Agenda and minutes

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Contact: Dave Gorman  Tel: (01772) 534261, Email:  dave.gorman@lancashire.gov.uk

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Items
No. Item

1.

Apologies and Announcements

Minutes:

Apologies for absence were presented on behalf of County Councillors Peter Britcliffe and Mark Perks.

 

Announcements

 

Death

 

The Chair reported the recent sad death of Jimmy Armfield OBE DL.

 

The Vice-Chairman, County Councillor Anne Cheetham, paid tribute to the late Jimmy Armfield.

 

The Council stood in silent tribute.

 

Centenary of the Representation of People Act 1918

 

The Chairman made reference to the recent centenary, on 6 February 1918, of the Representation of People Act 1918 which allowed women to vote for the very first time. The Chairman paid tribute to the suffragette movement which was instrumental in bringing about the vote for women.

 

 

2.

Disclosure of Pecuniary and Non-Pecuniary Interests

Minutes:

The Full Council was notified that Members had been invited to make declarations of pecuniary and non-pecuniary interests in matters on the agenda in accordance with the County Council's Code of Conduct for Members. The following interests were declared:

 

Name of Councillor

Agenda Item

Number

Nature of Interest (non-pecuniary unless stated)

David Howarth

3

Member of South Ribble Borough Council

Member of Penwortham Town Council

Member of Lancashire Combined Fire Authority

John Potter

3

Member of Preston City Council

David Whipp

3

Member of Pendle Borough Council

Member of Barnoldswick Town Council

Member of Lancashire Police and Crime Panel

 

4.

The County Council's Budget pdf icon PDF 114 KB

- Revenue Budget 2018/19 and Financial Strategy 2018/19 to

  2021/22

- Capital Investment Programme 2018/19 and beyond

- Council Tax and Precept 2018/19

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

County Councillor Geoff Driver, Leader of the County Council, moved the report of the Cabinet from its meeting on 18 January 2018 regarding the:

 

-  Revenue Budget 2018/19 and Financial Strategy 2018/19 to 2021/22;

-  Capital Investment Programme 2018/19 and beyond;

-  The Council Tax and Precept 2018/19.

 

In moving the report, County Councillor Driver outlined an adjustment to the proposals contained within the report. Details of the adjustment were set out in a document circulated to all members, which is appended to these minutes as Annex 1.

 

The motion was seconded by County Councillor Albert Atkinson, Deputy Leader of the County Council.

 

County Councillor Steven Holgate, on behalf of the Labour Group, then made his Budget speech and moved an Amendment to the Budget proposals on behalf of the Labour Group, which was seconded by County Councillor Azhar Ali.

 

A copy of the Amendment was circulated to all members and is set out at Annex 2 to these minutes.

 

Following a period of debate, a recorded vote on the Amendment was taken. The names of members who voted for or against the Amendment, and those who abstained, are set out below:

 

For (32)

 

A Ali

M Dad

P Hayhurst

T Martin

J Parr

L Beavers

B Dawson

N Hennessy

J Mein

M Pattison

J Berry

F De Molfetta

S Holgate

J Molineux

K Snape

T Burns

G Dowding

M Iqbal

Y Motala

M Tomlinson

L Collinge

K Ellard

H Khan

E Oades

 

L Cox

J Fillis

E Lewis

G Oliver

 

C Crompton

J Gibson

S Malik

M Parkinson

 

 

Against (47)

 

T Ashton

J Cooney

K Iddon

A Riggott

S Turner

A Atkinson

G Driver

A Kay

M Salter

A Vincent

M Barron

J Eaton

J Marsh

A Schofield

C Wakeford

I Brown

C Edwards

E Nash

J Shedwick

D Whipp

P Buckley

D Foxcroft

D O'Toole

D Smith

G Wilkins

J Burrows

A Gardiner

E Pope

A Snowden

P Williamson

S Charles

G Gooch

J Potter

D Stansfield

B Yates

A Cheetham

M Green

J Purcell

P Steen

 

S Clarke

P Greenall

J Rear

J Sumner

 

A Clempson

D Howarth

P Rigby

C Towneley

 

Abstain (2)

 

T Aldridge

A Hosker

 

The Labour Group's amendment was therefore lost.

 

Following a brief adjournment, County Councillor David Whipp, on behalf of the Liberal Democrat Group, then made his Budget speech and moved an Amendment to the Budget proposals on behalf of the Liberal Democrat Group, which was seconded by County Councillor David Howarth.

 

A copy of the Amendment was circulated to all members and is set out at Annex 3 to these minutes.

 

Following a period of debate, a recorded vote on the Amendment was taken. The names of members who voted for or against the Amendment, and those who abstained, are set out below:

 

For (33)

 

A Ali

B Dawson

N Hennessy

J Mein

J Potter

L Beavers

F De Molfetta

S Holgate

J Molineux

K Snape

J Berry

G Dowding

D Howarth

E Oades

J Sumner

L Collinge

K Ellard  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

3.

Report of the Audit, Risk and Governance Committee - Treasury Management Policy and Strategy 2018/19 pdf icon PDF 83 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

County Councillor Alan Schofield moved the report of the Audit, Risk and Governance Committee, which was seconded by County Councillor Edward Nash.

 

Resolved: - That the recommendations of the Audit, Risk and Governance Committee, as set out in the report, now presented, be approved.

 

5.

Minute Annexes

Minutes:

Annex 1

 

Adjustment to the 2018/19 Budget Proposal

Full Council 8 February 2018

 

The Cabinet's budget recommendation to Full Council included the most up to date information at the time of writing, and as part of this included funding projections based on the  provisional financial settlement that was announced on 19th December 2017. 

 

1. The Final Settlement 2018/19

 

The Final Settlement was announced on 6th February 2018.  The Settlement included an additional non-recurrent national Adult Social Care Support Grant of £150m, of which £3.449m is allocated to Lancashire County Council, in addition to some small adjustments to the business rates calculations.

 

2. Business Rates

 

Information has now been received from the City and Borough Councils, with the business rates forecast for 2018/19 showing an improved position. 

 

The impact of the most up to date information is as follows and has been reflected in the revised Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) in Section 5:

 

Table 1

 

2018/19

£m

2019/20

£m

2020/21

£m

2021/22

£m

Cabinet Recommendation

188.972

194.421

198.989

204.431

Full Council Adjustment

190.736

194.882

198.989

204.431

Increase

1.764

0.461

0.000

0.000

 

3. Collection Fund Position

 

The final collection fund positions for Council Tax and Business Rates have been received from the City and Borough Councils:

 

Table 2

 

 

£m

Council Tax Collection Fund

6.893

Business Rates Collection Fund

0.926

Total Surplus/(Deficit) Position

7.819

 

Table 2 shows a surplus position has been reported, with this being one off additional funding that is recommended to be transferred to the transitional reserve.

 

A revised reserves position is shown below showing the impact of the additional one-off income:

 

Table 3

Reserve Name

Approved at Full Council Feb 2017

2017/18 Forecast Spend

2017-18 transfers to / from other reserves

2017/18 Forecast Closing Balance

2018-19 Forecast Spend

2019-20 Forecast Spend

Total as at 31 March 2020

 

£m

£m

£m

£m

£m

£m

£m

County Fund

-36.000

2.373

10.000

-23.627

0.000

0.000

-23.627

SUB TOTAL - COUNTY FUND

-36.000

2.373

10.000

-23.627

0.000

0.000

-23.627

Strategic Investment Reserve

-4.446

1.283

0.037

-3.126

1.240

0.410

-1.476

Downsizing Reserve

-18.913

2.653

1.431

-14.829

3.762

0.000

-11.067

Risk Management Reserve

-10.439

3.768

3.001

-3.670

3.670

0.000

0.000

Treasury Management Reserve

0.000

0.000

-10.000

-10.000

0.000

0.000

-10.000

Transitional Reserve

-159.014

39.695

-9.920

-129.239

-1.959

0.578

-130.620

To facilitate the transition of services 

-3.000

0.000

3.000

0.000

0.000

0.000

0.000

Service Reserves

-13.038

2.604

2.441

-7.993

3.571

0.501

-3.921

SUB TOTAL - LCC RESERVES

-208.850

50.002

-10.010

-168.858

10.284

1.489

-157.085

Schools/Non-LCC Service Reserves (3.5)

-18.989

1.263

0.010

-17.716

1.011

-0.687

-17.392

SUB TOTAL SCHOOLS/NON LCC RESERVES

-18.989

1.263

0.010

-17.716

1.011

-0.687

-17.392

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

GRAND TOTAL

-263.839

53.638

0.000

-210.201

11.295

0.802

-198.104

 

The revised table above presents an increased amount available within the transitional reserve to support the revenue budget financial gap.

 

Table 4 demonstrates the funds that are forecast to be available to support the budget gap in 2018/19 and 2019/20. However, in order to set a legal budget further savings will need to be made.

 

Table 4  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.