Agenda and minutes

AGREED that that minutes of the meeting held on 8 February 2022 be approved as a

correct record and signed by the Chairman.

There were no declarations of interest from Members or Officers and the Council

noted the interests previously declared by Members in Agenda Item No. 21 – Minutes for Noting.

Other than the Council recording in accordance with usual practice, there were no

declarations of intention to record the meeting. The Chairman advised that the

meeting was being streamed live.

The Chairman reflected on the terrible events that were unfolding in Ukraine and advised that the Council would do everything within its power to support those affected.

The Chairman also welcomed Councillor Emma Davis to the Council following her success in the Collingham Ward by-election held on 17 February 2022.

Councillor D Lloyd, as Leader of the Council gave Members an update in respect of the proposal to create a combined authority following publication of the Levelling Up White Paper. This White Paper referred to Nottinghamshire as a pathfinder, looking to create a combined authority, and one opportunity for a tier three county deal across Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire, with an elected Mayor, was being considered. Councillor Lloyd advised that this did not require any creation of new unitary authorities and all District / Borough Councils were fully engaged with the current discussions.

The Leader added that a combined authority on this scale would be able to draw down significant amounts of investment, including funding for transport and education and was an opportunity that should not be missed. He referred to correspondence from the Leader of Nottinghamshire County Council which confirmed that the District Council would be fully involved with the ongoing discussions, and would have meaningful involvement in any devolution deal and governance model of a combined authority. Councillor Lloyd sought the Full Council’s support for continuing to engage in the discussions and agreed to report back further as required, on future developments.

In accordance with Rule No. 14.1 the following question was submitted to the Council from Councillor P. Harris.

"What is the Council's view of the recently published 'Integrated Rail Plan' by the Government, on behalf of the residents of the area, and what response will or have we made?"

In accordance with Rule No. 14.1, Councillor P. Harris submitted a question to the Council. Details of the question put forward and the response given from Councillor K. Girling are attached as Appendix A to these minutes.

The Council considered the report of the Leader of the Council relating to the Revenue Budget and Council Tax Setting for 2022/23.

The report indicated that, in setting the level of Council Tax for 2022/2023, it was necessary to consider the requirements of the Council Tax Collection Fund for 2022/2023.  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 Policy & Finance Committee, at its meeting held on 21 February 2022, recommended that the District Council's Council Tax Requirement for 2022/2023, excluding Parish Council precepts, should be £15,560,910.00 as detailed in the Council's Budget Book for 2022/2023.  As part of the budget process, the views of the operational committees had been taken into account.

It was reported that all Parish Council precepts had been received.  Parish precepts totalled £3,424,863.60. Consequently the total Council Tax Requirement for the District Council was £18,985,773.60.

Nottinghamshire County Council had set a precept on Newark & Sherwood District Council’s Collection fund for 2022/2023 of £67,744,728.00.  The Nottinghamshire Police & Crime Commissioner had set a precept on Newark & Sherwood District Council's Collection fund for 2022/2023 of £10,476,371.25, and the Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service had proposed a precept on Newark & Sherwood District Council’s Collection fund for 2022/2023 of £3,484,707.00.

AGREED      (unanimously) that the recommendations as set out in the report and attached as Appendix B to these minutes be approved.

In accordance with Procedure Rule No. 28a.1 a recorded vote was taken as follows:

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 2022 and 31 March 2026 (2022/23 to 2025/26).  A copy of the Plan was attached as an Appendix to the report. The MTFP aimed to provide both Members and officers with a clear financial framework for delivering the Council’s Community Plan objectives over the next four years. Updating the MTFP was an essential pre-requisite to the annual budget setting for future years.

The MTFP showed that the Council was able to set a balanced budget for 2022/23, but would need to reduce expenditure or increase income in order to mitigate future anticipated shortfalls in funding. The Council would need to continually consider how best to manage demand for its services, as well as monitoring and reviewing how best to deliver services.

AGREED      (unanimously) that the Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP) for 2022/23 to 2025/26 be approved.

The Council considered the report of the Deputy Chief Executive / Director – Resources and Section 151 Officer which set out the proposed Capital Programme for the period 2022/23 to 2025/26.  Following the Policy & Finance Committee’s consideration of the Capital Programme at its meeting on 21 February 2022 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 Policy & Finance Committee held on 21 February 2022 which detailed the resources available, the Council’s existing committed programme and the priority schemes identified. At the same meeting approval was given for works at the Castle to improve conditions, the works totalled £0.570m and are to be funded by borrowing.

The Capital Programme for 2022/23 to 2025/26 proposed investment of £129.615m over the 4 year programme, including Housing Services £54.326m (made up of Property Investment and the New Build Programme) and General Fund £75.289m (made up of various general fund projects). The expenditure was financed by a combination of Government Grants, Third Party Contributions, Capital Receipts, Revenue Support (through the HRA Major Repairs Reserve, General Fund reserves) and borrowing.

AGREED      (unanimously) that:

(a)          the General Fund schemes shown in Appendix A and the housing services programme shown in Appendix B 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 2022/23 to 2025/26 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 Capital Strategy 2022/23 which incorporated the Minimum Revenue Provision Policy and Capital Prudential Indicators.  The Strategy had been updated in accordance with the latest guidance.

The Capital Strategy outlined the principles and framework that shaped the Council’s capital decisions.  The principle aim was to deliver a programme of capital investment that contributed to the achievement of the Council’s priorities and objectives as set out in the Corporate Plan.  The Strategy was attached as appendices to the report.

AGREED      (unanimously) that the Council Approves:

(a)     the Capital Strategy 2022/23;

(b)     the Capital Prudential Indicators and Limits for 2022/23, contained within  Appendix A to the report;

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

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

The Council considered the report of the Deputy Chief Executive / Director – Resources and Section 151 Officer which sought approval for the Treasury Management Strategy for 2022/23.  This Statement incorporated the Borrowing Strategy, Investment Strategy and Treasury Prudential Indicators updated in accordance with latest guidance, statutory requirements and CIPFA guidance. A copy of the Strategy was attached as Appendix A to the report.

AGREED      (unanimously) that:

(a)      the Treasury Management Strategy 2022/23, incorporating the Borrowing Strategy and the Annual Investment Strategy be approved;

(b)      the Treasury Prudential Indicators and Limits be approved; and

(c)       the Authorised Limit Treasury Prudential Indicator be approved.

The Council considered the report of the Deputy Chief Executive / Director – Resources and Section 151 Officer which sought approval for the Investment Strategy for 2022/23. The Strategy met the requirements of statutory guidance issued by the Department of Levelling Up, Housing & Communities (DLUHC) in January 2018. The definition of an investment covered all of the financial assets of the Council, as well as the other non-financial assets that the organisation holds, primarily or partially to generate a profit such as investment property portfolios. The Strategy therefore, may include investments that were not managed as part of normal treasury management processes or under treasury management delegations. A copy of the Investment Strategy was attached as Appendix A to the report.

AGREED      (with 32 votes for, 2 against and 1 abstention) that the Council approves:

(a)      the Investment Strategy 2022/23; and

(b)      the Investment Prudential Indicators and Limits.

The Council considered the report of the Director – Customer Services & Organisational Development which sought approval of the Pay Policy Statement for 2022/23.  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 Pay Policy Statement set out the authority’s policies for the financial year relating to:

•   the remuneration of the authority’s lowest-paid employees (together with a definition of “lowest-paid employees”) and the reasons for adopting that definition;

•   the relationship between remuneration of Chief Officers and that of other officers (pay multiples); and

•   the remuneration of Chief Officers.

The report summarised the minimal changes to the Statement and it was noted that given the Trade Unions had yet to present a pay claim for 2022/23 and the pay negotiations for 2021/22 had only been concluded following publication of the agenda, the document showed pay scales as of 1 April 2020.  

The Policy & Finance Committee, at their meeting held on 21 February 2022, recommended the Pay Policy Statement to the Council for adoption.

AGREED      (unanimously) that the Pay Policy Statement for 2022/23 be approved.

The Council considered the report of the Chief Executive concerning the allocation of seats on Committees to Political Groups, following the by-election for the vacancy on the Collingham Ward held on 17 February 2022.

Section 15 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 required the Council to consider the political composition of the Council.  This Act, together with the Local Government (Committees and Political Groups) Regulations 1990, required the Council to allocate seats on committees on a proportional basis in accordance with the number of seats held on the Council by each political group.   The proposed allocation of seats was set out in Appendix A to the report.

AGREED      (unanimously) that:

(a)      the Council agree the allocation of seats to Political Groups in accordance with Appendix A to the report; and

(b)      one change be made in Committee memberships with Councillor P Harris being appointed to the Economic Development Committee with Councillor M Brock being the substitute.

The Council considered the report of the Assistant Director- Legal and Democratic Services, which updated Members on the progress made by the Governance Review Working Group and which sought to approve the final design of the new governance arrangements.

The Leader of the Council referred to a minor revision to the proposed structure since the Full Council meeting held on 14 December 2021, as the Working Group had reached the view that it would not be appropriate for a single Shareholder Committee given the differing remits of the Council’s two wholly owned companies, Active4Today and Arkwood Developments. Therefore, it was proposed that the Cabinet discharge the Council’s shareholder responsibilities with delegation to relevant portfolio holders as appropriate. The Constitution would however, contain provision for the establishment of committees of Cabinet if required in the future. The Leader also advised that it was also now proposed to increase the membership of the Audit & Governance Committee to 12 Members in order to widen its representation.

It was noted that work would now continue to finalise the drafting of the revised Constitution with further input and guidance from the Working Group and Councillors’ Commission and this would be presented to Full Council for adoption on 17 May 2022, just prior to the new governance arrangements coming into operation.

AGREED      (unanimously) that the final design (structure) of the new governance arrangements as set out in the diagram at Paragraph 3.1 of the report be approved, subject to the membership of the Audit & Governance Committee being set as 12 members, noting that the final version of the Council’s Constitution will be presented to the Full Council on 17 May 2022 for formal approval and implementation.

The Council considered the report of the Director - Housing, Health and Wellbeing, which sought approval for the establishment of a new community grant scheme to replace and consolidate both the current Covid Resilience Grant Scheme and Community & Arts grant scheme, as part of the change in the Council’s governance arrangements. Consolidation of two schemes would demonstrate the Council’s commitment to supporting and strengthening community organisations through increased access to funding and improved scheme flexibility for applicants.  It was proposed that £100,000 would be allocated for 2022/23.

The new scheme required applicants to demonstrate the support of the local Ward Councillor.  Under the new governance arrangements, the Council's Cabinet would assess applications based on the criteria set out in guidance.  The Councillors’ Commission considered the scheme at their meeting held on 23 February 2022 and recommended to Full Council for approval. The draft guidance and application form created for the new grant scheme were attached as appendices to the report.

AGREED      (unanimously) that:

(a)      the Council approve the Community Grant Scheme; and

(b)      £88,000 be allocated from the Community Engagement Reserve to the General Fund Revenue budget for 2022/23 in order to supplement the £12,000 already approved within the 2022/23 budget.

The Council considered the report of the Chief Executive, which gave an update in respect of the final Report of the Independent Remuneration Panel and invited the Council to consider recommendations from the Councillors’ Commission in relation to the circumstances in which Members can claim mileage allowance. 

It was reported that the Councillors’ Commission, at their meeting held on 23 February 2022, had raised a number of queries in relation to the final Report of the Independent Remuneration Panel and the proposals for Special Responsibility Allowances. Given that, the Commission agreed that the Panel should be asked to relook at their final report which would be further considered by the Councillors’ Commission ahead of this being submitted to the Annual Council Meeting on 17 May 2022 for consideration.

At their meeting held on 23 February 2022, the Councillors’ Commission also considered the current provision in respect of what Members could claim for in respect of travel allowances. The Commission considered and were recommending to the Full Council, that political group meetings should be considered as an approved duty for the purposes of claiming mileage, subject to certain conditions being met.

AGREED      (unanimously) that the Council:

(a)      note the final report of the Members Independent Remuneration Panel will be submitted to the Annual Council Meeting on 17 May 2022; and

(b)      include political group meetings which are convened for District Council business (dates to be supplied to Democratic Services) and held at Castle House or elsewhere in the District in the definition of approved duties for the purposes of the Members’ Allowances Scheme.