Agenda item

Paragraph 1 – Reconciling Policy Performance and Resources

 

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

 

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

 

49.3     The following amendment (from the Liberal Democrat, Labour, Green and Independent Democrat Groups) was moved by Councillor Tutt and seconded:

 

Delete paragraph 1.71 of the Cabinet’s report and replace with:-

 

(1) approve, in principle, the draft Council Plan 2023/24 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 £501.4m for 2023/24 as set out on Appendix 2 (Medium Term Financial Plan) and Appendix 3 (Budget Summary) and authorise the Chief Executive, in consultation with the Chief Finance Officer, Leader and Deputy the Leader, to make adjustments to the presentation of the Budget Summary to reflect the final settlement and budget decisions with the following one year only amendments:

 

(i) £615,000 to reduce the cost of transport, to service users, to and from Day

Services. Directly provided by ESCC and commissioned from the private

sector. This should reduce charges to users of this transport by 100%.

 

(ii) £628,500 to increase by 5% the provision of Mental Health non-residential services for working age mental health, older people's mental health and section 117 service

users.

 

(iii) £300,000 to provide Carers' support. This sum to be allocated for bids from the

Voluntary Sector to provide direct support for carers on a one-off basis that will help

improve the quality of life for carers. This sum to be used to provide small sums to a

number of Voluntary Organisations to achieve the aforementioned.

 

(iv) Additional School Streets - £300,000.

 

(v) Additional Resource for additional pavement repairs, dropped kerbs, rights of way

and pothole repairs - £1,000,000.

 

(vi) Carbon mitigation and adaptation for One Council/One Planet – Recruit a Climate

Adaptation and Mitigation officer to work on the systemic adaptation issues across

the Council – looking at the big picture. Issues to include including flood management

linking with natural environment, road response to extreme weather, extreme heat,

feeding into retrofit strategies, care homes adaptation etc. There is a commitment to

an adaptation plan in the new climate emergency plan but no obvious budget line,

targets or timescale. This work is urgent and essential. £125,000 – 2023/24 and

£125,000 – 2024/25.

 

(vii) Supporting Mission 2 and Mission 5 of the Council’s Recovery Plan to work with

partners to identify skills and support needs in the county to deliver on climate

adaption and mitigation and meet the county’s business and domestic retrofit needs

in order to reduce the climate impact and user costs related to energy use. Also, to

have the capacity to respond to government funding opportunities. £125,000 –

2023/24 and £125,000 – 2024/25.

 

(viii) CAMHS: To provide urgently needed services for young people left on the waiting list

for undue periods of time by the NHS - £700,000

 

(ix) SEND: Further to provide help and assistance to children with special educational

needs - £800,000

 

(x) Reversal of increase to travellers’ site service charges and rentals, to be reviewed

the year after - £6,500

 

(xi) Recruit a Food Policy Officer to develop a food strategy for East Sussex and deliver on the key recommendation from the Food Matters “Good Food for East Sussex report commissioned for ESCC to address barriers to sustainable growth within the local food economy as well as public health goals of increasing access to a healthy diet - £80,000

 

Total of proposed revenue amendments - £4,930,000

 

To be funded by:

 

(xii) Use of Revenue Service Grant 2022/23 unallocated of £4,905,000

 

(xiii) Further Savings/Additional income from use of County Hall - £25,000

 

Total of proposed revenue funding amendments - £4,930,000

 

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

 

(i)            the net budget requirement is £501.4m and the amount calculated by East Sussex County Council as its council tax requirement (see Appendix 5) for the year 2022/23 is £348.8m

 

(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 2023/24 is £1,693.80 and represents a 4.99% (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 5;

 

(5) agree the Reserves Policy set out in Appendix 6;

 

(6) approve the Capital Strategy and Programme as set out at Appendix 8;

 

(7) note the progress with the Council Plan and Budget 2022/23 since quarter 2 set out in paragraphs 1.40 to 1.43 of the report;

 

(8) note the Medium Term Financial Plan forecast for 2023/24 to 2025/26, as

set out in Appendix 2 and amended by the proposals in paragraph 1.71 above;

 

(9) note the comments of the Chief Finance Officer on budget risks and robustness as set out in Appendix 6;

 

(10) note the comments from the engagement exercises as set out in Appendix 7 and

 

(11) note the schedule of fees and charges that have increased above 4% at

Appendix 9.

 

49.4     A recorded vote on Opposition Groups amendment proposed by Councillor Tutt was taken. The amendment was LOST, the votes being cast as follows:

 

FOR THE AMENDMENT

 

Councillors Collier, Daniel, Denis, Field, Hilton, Holt, Lambert, MacCleary, Maples, Murphy, Osborne, Robinson, Rodohan, Daniel Shing, Stephen Shing, Shuttleworth, Swansborough, Georgia Taylor, Tutt, Ungar and Webb.

 

AGAINST THE AMENDMENT

 

Councillors Adeniji, Azad, Beaver, Belsey, Bennett, Bowdler, Clark, di Cara, Chris Dowling, Claire Dowling, Fox, Galley, Geary, Glazier, Hay, Hollidge, Howell, Kirby-Green, Liddiard, Lunn, Marlow-Eastwood, Maynard, Milligan, Pragnell, Redstone, Simmons, Standley and Barry Taylor.

 

ABSTENTIONS

 

None

 

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

 

(1) approve, in principle, the draft Council Plan 2023/24 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 £501.4m for 2023/24 as set out in Appendix 2 (Medium Term Financial Plan) and Appendix 3 (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 £501.4m and the amount calculated by East Sussex County Council as its council tax requirement (see Appendix 5) for the year 2023/24 is £348.8m;

 

(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 2023/24 is £1,693.80 and represents a 4.99% (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 5;

 

(5) agree the Reserves Policy set out in Appendix 6;

 

 

(6) approve the Capital Strategy and Programme at Appendix 8;

 

(7) note progress with the Council Plan and Budget 2022/23 since quarter 2 set out in paragraphs 1.40 to 1.43 of the report;

 

(8) note the Medium Term Financial Plan forecast for 2023/24 to 2025/26, set out in Appendix 2;

 

(9) note the comments of the Chief Finance Officer on budget risks and robustness, as set out in Appendix 6:

 

(10) note the comments from engagement exercises set out in Appendix 7; and

 

(11) note the schedule of fees and charges that have increased above 4% at Appendix 9.

 

49.6     A recorded vote was taken on the motion moved by Councillor Bennett. The motion was CARRIED with the votes being cast as follows: as follows:

 

FOR THE MOTION

 

Councillors Adeniji, Azad, Beaver, Belsey, Bennett, Bowdler, Clark, Collier, Daniel, Denis, di Cara, Chris Dowling, Claire Dowling, Field, Fox, Galley, Geary, Glazier, Hay, Hilton, Hollidge, Holt, Howell, Kirby-Green, Lambert, Liddiard, Lunn, MacCleary, Marlow-Eastwood, Maynard, Milligan, Murphy, Osborne, Pragnell, Redstone, Robinson, Rodohan, Daniel Shing, Shuttleworth, Simmons, Standley, Swansborough, Barry Taylor, Georgia Taylor, Tutt, Ungar and Webb.

 

AGAINST THE MOTION

 

None

 

ABSTENTIONS

 

Councillors Maples and Stephen Shing.

 

Paragraphs 2 (Final draft Corporate Climate Emergency Plan for 2023-25) and Paragraph 6 (Annual Report of Looked After Children’s Services).

 

49.7     Councillor Glazier moved the reserved paragraphs in the Cabinet’s report.

 

49.8     The motions were CARRIED after debate.

 

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