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Agenda item

Notices of Motion

In accordance with Paragraph 4.5 of the Council’s Constitution, the Chairman has agreed to change the order of the agenda to receive ‘Notices of Motion’ in advance of the items for debate.

(a)          The following Motion has been submitted in the name of Councillor Alan Macro:

This Council recognises the financial pressure that it is under as a result of significant reductions of the Council’s Revenue Support Grant by the Government and therefore resolves to:

 

1. Forgo the index linked increase to Councillor’s Basic and Special Responsibility Allowances due for 2016/17, saving £5,210

 

2. Reverse the £1,039 increase to the Councillors’ Basic Allowance awarded in 2015, saving £54,028.”

 

(b)          The following Motion has been submitted in the name of Councillor Anthony Chadley:

West Berkshire Council:

 

…notes that the proposed Local Government Settlement was only announced in late December, giving the Council only 2 months to consider savings proposals, consult residents and review feedback.

 

…and notes that whilst the £1.4million of transitionary funding provided by the Department for Communities and Local Government will lessen the impact of the required savings, the Council still needs to find £17.5 million next year.

 

It is therefore proposed that this Council continues to lobby the government for a fair deal in regards to local authority funding.

(c)          The following Motion has been submitted in the name of Councillor Graham Jones:

This Council welcomes the devolution agenda and fully supports the Chancellors announcement that all business rates will be returned to local government.

 

West Berkshire currently generates £84m in business rates but only £17m is returned to West Berkshire Council to help fund local services and the essential infrastructure needed to keep us strong. 

 

With the complete removal of any remaining government funding without the return of our withheld rates income there will be further significant cuts in local services during the lifetime of this council.

 

Local authorities and democracy would be strengthened by a direct link between the money raised in an area being spent in the same area.

 

This Council calls upon Her Majesty’s Government to guarantee the return of business rates to West Berkshire and ask for the timeline to be reduced to 2018 thus giving local authorities a direct incentive to encourage local economic growth through improved services and infrastructure.

 

This Council therefore requests that the Chairman lobbies the relevant Minister in regard to ensuring that rates raised in West Berkshire will be returned and that this will be considered for implementation within the lifetime of this parliament.

Minutes:

The Council considered the under-mentioned Motion (Agenda item 13(a) refers) submitted in the name of Councillor Alan Macro relating to forgoing the index link to the Councillor’s Basic and Special Responsibility Allowances in 2016/17 and reversing the increase to the Basic Allowance adopted in May 2015.

MOTION: Proposed by Councillor Alan Macro and seconded by Councillor Lee Dillon:

That the Council:

recognises the financial pressure that it is under as a result of significant reductions of the Council’s Revenue Support Grant by the Government and therefore resolves to:

1. Forgo the index linked increase to the Councillors’ Basic and Special Responsibility Allowances due for 2016/17, saving £5,210

2. Reverse the £1,039 increase to the Councillors’ Basic Allowance awarded in 2015, saving £54,028.”

Councillor James Fredrickson noted that the first part of the Motion (1% increase for Councillors) was already built into the 2016/17 budget savings proposals and so this part of the motion had already been resolved.

The Motion was put to the vote and declared LOST.

The Council considered the under-mentioned Motion (Agenda item 13(b) refers) submitted in the name of Councillor Anthony Chadley relating to lobbying Central Government for a Fair Deal in Regards to the Local Authority Funding.

MOTION: Proposed by Councillor Anthony Chadley and seconded by Councillor Steve Ardagh-Walter:

That the Council:

notes that the proposed Local Government Settlement was only announced in late December, giving the Council only 2 months to consider savings proposals, consult residents and review feedback;

and notes that whilst the £1.4million of transitionary funding provided by the Department for Communities and Local Government will lessen the impact of the required savings, the Council still needs to find £17.5 million next year.

It is therefore proposed that this Council continues to lobby the Government for a fair deal in regards to local authority funding

(Councillor Manohar Gopal left the meeting at 8.14pm and returned at 8.17pm)

The Motion was put to the vote and declared CARRIED.

The Council considered the under-mentioned Motion (Agenda item 13(c) refers) submitted in the name of Councillor Graham Jones relating to local retention of Business Rates.

MOTION: Proposed by Councillor Graham Jones and seconded by Councillor Laszlo Zverko:

That the Council:

“Welcomes the devolution agenda and fully supports the Chancellor’s announcement that all business rates will be returned to local government.

West Berkshire currently generates £84m in business rates but only £17m is returned to West Berkshire Council to help fund local services and the essential infrastructure needed to keep us strong. 

With the complete removal of any remaining government funding without the return of our withheld rates income there will be further significant cuts in local services during the lifetime of this Council.

Local authorities and democracy would be strengthened by a direct link between the money raised in an area being spent in the same area.

This Council calls upon Her Majesty’s Government to guarantee the return of business rates to West Berkshire and ask for the timeline to be reduced to 2018 thus giving local authorities a direct incentive to encourage local economic growth through improved services and infrastructure.

This Council therefore requests that the Chairman lobbies the relevant Minister in regard to ensuring that rates raised in West Berkshire will be returned and that this will be considered for implementation within the lifetime of this Parliament.”

The Motion was put to the vote and declared CARRIED.