Agenda and minutes

The Chair advised the Council that the meeting was being recorded and streamed online in accordance with usual practice.

Councillors P Harris and J Lee notified the Council that they would be recording parts of the meeting.

The Council noted the interests previously declared by Members in Agenda Item No. 17 – Minutes for Noting.

The Chief Executive and Deputy Chief Executive declared an interest in Agenda Item No. 20 - Staffing Preparations for Local Government Reorganisation and advised the Council they would leave the meeting for that item of business.

AGREED      that the minutes from the meeting held on 10 February 2026 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

The Chair acknowledged the current events in the middle east and offered her thoughts to all those affected.

In accordance with Rule No. 3.3.3 the following question has been submitted to the Council from Councillor Johno Lee:

“Since November 2020, national government rules have been tightened to stop councils borrowing money in order to make a commercial profit. These changes apply directly to council-owned companies such as Arkwood, and make clear that: councils should not borrow in order to invest in companies like Arkwood; should not operate companies such as Arkwood primarily to generate commercial income; and should not rely on income from companies like Arkwood to support or protect the Council’s core budgets or its Medium Term Financial Plan. This position was reinforced by revised PWLB lending rules and the updated CIPFA Prudential Code issued in December 2021.

The same guidance also makes clear that where a council owns a company such as Arkwood, that company must be kept under regular and formal review by elected members, with clear oversight of financial risk, borrowing, and whether Arkwood’s activities remain appropriate and compliant with national labour government guidance. This is particularly important where Arkwood is involved in development activity, exposed to market risk, or operating outside the District.

In that context, and given the Council’s continued ownership and operation of Arkwood as an income-generating company, including references to Arkwood in financial planning discussions, when was Arkwood last formally reviewed by the Council, and by which committee?”

In accordance with Rule No. 3.3.3, one question had been submitted by Councillor J Lee.

Details of the question put forward and the response given by the Portfolio Holder for Strategy, Performance & Finance is attached as Appendix A to the Minutes.

The Council considered the report of the Leader of the Council relating to the Revenue Budget and Council Tax Setting for 2026/27.

The report indicated that, in setting the level of Council Tax for 2026/2027, it was necessary to consider the requirements of the Council Tax Collection Fund for 2026/2027.  This incorporated the District Council’s Council Tax Requirement, Parish Council Precepts and the Council Tax requirements of Nottinghamshire County Council, the Nottinghamshire Police & Crime Commissioner and the Nottinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service.

The Cabinet, at its meeting held on 24 February 2026, recommended that the District Council’s Net Budget Requirement for 2026/27, should be £20,700,110.

It was reported that all Parish Council precepts had been received and totalled £4,330,013.90.  The individual Parish Council precepts were set out in the report.

Nottinghamshire County Council had set a precept on Newark & Sherwood District Council’s Collection fund for 2026/2027 of £85,252,352.00. The Nottinghamshire Police & Crime Commissioner had set a precept on Newark & Sherwood District Council's Collection fund for 2026/2027 of £13,462,059.20 and the Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service had set a precept on Newark & Sherwood District Council’s Collection fund for 2026/2027 of £4,422,877.13.

In accordance with Rule 3.4.3 (b) written notice had been received that an amendment would be proposed and seconded. Councillor J Kellas accordingly proposed and Councillor T Wendels seconded that:

“Recommendation (b) be amended to approve the proposals under section 3 of the report with the inclusion of a Members’ Ward Fund, added to the base budget for 2026/27, whereby each individual member is allocated a sum of £1,000 (£39,000 in total) to support charities, community groups and public bodies working within their wards for the benefit of residents; and that the Council Tax for 2026/27 is reduced by 1.12% rather than frozen. This would amend the recommendations within the report to:

3.1    The revenue estimates for 2026/2027 and schedule of fees and charges, as submitted in the Council's Budget book be approved; with an additional row added to the table at point 3.37 on page 10 of the budget book under the section ‘Requested Changes by Members’, as below:

3.2    That the following amounts be now calculated by the Council for the year 2026/2027 in accordance with Sections 31 to 36 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, based on a 1.12% council tax reduction:

(a)     £57,948,340           being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 31A(2) to (4) of the Act;

(b)     £37,209,230.00      being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 31A(3)(a) to (d) of the Act;

(c)     £20,739,110           being the amount by which the aggregate at 3(a) above exceeds the aggregate at 3(b) above, calculated by the Council, in accordance with section 31A(4) of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 64.

The Council considered the report of the Deputy Chief Executive / Director – Resources and Section 151 Officer which set out the proposed the General Fund Capital Programme for the period 2026/27 to 2029/30.  Following the Cabinet’s consideration of the Capital Programme at its meeting on 24 February 2026 and in accordance with Financial Regulation 6.2.3, the final programme was recommended to Council for approval.  Attached as Appendix 1 to the report was the report submitted to the Cabinet on 24 February 2026 which detailed the resources available, the Council’s existing committed programme and the priority schemes identified.

The Council noted that there was an exempt version of the report which advised of the total of the intended spend on the general fund capital expenditure, as the Ollerton Regeneration scheme costs were commercially sensitive.

AGREED      (unanimously) that:

a)            the General Fund schemes shown in Appendix A to the report be approved as committed expenditure in the Capital Programme;

b)            the Capital Programme be managed in accordance with Financial Regulation 6.2.3;

c)             in accordance with the delegation to the Section 151 Officer in the Council’s Constitution to arrange financing of the Council’s Capital Programme, the Capital Programme for the financial years 2026/27 to 2029/30 be financed to maximise the resources available, having regard to the provisions of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 and subsequent legislation; and

d)            any changes above the limit delegated to the Section 151 Officer (i.e. £10,000), either in funding or the total cost of the capital scheme, be reported to the Cabinet for consideration.

The Council considered the report of the Deputy Chief Executive / Director – Resources and Section 151 Officer which sought approval for the Council’s Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP) for the four financial years between 1 April 2026 and 31 March 2030 (2026/27 to 2029/30).  The main aims of the MTFP were to deliver the Council’s Community Plan objectives, clearly present the Council’s current predictions of its financial position, and to enable Members to make decisions which ensured the Council’s financial sustainability. Updating the MTFP was an essential pre-requisite to the annual budget setting process.

In accordance with Rule 3.4.3 (b) written notice had been received that an amendment would be proposed and seconded. Councillor J Kellas accordingly proposed and Councillor T Wendels seconded that:

“The Medium Term Financial Plan for 2026/27 to 2029/30 be approved save that the proposed levels of increase in Council Tax for years 2028/29 and 2029/30 are reduced from 2.99% to 1.94%”.

During the debate Councillor P Peacock indicated his support for the amendment, which on being put to the meeting was declared carried unanimously.

AGREED     (unanimously) that the Medium Term Financial Plan for 2026/27 to 2029/30 be approved save that the proposed levels of increase in Council Tax for years 2028/29 and 2029/30 are reduced from 2.99% to 1.94%.

The Council considered the report of the Deputy Chief Executive / Director - Resources and Section 151 Officer which sought approval for the Treasury Management Strategy, which incorporated the Borrowing Strategy, Investment Strategy and Treasury Prudential Indicators, which had all been updated in accordance with latest guidance and in line with legislative requirements.  The strategies were attached as Appendix A to the report. The Audit & Accounts Committee had considered all of the strategies at their meeting held on 4 March 2026 and recommended these to Full Council for approval.

AGREED      (unanimously) that Council approves:

a)            the Treasury Management Strategy 2026/27, incorporating the Borrowing Strategy and the Annual Investment Strategy, contained within Appendix A to the report;

b)            the Treasury Prudential Indicators and Limits, contained within Appendix A to the report; and

c)             the Authorised Limit Treasury Prudential Indicator contained within Appendix A to the report.

The Council considered the report of the Deputy Chief Executive / Director – Resources & Section 151 Officer which sought approval for the Capital Strategy 2026/27 which incorporated the Minimum Revenue Provision Policy and Capital Prudential Indicators, updated in accordance with latest guidance and with legislative requirements.  The strategies were attached as appendices to the report.  The Audit & Accounts Committee had considered the proposed Capital Strategy 2026/27 at their meeting held on 4 March 2026 and recommended it to Full Council for approval.

AGREED      (with 30 votes for and 1 abstention) that Council approves:

a)            the Capital Strategy 2026/27 contained at Appendix A to the report;

b)            the Capital Prudential Indicators and Limits for 2026/27, contained within Appendix A to the report;

c)             the Minimum Revenue Provision (MRP) Policy Statement as contained within Appendix C to the report, which set out the Council’s policy on MRP; and

d)            the Flexible Use of Capital Receipts Strategy, contained within Appendix D to the report.

The Council considered the report of the Deputy Chief Executive / Director – Resources & Section 151 Officer which sought approval for the Non-Treasury Investment Strategy and the Investment Prudential Indicators and Limits for 2026/27, which met the requirements of statutory guidance issued by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. The Audit & Accounts Committee had considered the proposed Non-Treasury Investment Strategy and the Investment Prudential Indicators and Limits for 2026/27 at their meeting held on 4 March 2026 and recommended these to Full Council for approval.

AGREED      (with 30 votes for and 1 abstention) that Council approve:

a)            the Non-Treasury Investment Strategy 2026/27 attached as Appendix A to the report; and

b)            the Investment Prudential Indicators and Limits for 2026/27, contained within Appendix A to the report.

The Council considered the report of the Director – Customer Services & Organisational Development which sought approval of the Pay Policy Statement (attached as Appendix A to the report) for 2026/27.  In accordance with Section 38(1) of the Localism Act 2011, the Council was required to produce a Pay Policy Statement for each financial year. The Cabinet, at their meeting held on 24 February 2026, recommended the Pay Policy Statement to the Council for adoption.

It was noted that the pay award for 2026/27 was still to be finalised but once agreed the Pay Policy Statement would be revised to reflect new pay rates.

AGREED     (unanimously) that the Pay Policy Statement for 2026/27 be approved.

The Council considered the report of the Director - Planning & Growth, which advised Members of the result of the Neighbourhood Plan Referendum for Winthorpe with Langford and sought to formally adopt the Plan. The referendum was held on 12 February 2026 with the question ‘Do you want Newark and Sherwood District Council to use the Neighbourhood Plan for Winthorpe with Langford to help it decide planning applications in the neighbourhood area?’ In total 225 votes were cast, of which 205 were in favour and 20 against.

AGREED      (unanimously) that:

a)           the report be noted; and

b)          Council ‘make’ the Winthorpe with Langford Neighbourhood Plan, confirming that it forms part of the Development Plan for Newark & Sherwood District.

The Chair indicated that the meeting had been in progress for a further hour. Therefore, in accordance with Rule 2.7.2 a motion to continue for a further hour was put to the meeting and agreed with 28 votes for and 3 against.

In accordance with Rule No. 3.4.3, the following motion is to be considered:

Motion 1 - ‘Tourism Tax’

In accordance with Rule No. 3.4.3 a motion was submitted in respect of the ‘tourism tax’. In accordance with Rule 4.7.1 Councillor S Haynes moved and Councillor J Kellas seconded an amended motion to the following effect:

“Newark and Sherwood District Council does not support the Mayor of the East Midlands imposing an ill-thought-out tourism tax (visitor levy) in our district, and this Council writes to the Mayor of the East Midlands, Claire Ward, urging her not to impose a tourism tax in Newark and Sherwood”.

The amended motion on being put to the meeting was declared lost with 12 votes for, 16 against and 3 abstentions.

In accordance with Rule No. 5.4 a recorded vote was taken as follows:

The Chair proposed that under Section 100A (4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the exempt item on the ‘Staffing Preparations for Local Government Reorganisation’ on the grounds that it would involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act.

Given the late hour and in accordance with Rule 4.10.1, Councillor P Peacock moved and Councillor J Kellas seconded a procedural motion that the meeting be adjourned, the effect of which would be that the business not dealt with would be considered at an Extraordinary Meeting of the Council in accordance with Rule 2.7.3.

This motion on being put to the meeting was agreed.