Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from County Councillors Anna Hindle, Terry Hurn, Yousuf Motala, Lian Pate, John Shedwick, Phillippa Williamson and Ron Woollam.

County Councillors Hasina Khan, Sobia Malik and Ged Mirfin joined the meeting virtually.

Recognitions

At the invitation of the Chairman, County Councillor Jayne Rear, Cabinet Member for Education and Skills, drew Full Council's attention to the recent success by the county council in the Themis Inspire and Achieve Awards 2025.

Two apprentices from the Highways Operations and Design Team, Gerard Gent and Mackenzie Ramsdale, were finalists in the Manufacturing and Engineering Award category and the Construction Award category respectively.

In addition, Lancashire County Council won Large Employer of the Year 2025.

Gerard Gent, Civil Engineering Technician Level 3 Apprentice; Mackenzie Ramsdale, Installation and Maintenance Electrician Level 3 Apprentice; and Elliot Boult, Careers Development Officer, joined the meeting virtually.

At the invitation of the Chairman, County Councillor Graham Gooch, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, drew Full Council's attention to the recent success by Meadowfold Hyndburn Ribble Valley Short Break Home which had recently been inspected by the Care Quality Commission and rated 'Outstanding'.

Julie Ray, Service Manager, Disability; Jamie Edmondson, Area Manager Registered Services, East and South Ribble; and Reine Swindlehurst, Short Break Manager, Disability, joined the meeting virtually.

Full Council congratulated and thanked all those involved.

County Councillor Jeff Couperthwaite declared a non-pecuniary interest in Item 10, 'Appointment of a New Member Representative on the Lancashire Local Pension Board', as one of the individuals named in the report was known to him.

Public questions submitted under Standing Order B29.

There were two questions submitted by members of the public as follows:

Question 1 received a reply at the meeting, together with a written reply, as the questioner was present. Question 2 received a written reply only as the questioner was not present.

Questions submitted under Standing Order B30.

County Councillor Aidy Riggott, Cabinet Member for Economic Development and Growth; County Councillor Shaun Turner, Cabinet Member for Environment and Climate Change; and County Councillor Graham Gooch, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, replied.

Due to a time limit of 30 minutes for Question Time, the following questions were not asked and were subject to a written response by the relevant Cabinet Members, copied to all councillors.

Resolved: - That the minutes of the Ordinary Meeting held on 12 December 2024 and the Extraordinary General and Budget Meetings held on 26 February 2025 be confirmed and signed by the Chairman.

County Councillor Alan Vincent moved a report setting out details of the changes to the Constitution that have been made since the last report to Full Council on 17 October 2024.

Resolved: - That the changes to the Constitution that have been made since the last report to Full Council on 17 October 2024, as set out in the report, now presented, be noted.

County Councillor Alan Vincent moved a report setting out details of the proposed Members' Allowance Scheme for 2025/26.

During the debate, members asked if further consideration could be given to the arrangements for Dependants' Carers' Allowance and it was noted that this would be referred back to the Independent Remuneration Panel in order that recommendations could be made back to Full Council.

Resolved: - That the 2025/26 Members' Allowance Scheme, as set out at Appendix 'A', to the report, now presented, be approved.

County Councillor Alan Vincent moved a report setting out the council's proposed pay policy statement for 2025/26 which must be approved by Full Council before it is published.

Resolved: - That the proposed pay policy statement for 2025/26, as set out at Appendix 'A' to the report, now presented, be approved.

County Councillor Alan Vincent moved a report specifying the financial threshold for 2025/26 for significant key decisions for the purposes of Section 5.9(a) of the Constitution.

Resolved: - That the proposal that the financial threshold for Key Decisions, for the purposes of Section 5.9 of the Constitution, as set out in the report, now presented, remain at £2.2m for 2025/26 be approved.

County Councillor Eddie Pope moved a report providing Full Council with an update on recruitment in respect of a vacancy on the Local Pension Board for a Scheme Member representative and the extension to the terms of two current members.

Resolved: - That:

(i)  The appointment of Ms Christine Firth to the Lancashire Local Pension Board for a term of 4 years with effect from 1 April 2025 with the option to extend the term by a further 4 years, as set out in the report, now presented, be approved.

(ii)  The new Board member will be bound by the county council's Code of Conduct for Members with immediate effect, as set out in the report, now presented, be noted.

(iii)  The extension to the terms of current Lancashire Local Pension Board members, Mr Stephen Dunstan and Mr Kevin Ellard for a further four years, as set out in the report, now presented, be approved.

County Councillor Alan Vincent moved a report setting out the proposed appointment of three new members of the Independent Remuneration Panel, together with the proposed reappointment of an existing member for a second term of office for a further four years.

Resolved: - That:

(i)  The appointment of Ms L Keane, Mr C Ainsworth and Mr G Krawiec to serve on the Independent Remuneration Panel for a four-year term with effect from 13 March 2025, as set out in th report, now presented, be approved.

(ii)  The reappointment of Ms L Strapps for a second term of office for a further four-year term, with effect from 13 March 2025, as set out in the report, now presented, be approved.

An item of urgent business may only be considered under this heading where, by reason of special circumstances to be recorded in the Minutes, the Chairman is of the opinion that the item should be considered at the meeting as a matter of urgency.  Wherever possible, the Chief Executive should be given advance warning of any Member’s intention to raise a matter under this heading.

There was no urgent business to be considered.

County Councillor Alan Vincent moved the report of the Cabinet from its meetings on 5 December 2024, 16 January 2025 and 6 February 2025.

Resolved: - That the report of the Cabinet, now presented, be noted.

County Councillor Alan Schofield moved the report of the Audit, Risk and Governance Committee from its meeting on 27 January 2025.

Resolved: - That the report of the Audit, Risk and Governance Committee, now presented, be noted.

County Councillor Alan Vincent moved the report of the Employment Committee from its meetings on 5 December 2024, 14 January 2025 and 7 February 2025.

Resolved: - That the report of the Employment Committee, now presented, be noted.

County Councillor Eddie Pope moved the report of the Pension Fund Committee from its meeting on 6 December 2024.

Resolved: - That the report of the Pension Fund Committee, now presented, be noted.

County Councillor David Westley moved the report of the Overview and Scrutiny Committees from their meetings as follows:

-  Scrutiny Management Board (4 February 2025)  

-  Children, Families and Skills (18 December 2024 and 29 January 2025)

-  Community, Cultural and Corporate Services (9 December 2024 and 12 February 2025)

-  Environment, Economic Growth and Transport (4 December 2024 and 30 January 2025)

-  Health and Adult Services (13 December 2024 and 5 February 2025)

Resolved: - That the report of the Overview and Scrutiny Committees, now presented, be noted.

County Councillor Michael Green moved the report of the Lancashire Health and Wellbeing Board from its meeting on 21 January 2025.

Resolved: - That the report of the Lancashire Health and Wellbeing Board, now

Presented, be noted

County Councillor Nikki Hennessy moved the report of the Lancashire Combined Fire Authority from its meetings on 16 December 2024 and 17 February 2025.

Resolved: - That the report of the Lancashire Combined Fire Authority, now presented, be noted.

Notice of Motion 1

It was moved by County Councillor Scott Smith and seconded by County Councillor Matthew Maxwell-Scott that:

Lancashire County Council notes:

-  That more than 40 million journeys were made by bus in Lancashire in the financial year 2023/24.

-  That this represents an increase of 9% from the previous year, with passenger numbers now higher than they were before the Covid-19 pandemic.

-  That the county council has seen a 50% growth in travel on the bus services it supports.

-  That the £2 bus fare, alongside Lancashire’s Bus Service Improvement Plan, was key in safeguarding and enhancing bus services, particularly in rural parts of Lancashire.

-  That these measures have been key to reversing the impact of the withdrawal of county council support from bus services in 2016.

Lancashire County Council therefore regrets:

-  The decision by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Rt. Hon. Rachel Reeves MP, to increase the bus fare cap to £3.

-  The negative impact this 50% increase in fares will have on bus patronage across Lancashire.

Lancashire County Council therefore resolves to request that the Chief Executive writes to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, urging her to reverse the decision to raise the fare cap by 50%.

There being no amendments and following a period of debate, the substantive Motion was put to the vote and in accordance with Standing Order B46(6), a recorded vote was taken. The names of the county councillors who voted for or against the Motion and those who abstained are set out below:

For (70)

Against (0)

Abstain (0)

The substantive Motion was CARRIED. It was therefore:

Resolved: - That:

Lancashire County Council notes:

-  That more than 40 million journeys were made by bus in Lancashire in the financial year 2023/24.

-  That this represents an increase of 9% from the previous year, with passenger numbers now higher than they were before the Covid-19 pandemic.

-  That the county council has seen a 50% growth in travel on the bus services it supports.

-  That the £2 bus fare, alongside Lancashire’s Bus Service Improvement Plan, was key in safeguarding and enhancing bus services, particularly in rural parts of Lancashire.

-  That these measures have been key to reversing the impact of the withdrawal of county council support from bus services in 2016.

Lancashire County Council therefore regrets:

-  The decision by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Rt. Hon. Rachel Reeves MP, to increase the bus fare cap to £3.

-  The negative impact this 50% increase in fares  ...  view the full minutes text for item 16.