Agenda and minutes

Venue: Park Suite, Parkside, Chart Way, Horsham

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

Items
No. Item

CO/60

Minutes pdf icon PDF 63 KB

To approve as correct the minutes of the Meeting of the Council held on:

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The minutes of the meetings of the Ordinary Council and the Extraordinary Meeting of Council on the 11th December were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

CO/61

Declarations of Members' Interests

To receive any declarations of interest from Members

Minutes:

There were no declarations of interest.

CO/62

Announcements

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

Minutes:

The Cabinet Member for Planning and Development announced that the consultation document for the Horsham District Local Plan Regulation 18 would be published on the 17th February, and the public would be able to submit comment on the Local Plan for six weeks. There would be exhibitions across the District, and hard copies of the document would be available in all libraries.

 

The Cabinet Member for Local Economy and Parking reported that the Coast to Capital Local Enterprise Partnership had awarded £2m local growth funding toward the converged fibre connectivity project to increase digital infrastructure across West Sussex.  This supported a roll out of full fibre broadband. The council was part of the team, led by West Sussex County Council, that secured the funding.

 

The Cabinet Member for Community Matters and Wellbeing reported that new temporary accommodation had been built for residents who found themselves homeless. This was the third such scheme completed since late 2017, and demonstrated the council’s commitment to reducing and eventually eliminating the use of bed and breakfast accommodation for homeless households.  The latest development was made of 9 self-contained flats.

CO/63

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/64

Petitions

To receive a petition on plans to decommission the Drill Hall.

Minutes:

No petitions had been received.

CO/65

To note changes to the memberships of the ordinary Committees of the Council

To note the following changes to Committee membership:

 

Audit Committee:            Cllr Richard Landeryou in place of Paul Marshall.

Community &

Wellbeing PDAG:            Cllr James Wright in place of Cllr Ian Stannard

Licensing Committee:     Cllr James Wright place of Paul Marshall.

Overview & Scrutiny

Committee:                      Cllr Roger Noel in place of Cllr Lynn Lambert.

                                        Cllr James Wright in place of Cllr Richard Landeryou.

Minutes:

Changes to the membership of the Ordinary Committees of the Council were noted.

CO/66

Recommendations from Cabinet pdf icon PDF 85 KB

a)     Corporate Plan 2019/23

 

       To adopt the Corporate Plan;

 

b)     Budget 2020/21 and Medium Term Financial Strategy

 

To approve the recommendations from Cabinet

 

c)      Council Tax Reduction Scheme 2020/21

 

To approve the Council Tax Reduction Scheme

Minutes:

EX26     CORPORATE PLAN 2019-2023

 

The Leader reported that Horsham District had been recognised as one of the best places to live in the UK and that the Council intended to enhance that reputation.

 

The Corporate Plan provided a focus for the Council’s activities, and explained how it would prioritise resources and continue to deliver high quality, easily accessible and value for money services to the people living and working in the District over the next five years.

 

RESOLVED:

 

That the draft Corporate Plan be adopted.

 

Reasons for Recommendations

 

To ensure that Corporate Priorities for Council period are clear and form the basis of service plans, budget and activity across the Council.

 

 

EX/52    Budget 2020/21 and the Medium Term Financial Strategy

to 2023/24

 

The Leader stated that the report sets out details of the proposed 2020/21 revenue and capital budgets following the receipt of the provisional financial settlement from Government on 20 December 2019. The net budget requirement for 2020/21 at £11.2m was £0.77m higher than in 2019/20. This was largely due to the loss of £0.87m of recycling credits received from West Sussex County Council from 1 April 2020. The Council was able to set a budget that would generate a surplus. In the year, the Council would be delivering a £13.3m capital programme.

 

The report also reviewed the Medium Term Financial Strategy 2020-24 approved by Council in December 2019 in the light of any updated information. The outlooks remained uncertain due to limited detail available on Government’s proposed significant changes to the future of business rates and the Fair Funding Review.

 

The current projection was for the Council to have a budget surplus in 2020/21 and near-balanced budgets over the period of the Medium Term Financial Strategy. This was despite a continued reduction in Government funding although we anticipate any effect to be dampened over the period, rather than a step change in 2021. The near-balanced budgets were dependent on delivering a programme of digital transformation.

 

RESOLVED

 

That:

 

i)             The level of Council Tax for 2020/21 be increased from £149.53 by £2.99 (2.0%) to £152.52 at Band D.

(ii)        The net revenue budget set out in Appendix A for 2020/21 of £11.201m be approved.

(iii)       The Special Expenses of £309,500 set out in Appendix D and a Band D charge of £25.85 be agreed in respect of the unparished area for 2020/21. 

(iv)       The capital programme for 2020/21 set out in Appendix E be approved and that the indicative capital budgets in the programme for future years be noted.

(v)        The projected future near-balanced budgets on the revenue account in 2021/22 to 2023/24 be noted and the Medium Term Financial Strategy continue to be reviewed and refined to ensure that decisions be taken to deliver these balanced budgets in these three years.

(vi)       The Minimum Revenue Provision Statement set out in Appendix F be approved.

(vii)      The Capital Strategy and prudential indicators and limits for 2019/20 to 2022/23 set out in Appendix G be approved.

(viii)  ...  view the full minutes text for item CO/66

CO/67

Council Tax Resolution 2020/21 pdf icon PDF 110 KB

To approve the formal2020/21 Council Tax Resolution.

Minutes:

It was moved by Councillor Ray Dawe and seconded by Councillor Gordon Lindsay that the Council Tax resolution for 2020/21 be approved.

 

In accordance with the Local Authorities (Standing Orders) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2014, the voting in respect of the motion was recorded and was as follows:

 

FOR THE MOTION: Councillors: John Blackall, Toni Bradnum, Chris Brown, Karen Burgess, Jonathan Chowen, Philip Circus, Paul Clarke, Roy Cornell, Michael Croker, Ray Dawe, Billy Greening, Tony Hogben, Liz Kitchen, Lynn Lambert, Gordon Lindsay, Mike Morgan, Roger Noel, Bob Platt, Josh Potts, Stuart Ritchie, Kate Rowbottom, Jim Sanson, Diana van der Klugt, Claire Vickers and Tricia Youtan.

 

AGAINST: Councillors: Matthew Allen, Anthony Bevis, Christine Costin, Ruth Fletcher, Frances Haigh, John Milne, Godfrey Newman, Louise Potter, David Skipp and Belinda Walters

 

ABSENT: Councillors: Andrew Baldwin, Alan Britten, Peter Burgess, Leonard Crosbie, Brian Donnelly, Nigel Jupp, Tim Lloyd, Richard Landeryou, Colin Minto, Christian Mitchell, Ian Stannard and James Wright.

 

The motion was declared CARRIED and it was:

 

RESOLVED

 

1.         The Council Tax Base 2020/21 be noted

 

a.         for the whole Council area as63,029.0 (Item T in the formula in section 31B of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, as amended (the “Act”) and

 

b.         for dwellings in those parts of its area to which as Parish Precept or Special Expenses relates as shown below:

 

Parish

2020/21 tax base

Amberley

325.0

Ashington

1,146.8

Ashurst

148.3

Billingshurst

4,182.2

Bramber

414.7

Broadbridge Heath

2,263.4

Coldwaltham

471.8

Colgate

1,606.7

Cowfold

854.5

Henfield

2,729.5

Itchingfield

770.0

Lower Beeding

547.9

North Horsham

8,733.3

Nuthurst

1,067.8

Parham

124.8

Pulborough

2,524.4

Rudgwick

1,408.5

Rusper

907.1

Shermanbury

285.5

Shipley

638.6

Slinfold

921.4

                                                      

 

 

Parish

2020/21 tax base

Southwater

4,613.9

Steyning

2,586.7

Storrington & Sullington

3,314.8

Thakeham

1,031.7

Upper Beeding

1,452.0

Warnham

1,002.2

Washington

1,093.6

West Chiltington

2,194.2

West Grinstead

1,311.2

Wiston

107.8

Woodmancote

274.8

 

 

Horsham Town

11,973.8

 

Total

63,029

 

2.       That the Council Tax requirement for the Council’s own purposes for 2020/21 (excluding Special Expenses and Parish precepts) should be £152.52

 

3.       That the following amounts be calculated for the year 2020/21 in accordance with Sections 31 to 36 of the Act:

 

(a)     £92,757,151      being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the                    items set out in Section 31A(2) of the Act taking into account all precepts                      issued to it by Parish Councils.

(b)     £78,969,315      being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the                    items set out in Section 31A(3) of the Act.

(c)     £13,787,876      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 the Act as its Council Tax requirement for the year.                               (Item R in the formula in Section 31B of the Act).

d)      £218.75             being the amount at 3(c) above (Item R), all divided by Item T (1(a)                           above), calculated by the Council, in accordance with Section 31B of the                      Act, as the basic amount of its Council Tax for  ...  view the full minutes text for item CO/67

CO/68

Reports of representatives

To receive reports from representatives on outside bodies

Minutes:

Councillor Liz Kitchen, the Council’s representative on the Gatwick Airport Consultative Committee (GATCOM), updated Members on a number of current issues including the London Airspace Modernisation Programme (LAMP). Use of the emergency/standby runway, Gatwick railway station/Gatwick Express, and noise management.

CO/69

Calendar of Meetings 2020/21 pdf icon PDF 116 KB

To receive the report of the Chief Executive.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Chief Executive reported on the proposed programme of Council, Cabinet and Committee meetings, including standing Cabinet Member Policy Development Advisory Groups, for 2020/21. 

 

Members and officers had been consulted to ensure that the proposed programme met the requirements for reporting on statutory matters, such as the budget and final accounts, and comments received had been taken into account in the submitted calendar.

 

RESOLVED

 

That the calendar of meetings for 2020/21 be approved as submitted.

 

Reason

 

To fix a programme of Council meetings, in accordance with the Council’s Constitution, and to approve a calendar for Cabinet and Committee meetings, which enables the Council to transact its business in a timely and efficient manner.

CO/70

Members' Questions on Notice

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

Minutes:

No questions had been received.

CO/71

Urgent Business

To consider matters certified by the Chairman as urgent

Minutes:

There was no urgent business.