Agenda and minutes

Councillors Ashraf, McCarthy, Meeson and Slater submitted their apologies. Councillor Brain arrived late.

To approve the as a correct record the minutes of the previous Council meeting held on 4 February 2020.

The minutes of the Council meeting held on 4 February 2020 were presented.

RESOLVED

That the minutes of the Council meeting held on 4 February 2020 were approved as a correct record.

To receive declarations of interest from Members in accordance with the Code of Conduct (Members are directed to the guidance sheet attached)

Councillor Mackiewicz made a declaration of interest as a Director of AMPA Associates Ltd who provided contracts procured by Solihull Council.

To receive petitions from Members of the Council.

Councillor Hawkins submitted a petition on behalf of local residents which called on Solihull Council to reverse proposals to reduce opening hours at Dickens Heath Community Library.

To receive any announcements from the Mayor, Leader of the Council or Members of the Cabinet.

The Mayor announced that the Mayor’s Ball would take place on 14^th March with entertainment and food.

To answer questions asked by residents of the Borough under Standing Order 9 and to hear petitioners or deputations in accordance with Standing Order 12.

No questions or deputations were received.

To answer questions asked under Standing Order 8 by Councillors (30 Minutes)

Councillor Allen to Councillor Hawkins, Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Environment and Highways

“The A34 Stratford Road in Shirley has been identified in the Council’s Road Safety strategy because of the high collision history especially at the junction with Stanton Road. Despite concerns raised by local residents, businesses and councillors over a long period time, there is still no definitive timescale for the review to be undertaken. Can the cabinet member say why there is still no date and when he anticipates it will happen?”

The Cabinet Member responded with the following points:

·  At that junction, there had been two recordable accidents in the last five years. The A34 was looked into by road safety partnership, but the junction itself was not dangerous.

Councillor Allen questioned when actions from the road safety partnership would take place.

The Cabinet Member explained that the report from the partnership’s findings would be available at the next Environment and Highways Cabinet Decision session.

Councillor K Thomas to Cllr Hawkins Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Environment and Highways

“When it comes to inconsiderate and illegal parking please could you clarify who between Solihull MBC and the police is responsible for taking the lead on tackling these issues?

·  Double yellow lines

·  Across someone’s drive (drop kerb)

·  Across the pavement preventing wheelchairs or prams getting past

·  In a disabled space without a blue badge correctly displayed

·  On a junction or other unsafe location?”

The Cabinet Member responded by outlining that:

·  If an individual parked across double yellow lines or in a disabled space without a blue badge it would be the responsibility of the local authority to enforce.

·  If an individual parked across someone’s drive, across the pavement or on a junction or other unsafe location it would be the responsibility of the police to enforce.

Councillor K Thomas to Councillor Meeson Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Children, Education and Skills

“If I was 15 and living in Lyndon, where could I go to hang around with my mates in an evening?”

In Councillor Meeson’s absence, Councillor Rolf, Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Stronger and Safer Communities responded with the following points:

·  The Council encouraged young people to access safe spaces and get involved in activities within their local area. This approach was formalised through the Thriving Communities Programme. This involved:

o  Community development workers who worked to support organisations in each of the three localities

o  Maximised the use of library facilities

o  Developed an online tool called My Solihull to highlight activities within the borough

o  The Family Information Service provided an online family service directory

o  The Solihull Active website provided information on opportunities within Solihull

·  The long term aim of this would be to show all the activities within Solihull, which enabled people of any age to keep active, meet people and become an active member of their community.

Councillor Thomas asked whether there was anywhere within Lyndon that young people could hang out at informally.

Councillor Rolf explained that she was not aware of locations in  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

To deal with any Topic of Debate submitted.

No topic of debate was submitted.

To deal with any motion submitted.

No notice of motion was submitted.

(a)  To receive the recommendations of Cabinet and approve the Council Budget for 2020/2021, the Medium Term Financial Strategy and the Corporate Capital Strategy and the proposed approach to carbon reduction budgeting set out in:

(i) The Leaders Report to the Cabinet meeting on 13 February 2020

(pages 17-25)

(ii) The Cabinet minutes from 13 February 2020 (pages 27-29)

(iii) The Cabinet report from 13 February 2020 on the Budget and Medium Term Financial Strategy 2020/21 – 2022/23  (pages 31-143)

(b) To calculate the sums required for the purposes of sections 31A, 31B and

34-36 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 and to set the Council Tax for 2020/21 in accordance with section 30 of the same Act. (pages 145-149)

A named vote will be held in relation to (a) and (b) above and on any proposed amendments.

The Leader presented the Council budget for 2020/21, the Medium Term Financial Strategy and the Corporate Capital Strategy 2020/21-2022/23.

The Leader moved the following recommendation under 1o (a):

That Full Council be recommended to:

(i)  approve a budget for 2020/21 of £159.077 million, including the forecast balances on the budget strategy reserve set out in paragraph 3.8 of the Leaders report;

(ii)  approve the Medium Term Financial Strategy 2020/21 – 2022/23, as updated by the Leaders report, and the Corporate Capital Strategy, incorporating the Council’s strategy on the flexible use of capital receipts;

(iii) approve the fees and charges proposed within each portfolio (Appendix F of the report of the Director of Resources and Deputy Chief Executive (agenda item 9)) for including the amendment outlined at paragraph 3.3 of the Leaders report and shown at Appendix C to the Leaders report;

(iv)approve the proposed approach to carbon reduction budgeting, as outlined at paragraph 3.38 and detailed in the report to the Budget Strategy Group attached at Appendix G of the report of the Director of Resources and Deputy Chief Executive (agenda item 9);

(v)  approve an increase in the level of the general council tax in 2020/21 of 1.90%;

(vi) approve an increase in council tax for adult social care in 2020/21 of 2.00%; and

(vii)approve Solihull’s element of the council tax in 2020/21 is £1,411.00 (£1,285.53 for general council tax and £125.47 for adult social care).

There then followed a sequence of amendments which were proposed as follows:

Climate Emergency Measures (Amendment one)

Councillor Allen proposed the following amendment which was seconded by Councillor Burn.

Costs

A) We will run a project to bring Solihull residents, businesses, land owners and other organisations together through an ambitious programme with a target of planting one native tree for every resident in Solihull Borough Council’s area. This will require employing one FTE (£48,000 p.a.).

B) We will set up an internal taskforce to look at how the Council can help the rest of Solihull to reduce their emissions. This will require employing one FTE (£48,000 p.a.).

C) Solihull Council will become the first Council to be certified as a Silver Carbon Literate Organisation, seeing a substantial number of our staff (particularly those who are decision-makers or who can act as influencers and change agents externally) trained in our own Carbon Literacy Course (£6,500 in year 1, then £2,000 in years 2 and 3).

Funding

Council pledges in principle to generate savings by making changes to the members’ allowance scheme to reduce payments to scrutiny and governance chairs and to reduce the cabinet composition by one member (saving £35,000 p.a). These are decisions which would need to be made at a future Council meeting, but in the interests of legality and compliant accounting, they will be nominally funded from the budget strategy reserve for the purposes of this budget in the interim.

Additional savings are also proposed in reducing the postage and printing budgets for sending papers to Councillors and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 10.

The Chief Executive to report on any urgent matters.

The Deputy Chief Executive stated there were no urgent matters.

To answer any remaining questions not dealt with under item 8.

There were no remaining questions.