Agenda and minutes

Venue: Park Suite, Parkside, Chart Way, Horsham

Contact: Email: CommitteeServices@horsham.gov.uk  Direct Line: 01403 215465

Items
No. Item

CO/49

Minutes pdf icon PDF 113 KB

To approve as correct the minutes of the meeting of the Council held on the 16th October 2019. (Note: If any Member wishes to propose an amendment to the minutes they should submit this in writing to committeeservices@horsham.gov.uk at least 24 hours before the meeting.  Where applicable, the audio recording of the meeting will be checked to ensure the accuracy of the proposed amendment.)

Minutes:

The minutes of the meeting of the Council held on the 16th October 2019 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman

CO/50

Declarations of Members' Interests

To receive any declarations of interest from Members

Minutes:

There were no declarations of interest.

CO/51

Announcements

To receive any announcements from the Chairman of the Council, the Leader, Members of the Cabinet or the Chief Executive

Minutes:

The Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Leisure and Culture announced that the Year of Culture had been an outstanding success, with over seven hundred events during the year.  Of these, approximately had been organised by the community with a great deal of participation from schools.

 

Many groups had managed to secure future Arts Council funding as a result of the Year of Culture activities.  He thanked Members for the help that they had given to the events throughout the year.

 

The Cabinet Member for Environment, Recycling and Waste asked that Members and the public try to ensure that they recycled as much waste as possible during the Christmas period.  He pointed out that all the residents of Horsham District could make a difference to the environmental challenges that were faced by all.

CO/52

Questions from the Public

To receive questions from the public under Rules 4a.2(f) and 4a.8-18

 

Minutes:

No questions relevant to the business of the meeting had been received.

CO/53

Recommendations from Cabinet pdf icon PDF 73 KB

To receive recommendations from the meeting of Cabinet held on 28th November 2019. Reports available online at: Cabinet Agenda 28th November 2019

Minutes:

 

              Medium Term Financial Strategy 2020/21 to 2023/24

 

The Deputy Leader provided an overview of the proposed strategy for the period 2020/21 to 2023/24 in order to establish the context for the Council’s budget and medium term financial planning scenarios and assumptions. This had been done in the context of unprecedented levels of uncertainty. The impact on the Council from the future of business rates and the Fair Funding Review in the 2020/21 budget setting process had been delayed by Government’s parliamentary election and until the UK’s relationship with the European Union was resolved. The funding for the 2020/21 budget year had been prepared based on a ‘same as last year’ theory. However, with the existing political and therefore financial uncertainty being exceptionally high, the actual budget and MTFS that Council would set in February 2020 for 2020/21 could be subject to change.

 

RESOLVED:

 

That:

 

i)          the Medium Term Financial Strategy 2020/21 to 2023/24 be approved, and;

 

ii)         the projected budgets and potential actions as detailed in paragraph 3.53 and table 4 of the report be noted.

 

              Wilder Horsham District

 

The Cabinet Member for Leisure and Culture and said that Horsham District Council had already taken measures to protect and enhance the natural environment across the District and particularly on its own land. The report proposed to enhance this approach by establishing a unique partnership with the Sussex Wildlife Trust.  The report sought approval to create the partnership and included a document which set out the actions that would be taken over the next five years. Outcomes from the programme would be regularly reviewed to ensure delivery, with associated adjustments to the budget. The Sussex Wildlife Trust were also contributing funding to the partnership. The report also proposed establishing two funding pots in 2020/21. One to provide implementation funding for Parish Councils and communities wishing to undertake projects that complement the partnership and one to plant trees on Council owned land to replace those that were felled due to disease and pests. These would require ongoing funding but would be regularly reviewed.

 

RESOLVED

 

That the budget for 2020/21 include a green reserve of £571,000 for the costs of the Wilder Horsham District programme.

 

 

 

 

              Horsham District Council’s Carbon Footprint

 

The Cabinet Member for Environment, Waste and Recycling reported that Horsham District Council was committed to tackling climate change and had a good track record on addressing environmental issues which it could build on. He provided an overview of the Council’s work to examine and reduce its own carbon footprint, as it moved toward a carbon neutral organisation. Once this footprint had been established, this would be followed up with a science based target and a practical and costed action plan as to how this could be achieved. The report and action plan would follow in early 2020. A seed funding pot of £40,000 per annum, commencing in the financial year 2020/21 financial year in order to support community groups and Parish Councils who wanted to implement projects that addressed climate change.  ...  view the full minutes text for item CO/53

CO/54

Recommendations from Committees pdf icon PDF 47 KB

To receive the recommendation of the Governance Committee and, if approved, to adopt the recommendations contained therein. Report available online at Governance Agenda

Minutes:

There were no recommendations from Committees.

CO/55

Reports of representatives

To receive reports from representatives on outside bodies

Minutes:

There were no reports from Representatives on Outside Bodies.

CO/56

Members' Questions on Notice

To receive questions from Members under Rules 4a.20(b)-25

Minutes:

No questions had been received.

CO/57

Urgent Business

To consider matters certified by the Chairman as urgent

Minutes:

There was no urgent business.