Agenda and minutes
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Contact: Stewart Agland Email: stewart.agland@portsmouthcc.gov.uk
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Declarations of Interests under Standing Order 13(2)(b) Minutes: Councillor Neill Young said that the charity for which he works supports people with motor neurone disease and he would therefore leave the chamber during the debate on agenda item 5 Notice of Motion - Motor Neurone Disease Charter.
Councillor David Horne declared a personal non prejudicial interest in Item 6, line 23 which refers to a cut to the Peter Ashley Centre as he is an employee there and line 38 as he is a trustee of the Paulsgrove Community Centre where there is also a proposed cut. |
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Minutes of the Ordinary Meeting of the Council held on 11 November 2014 · the Meeting of the Council held on 11 November 2014 Minutes: It was
Proposed by Councillor Donna Jones Seconded by Councillor Gerald Vernon-Jackson
That the minutes of the meeting held on 11 November 2014 be approved as a correct record and this was agreed.
RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting of the council held on 11 November 2014 be confirmed and signed as a correct record. |
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Communications including Apologies for Absence Minutes: Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Margaret Foster and from Councillor Eleanor Scott, both of whom were unwell. Apologies for lateness were received on behalf of Councillor Alicia Denny.
The Lord Mayor thanked those who helped with the school carols event in the Guildhall Square and also to those who participated and to those who attended. |
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Deputations from the Public under Standing Order No 24 Minutes: Councillor Neill Young left the chamber for the duration of matters relating to the item on Motor Neurone Disease.
The City Solicitor reminded all those making a deputation today that if they did not wish to be filmed, photographed or recorded when making their deputations they should indicate, in order that all present who may be intending to film, photograph or record proceedings could accede to their wishes.
The City Solicitor advised that four deputation requests had been received in respect of agenda item 5 - Notice of Motion - Motor Neurone Disease Charter. Ms Louise Rickenbach - Regional Care Development Adviser for MND Association, Mr Christopher Manns, Mr Samuel Manns and Ms Flick Drummond each made their deputation on this item. The Lord Mayor thanked each of them for their deputation.
It was
Proposed by Councillor Donna Jones Seconded by Councillor Gerald Vernon-Jackson
That Standing Order 10 be waived in order to vary the order on the agenda paper in order to complete item 5 before hearing the deputations on item 6, the revenue budget. Upon being put to the vote this was CARRIED. |
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Notice of Motion - Motor Neurone Disease Charter Motor Neurone Disease Charter
Proposed by Councillor Donna Jones Seconded by Councillor Gerald Vernon-Jackson
That the Council adopt the Motor Neurone Disease Charter (as attached) and support the five points which set out the care and support people with MND and their families need to maximise their quality of life and die with dignity. Minutes: It was
Proposed by Councillor Donna Jones Seconded by Councillor Gerald Vernon-Jackson
That this notice of motion be debated today.
Upon being put to the vote this was CARRIED.
It was
Proposed by Councillor Donna Jones Seconded by Councillor Gerald Vernon-Jackson
That the notice of motion - Motor Neurone Disease Charter be adopted.
Upon the notice of motion as set out on the agenda being put to the vote, this was CARRIED.
RESOLVED unanimously that the council adopt the Motor Neurone Disease Charter (as published with the agenda) and support the five points which set out the care and support people with MND and their families need to maximise their quality of life and die with dignity. |
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· Portsmouth City Council Revenue Budget 2015/16 - Savings Proposals Additional documents:
Minutes: The City Solicitor advised that 10 deputation requests had been received from members of the public.
Deputations against elements of the budget were made by Mr Steve Bonner, Vice-Chair of Portsmouth Pensioners' Association, Honorary Alderman Dr Alan Burnett CBE, Chair of the Portsmouth Pensioners' Association, Ms Tracey Jones, Dial-a-Ride, Ms Karen Silman, Mr Jon Woods, Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC), Mr Chris Pickett, Unison, Miss Maria Cole, Ms Joanne Marsh, Ms Susan Carter and Mr John Thompson.
Written representations had been received from Ellen Cross and from Mrs P Faithfull (on behalf of her mother) and these were circulated in the chamber.
The Lord Mayor thanked members of the public for their deputations.
Minute 100 - Portsmouth City Council Revenue Budget 2015/16 - Savings Proposals
It was
Proposed by Councillor Donna Jones Seconded by Councillor Luke Stubbs
That the recommendations contained in Cabinet minute 100 - Revenue Budget 2015/16 and proposed savings be approved.
Councillor Donna Jones spoke on the budget proposals which had been produced by the Conservative, UKIP and Labour groups and commended the budget to Council.
As an amendment to the recommendations in relation to Cabinet minute 100, the Revenue Budget 2015/16 and proposed savings, it was
Proposed by Councillor Gerald Vernon-Jackson Seconded by Councillor Hugh Mason
That the recommendations set out in Appendix 1 to these minutes (Liberal Democrat Revenue Amendment) be adopted.
In order to seek clarification on a legal objection, Council adjourned at 4.05 pm. Council resumed at 4.20 pm.
Councillor Gerald Vernon-Jackson spoke to his group's proposed budget amendments. He asked that it be placed on record that the process of the budget being produced earlier has been useful and should be enshrined in standing orders for the future. He commended the Liberal Democrat Group's proposed budget amendments to the Council.
Councillor Colin Galloway, Group Leader of UKIP then spoke in support of the budget proposals put forward by Councillor Donna Jones.
As an amendment to the recommendations in relation to Cabinet minute 100, the Revenue Budget, it was
Proposed by Councillor John Ferrett Seconded by Councillor Aiden Gray
That the recommendations set out in Appendix 2 attached to these minutes (Labour Revenue Amendment) be adopted.
Councillor John Ferrett then spoke to his group's proposed budget amendments and commended them to the Council.
In order to allow the groups time to consider the amendments, Council adjourned at 5.15 pm. Council resumed at 5.30 pm.
Following debate, the Lord Mayor called upon the Leader of the Council, Councillor Donna Jones to sum up the Cabinet's recommendations. Councillor Jones said that she did not propose to accept the Liberal Democrat Group or the Labour Group amendments.
The Lord Mayor advised that the amendments to the revenue budget would now be put to the vote using the recorded vote method in accordance with the regulations.
Upon the Liberal Democrat amendment standing in the name of Councillor Gerald Vernon-Jackson being put to the vote the following members voted in favour:
The following members voted against the proposed amendment:
There were no abstentions.
The Liberal Democrat amendment was therefore LOST.
Upon the Labour amendment standing in the name of Councillor John Ferrett being put to the vote, the following members voted in favour:
The following members voted against the proposal:
The following member abstained:
Councillor Alistair Thompson
The Labour Group amendment standing in the name of Councillor John Ferrett was therefore LOST.
Upon the recommendations in Cabinet minute 100 - Revenue Budget 2015/16 and Proposed Savings being put to the vote, the following members were in favour:
The following members were against the recommendations:
There were no abstentions.
The Cabinet recommendations in Cabinet minute 100 - Revenue Budget 2015/16 and Proposed Savings were therefore CARRIED.
A commitment was given by the Administration to work with the current providers to deliver an alternative, not-for-profit service for the existing users of Dial-a-Ride.
RESOLVED that
(1) The following be approved:
(a) The Council's Budget for 2015/16 be prepared on the basis of a Council Tax freeze
(b) The savings proposals for each Portfolio amounting, in total, to £13.1m for 2015/16, £13.1m for 2016/17 and £13.1m in 2017/18 as set out in Appendix A to enable appropriate consultation and notice periods to be given to affected parties
(c) Given the capital investment needs of the City, the funding gap between need and available resources and the importance of the Capital programme in delivering the Medium Term Financial Strategy, that £3.0m of the overall £5.2m financial improvement in the City Council's financial position be transferred to the Revenue Reserve for Capital in order to supplement the capital resources available for new Capital Investment (see paragraphs 8.11 and 8.12)
(d) Given the current uncommitted balance on the MTRS Reserve of £2.1m is very modest in the context of the £37m of savings that the Council is required to make over the next 3 years and that it is also the Council's primary vehicle for providing funding for redundancies and Spend to Save initiatives, that the remaining £2.2m of the overall £5.2m financial improvement in the City Council's financial position be transferred to the Medium Term Resource Strategy Reserve (see paragraph 8.14)
(e) That £500,000 be released from the MTRS Reserve to create a Voluntary Sector Capacity & Transition Fund to enable the voluntary sector to reconfigure their service or enhance their capacity / infrastructure in order to support / provide council services as set out in paragraph 10.16
(f) In the event that the Voluntary Sector Capacity & Transition Fund is created, that the use of those funds be released on the same spend to save criteria adopted for other MTRS funds and that the allocation of these funds be delegated to the Head of Financial Services & S151 Officer in consultation with the Leader of the Council
(g) To undertake the necessary business intervention work described in paragraphs 10.17 and 10.18 at the necessary scale and pace to deliver significant change and cost reduction, it is recommended that a Business Intervention Fund be created in the sum of £500,000 to be used flexibly across years and funded from the MTRS Reserve
(h) In the event that the Business Intervention Fund is created, that the use of those funds be used both, independently of, and in synergy with, the Voluntary Sector Capacity & Transition Fund and that the allocation of these funds be delegated to the Head of Financial Services & S151 Officer in consultation with the Leader of the Council
(i) That the funds released under recommendations (e) and (g) be used flexibly across the 2014/15 and future financial years and that the S151 Officer be given delegated authority to determine the annual allocations as necessary
(2) That the Council note:
(a) The Budget Savings Requirement for 2015/16 approved by the City Council and based on a Council Tax increase of 1.95% is £12.5m; based on a Council Tax freeze, that savings requirement increases to £13.1m
(b) The key themes arising from the budget consultation
(c) The indicative savings proposals set out in Appendix B which are provided for the purpose of demonstrating to the Council that the Portfolio savings as recommended in paragraph 1(b) above are robust and deliverable
(d) The likely impact of savings as set out in Appendix B based on the scale of the Portfolio savings as recommended in paragraph 1(b)
(e) That the responsibility of the City Council is to approve the overall Budget and the associated cash limits of its Portfolios and Committees; it is not the responsibility of the City Council to approve any individual savings within those Portfolios / Committees
(f) That it is the responsibility of the individual Portfolio Holders (not the City Council) to approve the individual savings proposals and the Portfolio Holder can therefore, in response to any consultation, alter, amend or substitute any of the indicative savings proposal(s) set out in Appendix B with alternative proposal(s) amounting to the same value within their Portfolio
(g) Managers will commence any necessary consultation process or notice process necessary to implement the approved Portfolio / Committee savings
(h) That there is no general provision for Budget Pressures and that it is the responsibility of the Portfolio Holder to manage any Budget Pressures which arise from the overall resources available to the Portfolio (which includes their Portfolio Reserve)
(i) In accordance with the approved financial framework, it is the responsibility of the Portfolio Holder, in consultation with the Head of Finance & S151 Officer, to release funds from the Portfolio Reserve in accordance with the provisions set out in paragraph 10.10
(j) The MTRS Reserve held to fund the upfront costs associated with Spend to Save Schemes, Invest to Save Schemes and redundancies holds a very modest uncommitted balance of £3.3m (which includes the transfer of £2.2m into the Reserve and the creation of a Voluntary Sector & Capacity Fund of £0.5m and a Business Intervention Fund of £0.5m which are drawn out of the Reserve, as agreed at this Council meeting) and will only be replenished from an approval to the transfer of any non-Portfolio underspends at year end into this reserve.
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Questions from Members under Standing Order No 17 Minutes: There were no Members' questions.
At the end of the meeting, the Lord Mayor wished everyone a Happy Christmas. |