Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors A Dani, C J Davie, A G Hagues, M Hasan, Mrs J E Killey, R B Parker, Dr M E Thompson, L Wootten and T V Young.

There were no declarations of interest at this point in the meeting.

RESOLVED

That the minutes of the meeting held on 9 December 2022 be signed by the Chairman as a correct record, subject to it being noted that Councillor T J G Dyer’s question under minute number 35 had been missed from the list, and was included below:

The Chairman reported that since the last meeting of the Council, she had continued to represent the County Council and carry out civic engagements.

The Chairman had been delighted to welcome students from the University of Lincoln for the Model United Nations Debate as part of their International Relations Programme which had been held in the Council Chamber earlier in the year.  This annual event was an important part of their studies and demonstrated the collaboration and long running successful partnership between the University and the County Council.

On 31^st January 2023 a service had been held to mark the 70^th Anniversary of the East Coast Floods of 1953, which seriously affected Lincolnshire’s coastal communities and sadly, claimed the lives of 43 people. The Chairman commented that she could personally remember that day as a young girl living in Kirton and it was heart-warming to attend the service at Ingoldmells and afterwards speak to guests and hear their stories about how their families were affected.

The Council looked forward to His Majesty King Charles III’s Coronation on 6th May 2023.  The Coronation would see people across the UK and the Commonwealth come together to celebrate this momentous occasion.  Nationally the programme would include the procession and service at Westminster Abbey on 6th May, the ‘Coronation Big Lunch’ across the country on 7th May and ‘The Big Help Out’ community activity on the bank holiday, Monday, 8th May.

The Chairman commented that many councillors would be involved in events at the heart of their local communities over that weekend and the doors of Lincoln Castle would be opened so residents could watch the Coronation on a large screen on the Saturday and bring their own picnics for the Coronation Big Lunch on the Sunday.

Members were asked to keep a watch on social media and in the local press for the details of the Council’s plans for what was bound to be a weekend to remember.

A complete itinerary of civic engagements, since the last meeting of this Council, was available from the Civic Officer on request.

It was moved, seconded and

RESOLVED

That Council Procedure Rule 10.2 be suspended for the duration of Item 5 (Questions to the Chairman, the Leader, Executive Councillors and Chairmen of Committees and Sub-Committees) on the agenda.

Questions pursuant to Council Procedure Rule 10.3 were asked and answered as follows:

(NOTE: Councillor S P Roe left the Council Chamber for consideration of this item of business)

A report by the Executive Director – Resources had been circulated together with a separate document entitled ‘Council Budget 2023/24’ which described the Executive’s budget and council tax proposals.

It was moved, seconded and

RESOLVED

(1)   That there be one debate.

(2)   That Councillor M J Hill OBE, Leader of the Council, in introducing and moving the budget and in responding to issues raised during the debate be allowed to speak without limit of time.

(3)   That the proposers of the amendments be allowed to speak without limit of time.

(4)   That Councillors seconding the motions each be allowed to speak for six minutes.

(5)   That other speakers be allowed to speak for three minutes.

(6)   That no further amendments be moved.

It was moved and seconded:

That the Council:

1. has due regard to the responses to the consultation and engagement on the Council's budget proposals as contained in the appended Budget Book (Appendix D - Budget Engagement and Consultation Feedback);
2. has due regard to the Section 151 Officer's Statement on the Robustness of the Budget and the Adequacy of Reserves as set out in the appended Budget Book (Section 10 - Section 151 Officer's Statement on the Robustness of the Budget and Adequacy of Reserves);
3. has due regard to the Impact Analysis relating to increasing the Council Tax by 4.99% in 2023/24 set out in the appended 'Budget Book' (Appendix C – Equality Impact Analysis relating to increasing the Council Tax by 4.99% in 2023/24);
4. approves:

4.1  the service revenue budgets for 2023/24 contained in the appended   Budget Book, (Table 2 - Net Service Revenue Budget 2023/24);

4.2  the capital programme and its funding contained in the appended Budget Book (Section 7 - Capital Programme) and (Appendix O - Capital Investment Programme);

4.3  the County Council element of the council tax for a Band D property at £1,503.63 for 2023/24 contained in the appended Budget Book (Appendix B - County Precept 2023/24);

as together being the Council's Budget.

4a approves the transfer of the balances from the Business Rates Volatility, Support to Businesses and Youth Offending Reserves, totalling £8.657m, to the Development Fund.

5. approves the Council's Medium Term Financial Strategy contained in the appended Budget Book (Appendix E – The Medium Term Financial Strategy);
6. approves the Council's Capital Strategy 2023/24 contained in the appended Budget Book (Appendix N – Capital Strategy 2023/24);
7. approves the prudential targets for capital finance and notes the prudential indicators contained in the appended Budget Book (Appendix M - Prudential Indicators);

8   approves that the minimum revenue provision (MRP) be based on the asset life method, charged on an annuity basis for major infrastructure projects and in equal instalments for all other assets, over the estimated life of the assets acquired through borrowing as set out in the appended Budget Book (Section 9 - Minimum Revenue Provision).

An  ...  view the full minutes text for item 45.

A report by the Deputy Chief Executive and Executive Director – Resources had been circulated.

It was moved, seconded and

RESOLVED

That the Pay Policy Statement 2023/24 attached at Appendix A to the report, and as recommended by the Pay Policy Sub-Committee, be approved.

A report by the Deputy Chief Executive and Executive Director – Resources had been circulated:

It was moved, seconded and

RESOLVED

1.    That the amended version of the Inter Authority Agreement between the County Council and local authority members of Border to Coast Pensions Partnership Limited, as attached as Appendix A to the report, be approved.

2.    That the amended version of the Shareholder Agreement between the County Council and Border to Coast Pensions Partnership Limited, as attached as Appendix B to the report, be approved.

3.    That authority be delegated to the Pensions Committee to approve, on behalf of the County Council, future amendments to the Border to Coast Pensions Partnership Limited governance documentation; and

4.    That the Assistant Director – Finance, be authorised to exercise the Council’s rights as a shareholder in Border to Coast Pensions Partnership Limited on behalf of the Council as the administering authority of the Lincolnshire Local Government Pension Fund in addition to or in the absence of the Executive Director – Resources.

A report by the Chairman of the Audit Committee had been circulated.

It was moved, seconded and

RESOLVED

That the Audit Committee Annual Report 2022 be received.

Motion by Councillor P M Dilks

It was moved and seconded as follows:

Lincolnshire County Council has long recognised the vital role Police Community Support Officers provide in combatting crime and anti-social behaviour as well as increasing police visibility and public reassurance.

With that in mind, we share the extreme concerns raised earlier this month by Lincolnshire Police and Crime Panel, and the public, at proposals to cut the number of Police Community Support Officers serving the county by almost half from 91 to 50.

Furthermore, we recognise that:

·       Official data continues to show Lincolnshire has the lowest resource funding per head of population of any police force area in the Country.

·       Despite ongoing and wide ranging year-after-year acknowledgement that the national police funding formula remains unfit for purpose, change has yet to be delivered.

We therefore move that this Council:

1)      Calls on the Police and Crime Commissioner to work with the Chief Constable so that all possible options to avoid these cuts are fully considered to ensure community confidence in policing across Lincolnshire is not seriously damaged.

2)   Supports calls by the Police and Crime Commissioner and the Chief Constable for a fairer police funding formula to be introduced by the Government without delay and for interim additional funding to be provided to those police forces which are seriously disadvantaged by the current system.

Upon being put to the vote, the motion was carried unanimously.