Agenda item

Paragraph 1 – Reconciling Policy Performance and Resources

47.1     Under Standing Order 23, the Council agreed that the speeches of the Leaders of the 5 Groups (or their nominees) on paragraph 1 of the Cabinet’s report be extended beyond 5 minutes.

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

47.3     The following amendment was moved by Councillor Tutt and seconded:

Delete paragraph 1.56 of the Cabinet’s report and replace with:-

 

            (1)  approve, in principle, the draft Council Plan 2021/22 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 £416.7m for 2021/22 as set out on Appendix 3 (Medium Term Financial Plan) and 4 (Budget Summary) and authorise the Chief Executive, 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 with the following amendments:

 

1.    Potential Investment Areas in the MTFP - £980,000: recognising that focused work is still to be undertaken to determine actual investment, it is requested that consideration is given to the potential investment of: -

a.    Training and information on respite services – indicative £100,000

b.    A grant fund to support voluntary sector resilience – indicative £200,000

c.    Adult Social Care mental health support – indicative - £200,000

d.    Community Hubs resilience – indicative £380,000

e.    Business resilience and recovery – indicative £100,000

2.    Additional one off expenditure on child mental health to assess the impact of the pandemic on need - £200,000

3.    Additional permanent SEND support for schools - £200,000

4.    Additional permanent increased advice and support to primary schools - £200,000

5.    Additional revenue contribution for 3 years to capital to increase repairs to pavements - £200,000

6.    One-off use of Priority Outcomes and Transformation reserve to accelerate the preparation of the Climate Emergency Plan and to contribute to rectifying the environmental damage from tree felling - £250,000

7.    Additional cost of borrowing a further £1,000,000 for Climate Emergency Plan actions - £38,500

 

Total of proposed revenue amendments - £2,068,500

 

To be funded by:

 

8.    Potential Investment Areas in the MTFP - £980,000: consideration of use of budget as areas of investment are developed.

9.    Use of the Priority Outcomes and Transformation reserve - £250,000

10.  Use of COVID-19 reserve for child mental health - £200,000

11.  Chief Operating Officer: deletion of role - £88,500

12.  Reduce venue hire budget - £100,000

13.  Reduce communications budget - £200,000

14.  Reduce Governance and Organisational Development - £100,000

15.  Reduce waste management budget - £150,000

 

Total of proposed revenue funding amendments - £2,068,500

 

 

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

 

(i)           the net budget requirement is £416.7m and the amount calculated by East Sussex County Council as its council tax requirement (see Appendix 6) for the year 2021/22 is £310.4m;

 

(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 2021/22 is £1,544.04 and represents a 3.49% (1.5% 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 with the following amendments;

 

 Increase highways capital maintenance works for repairs to pavements - £200,000

 Add Climate Emergency Plan, with areas of investment including (a) Electric Vehicle charging points (b) Low carbon heating (c) Solar panels and electrical storage - £1,000,000

 

Total of proposed capital amendments - £1,200,000

 

(7)  note the progress with the Council Plan and Budget 2020/21 since quarter 2 at Appendix 2;

 

(8)  note the Medium Term Financial Plan forecast for the period 2021/22 to 2023/24 as set out in Appendix 3 and amended by the proposals in paragraph (2) above;

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

FOR THE AMENDMENT

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

AGAINST THE AMENDMENT

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

ABSTENTIONS

Councillor Charman, Godfrey Daniel, Scott and Webb

 

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

 

1)  approve, in principle, the draft Council Plan 2021/22 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 £416.7m for 2021/22 as set out in Appendix 3 (Medium Term Financial Plan) and 4 (Budget Summary) and authorise the Chief Executive, 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 £416.7m and the amount calculated by East Sussex County Council as its council tax requirement (see Appendix 6) for the year 2021/22 is £310.4m;

 

(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 2021/22 is £1,544.04 and represents a 3.49% (1.5% 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 progress with the Council Plan and Budget 2020/21 since quarter 2 at Appendix 2;

 

(8)  note the Medium Term Financial Plan forecast for the period 2021/22 to 2023/24 as set out in Appendix 3;

 

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

 

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

 

47.6     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, Elkin, Enever, Ensor, Fox, Galley, Glazier, Liddiard, Loe, Maynard, Pragnell, Sheppard, Simmons, Smith, Standley, Stogdon, Taylor, Tidy and Whetstone.

AGAINST THE MOTION

None

ABSTENTIONS

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

 

Paragraph 3 (Scrutiny review of becoming a carbon neutral council)

 

47.7     The Chairman reminded the Council that he was taking paragraph 3 of the Cabinet report with the report of the Place Scrutiny Committee.

 

Paragraph 4 (Annual progress report for looked after children’s services)

 

47.8     Councillor Glazier moved the reserved paragraph in the Cabinet’s report.

 

47.9     The motion was CARRIED after debate.