Agenda item

-  Revenue Budget 2017/18 and Financial Strategy 2017/18 to 2020/21

-  Capital Investment Programme 2017/18 and beyond

-  Council Tax and Precept 2017/18

County Councillor David Borrow, Deputy Leader of the County Council, moved the report of the Cabinet from its meetings on 8 December 2016 and 19 January 2017 regarding the:

-  Revenue Budget 2017/18 and Financial Strategy 2017/18 to 2020/21;

-  Capital Investment Programme 2017/18 and beyond;

-  Council Tax and Precept 2017/18.

In moving the report, County Councillor Borrow outlined an adjustment to the proposals contained within the report. Details of the adjustment, together with a number of responses which had been received as part of the budget consultation, 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 Jennifer Mein, Leader of the County Council.

County Councillor Michael Green, on behalf of the Conservative Group, then made his Budget speech and moved an Amendment to the Budget proposals on behalf of the Conservative Group, which was seconded by County Councillor Albert Atkinson.

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

The Chairman adjourned the meeting for a period of twenty minutes to give members the opportunity to consider the Amendment.

On resumption of the meeting there followed a period of debate after which a recorded vote on the Amendment was taken. The names of members who voted for or against the Amendment are set out below:

For (31)

Against (47)

The Conservative Group's Amendment was therefore lost.

County Councillor Paul White moved the following amendment to the Capital Investment Programme 2017/18 and beyond in respect of road safety, which was seconded by County Councillor David Whipp:

(i)  Delete funding from the parish bus scheme as there has been no uptake by any parish council (0.200m);

(ii)  Additional road safety funding to tackle road safety in areas where the number of people killed or seriously injured is increasing (0.200m)

The amendment was accepted, as an adjustment by County Councillor Borrow, for incorporation into the substantive motion, and the amount to be made available (£0.200m) be increased to £0.500m at the suggestion of County Councillor John Fillis, Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport. This to be as an addition to the County Council's budget proposals by an adjustment to the Capital Investment Programme to move 0.500m from the uncommitted funds for parish bus schemes to road safety.

As no further Amendments were moved, the Chairman put the Motion on the County Council's Budget and asked the Full Council to approve the recommendations of the Cabinet, as adjusted at Annex 1 to these minutes, and as amended above in respect of the parish bus scheme and road safety, on the:

-  Revenue Budget 2017/18 and Financial Strategy 2017/18 to 2020/21;

-  Capital Investment Programme 2017/18 and beyond;

-  Council Tax and Precept 2017/18.

A recorded vote was taken and the names of members who voted for or against the Motion, and those who abstained, are set out below:

For (45)

Against (30)

Abstain (3)

The motion was CARRIED and it was:

Resolved: -

That the Cabinet's recommendations in respect of:

-  Revenue Budget 2017/18 and Financial Strategy 2017/18 to 2020/21;

-  Capital Investment Programme 2017/18 and beyond;

-  Council Tax and Precept 2017/18;

as adjusted at Annex 1 to these minutes, and in respect of the Capital Investment Programme 2017/18 in relation to the transfer of £0.500m from uncommitted funds for the parish bus scheme to road safety schemes, be approved.