2 (Medium Term Financial Plan) and 3 (Budget Summary)

 

3.    Additional expenditure for caring for carers, in consultation with the Carers’ Forum £100,000

4.    Additional expenditure for SEND funding to reduce caseworker loads - £200,000

5.    Additional expenditure on locality family staffing and support - £300,000

6.    Additional expenditure on an employment and budget structure review £500,000

7.    Reduce the regular Council Tax increase to 1.5% from 1.99% in 2020/21 only (noting there will be an associated ongoing annual impact on resources)  - £1,433,000

8.    Less a reduction in contingency arising from amendment 5 - £10,000

 

Total of proposed revenue amendments - £2,523,000

 

To be funded by:

 

9.    Reduce property maintenance budget - £50,000

10.  Reduce communications budget - £500,000

11.  Reduce waste management budget - £300,000

12.  Reduce cultural strategy budget - £40,000

13.  Remove capital schemes funded by one off revenue and borrow to fund – £1,242,000

14.  Less estimated annual cost of borrowing - £109,000

15.  Use of transformation reserve to fund the employment structure and budget review - £500,000

 

Total of proposed revenue funding amendments - £2,523,000

 

            (3)  in accordance with the Local Government Finance Act 1992 to agree that:

 

(iii)         the net budget requirement is £402.0m and the amount calculated by East Sussex County Council  as its council tax requirement for the year 2020/21 is revised to £299.4m;

 

(iv)         the amount calculated by East Sussex County Council as the basic amount of its council tax (i.e. for a band D property) for the year 2020/21 is £1,484.91 and represents a 3.5% (2% of which relates to the Adult Social Care precept) increase on the previous year;

 

(4)  advise the District and Borough Councils of the relevant amounts payable and council tax in other bands in line with the regulations and to issue precepts accordingly in accordance with an agreed schedule of instalments to be revised as amended by proposals in paragraph (2) above;

 

(5) note the fees and charges set out in Appendix 10 that have been increased above inflation;

 

(6)  approve the Capital Strategy and Programme as set out at Appendix 9;

 

(7)  note the Medium Term Financial Plan forecast for the period 2020/21 to 2022/23 as set out in Appendix 2 and amended by the proposals in paragraph (2) above;

 

(8)  note the comments of the Chief Finance Officer on budget risks and robustness as set out in Appendix 7; and

 

(9)  note the comments from the engagement exercises as set out in Appendix 8.

 

57.6     A recorded vote on Councillor Philip Daniel’s amendment was taken. The amendment was LOST, the votes being cast as follows:

 

FOR THE AMENDMENT

Councillors Philip Daniel, Field, Grover, Lambert, Osborne, Rodohan, Daniel Shing, Stephen Shing, Shuttleworth, Swansborough, Tutt, Ungar and Wallis.

 

AGAINST THE AMENDMENT

Councillors Barnes, Beaver, Belsey, Bennett, Bentley, Bowdler, Charman, Charles Clark, Martin Clarke, Godfrey Daniel, Davies, Chris Dowling, Claire Dowling, Earl-Williams, Elford, Elkin, Enever, Ensor, Fox, Galley, Glazier, Liddiard, Loe, Maynard, Pragnell, Scott, Sheppard, Simmons, Smith, Standley, Stogdon, Taylor, Tidy, Webb and Whetstone.

ABSTENTIONS

Councillor O’Keeffe

 

57.7     The following motion was moved by Councillor Bennett to adopt paragraph 1 of the Cabinet report.

(1)  approve, in principle, the draft Council Plan at Appendix 1 and authorise the Chief Executive to finalise the Plan in consultation with the relevant Lead Members;

 

               (2)  approve the net Revenue Budget estimate of £403.4m for 2020/21 as set out in Appendices 2 (Medium Term Financial Plan) and 3 (Budget Summary) and authorise the Chief Operating Officer, in consultation with the Chief Finance Officer, Leader and Deputy Leader, to make adjustments to the presentation of the Budget Summary to reflect the final settlement and budget decisions;

 

            (3)  in accordance with the Local Government Finance Act 1992 to agree that:

 

(i)            the net budget requirement is £403.4m and the amount calculated by East Sussex County Council  as its council tax requirement (see Appendix 6) for the year 2020/21 is £300.9m;

 

(ii)           the amount calculated by East Sussex County Council as the basic amount of its council tax (i.e. for a band D property) for the year 2020/21 is £1,492.02 and represents a 3.99% (2% of which relates to the Adult Social Care precept) increase on the previous year;

 

(4)  advise the District and Borough Councils of the relevant amounts payable and council tax in other bands in line with the regulations and to issue precepts accordingly in accordance with an agreed schedule of instalments as set out at Appendix 6

 

(5) note the fees and charges set out in Appendix 10 that have been increased above inflation;

 

(6)  approve the Capital Strategy and Programme as set out at Appendix 9;

 

(7)  note the Medium Term Financial Plan forecast for the period 2020/21 to 2022/23 as set out in Appendix 2;

 

(8)  note the comments of the Chief Finance Officer on budget risks and robustness as set out in Appendix 7; and

 

(9)  note the comments from the engagement exercises as set out in Appendix 8.

      

 

57.8     A recorded vote on Councillor Bennett’s motion was taken. The motion was CARRIED with the votes being cast as follows:

FOR THE MOTION

Councillors Barnes, Beaver, Belsey, Bennett, Bentley, Bowdler, Charles Clark, Martin Clarke, Davies, Chris Dowling, Claire Dowling, Earl-Williams, Elford, Elkin, Enever, Ensor, Fox, Galley, Glazier, Liddiard, Loe, Maynard, Pragnell, Sheppard, Daniel Shing, Stephen Shing, Simmons, Smith, Standley, Stogdon, Taylor, Tidy and Whetstone.

 

AGAINST THE MOTION

Councillors Philip Daniel, Field, Grover, Lambert, Osborne, Rodohan, Scott, Shuttleworth, Swansborough, Tutt, Ungar and Wallis.

 

ABSTENTIONS

Councillors Charman, Godfrey Daniel, O’Keeffe and Webb

 

 

Paragraph 3 (Annual Progress report for Looked After Children’s Services)

 

57.9 Councillor Glazier moved the reserved paragraph of the Cabinet’s report.

 

57.10   The motion was CARRIED after debate.