BOROUGH of POOLE COUNCIL 26 February 2013

BOROUGH OF POOLE – COUNCIL – 26 February 2013

BOROUGH OF POOLE

COUNCIL

26 FEBRUARY 2013

The Meeting commenced at 7:00pm and concluded at 10:15pm

Present:

Councillor Mrs Evans (Mayor) Councillor Wilson (Deputy Mayor) Councillor Eades (Sheriff) Councillors Adams, Ms Atkinson, Brooke, Brown, Burden, Mrs Butt, Miss Carpenter, Chandler, Mrs Clements, Clements, Mrs Cox, Mrs Dion, Godfrey, Goodall, Mrs Haines, Mrs Hodges, Howell, Mrs Le Poidevin, Maiden, Matthews, Meachin, Mrs Moore, Parker, Mrs Parkinson, Pawlowski, Potter, Rampton, Mrs Rampton, Mrs Slade, Sorton, Mrs Stribley, Mrs Thomas, Trent, Mrs Walton, White, Wilkins, Miss Wilson, Mrs C Wilson and Woodcock

Members of the public present: approximately 18

C153.13 PRAYERS

Prayers were said.

C154.13 APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

There were no apologies for absence.

C155.13 MINUTES

RESOLVED that the Minutes of the last meeting of the Council, held on the 18 December 2012, having been previously circulated, be taken as read and confirmed and signed by the Mayor as a correct record

C156.13 DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

Members noted that the Chief Executive and the Head of Legal and Democratic Services had exercised their delegated powers under the Revised Code of Conduct and had granted dispensation to Councillors residing in the Borough to speak and vote on the setting of Council Tax, also to Councillors who lived in rented accommodation or were tenants or Directors of Poole Housing Partnership Ltd (PHP). There was no longer a requirement for such Members to make a declaration of interest or vacate the Chamber during voting and discussion on matters relating to PHP.

1 BOROUGH OF POOLE – COUNCIL – 26 February 2013

Other non statutory Interests which Members wished to be recorded

Councillor Eades declared an interest in Agenda item No. 6(a), Presentation of Petition from a Member of the Public relating to North Road Traffic Proposals, as his wife was a signatory to the Petition.

C157.13 MAYOR’S COMMUNICATIONS

The Mayor referred Members to the list (tabled at the Meeting) of the engagements she had attended since the last meeting of the Council.

C158.13 PRESENTATION OF PETITIONS

(a) From Members of the Public

Tracy Pallatt, Chair of Viewpoint Residents’ Association, presented a Petition, signed by over 100 residents of the Borough seeking the Council’s support regarding proposed transportation changes to North Road.

The Mayor invited Mrs Pallatt to address the Meeting which she did in the following terms:

“It was nothing short of a travesty that the Transportation Advisory Group (TAG) passed these motions last month. I appreciate the Chair has a casting vote but there is overwhelming evidence that residents and Best Practice guidelines view this action as unsound.

2 Councillors voted for the Motions, 2 against, 3 abstained. Even allowing for the double vote of the Chair there was still a hiatus. The majority abstained. Convention and best practice deem that the Chair should have refrained from voting again in order that the issue was deferred and discussed further.

We visited all homes in North Road and obtained 136 signatures. Only 5 people did not want to sign and of those only 2 were definite ‘nos’ – others wanted to check plans etc.

This is a majority of over 96%.

We are told that these changes are for the greater good – yet we are the majority, we are the residents affected, we are also the people who the Council are supposed to represent.

On petitioning residents I was reminded of those old jokes ‘how many of a (politically correct) certain person does it take to change a light bulb’. Those jokes were funny at the time, but ask yourself ‘how many Councillors out of 7 does it take to pass a motion?’ – when the answer is 2 this is no joke. It is no joke that the majority of Councillors and the residents were ignored, it is no joke that the casting cote was used in this unethical manner, and it is no joke that non-existent issues will be

addressed when real issues are simply made worse – in point of fact it is no joke at all.

We urge that these decisions are reversed and the issue of speed is addressed not exacerbated”.

The Mayor thanked Mrs Pallatt for her Presentation.

RESOLVED that the Petition be referred to the Overview and Scrutiny Board on 27 February 2013, for onward transmission to the relevant Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

(b) From Members

No Petitions were received.

C159.13 QUESTIONS FROM MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC

There were no questions from members of the public.

C160.13 HOUSING REVENUE ACCOUNT (HRA) RENT SETTING AND BUDGET 2013/14: REPORT OF THE PORTFOLIO HOLDER FOR SOCIAL CARE AND HOUSING

The Portfolio Holder, Councillor Adams, introduced his Report and the recommendations, which were seconded.

The Portfolio Holder explained the Housing Revenue Account funding formula and, in particular, the fact that 716 properties would be at Formula Rent level by 2013/14 and that by 2015/16 virtually all properties would be at the target rent and from then onwards rent increases would be at Retail Price Index (RPI) plus half a percent. He added that he was pleased to announce that garage rentals for tenants would increase by just the RPI of 2.6% without the additional half a percent and that Supporting People Charges and Guest Bedroom Charges would remain unchanged.

It was Moved, Seconded, and

RESOLVED that Council:

(i) approve the average increase in dwelling rents in 2013/14 will be 4.1% (i.e. September Retail Price Index (RPI) of 2.6% + 0.5% + up to £2) and that individual properties will move towards their formula rent as required by the continuing adoption of the Government’s rent restructuring policy as below at 5.0 and detailed in Appendix A to the Report.

(ii) approve an increase in garage charges for tenants by September Retail Price Index (RPI) of 2.6% as detailed at Appendix B1 to the Report.

(iii) approve that Sheltered Housing Service charges increase by £0.31 or 5% as detailed below at 6.3 and Appendix B1 to the Report.

(iv) approve that Supporting People charges and Guest Bedroom charges for 2013/14 remain at 2012/13 levels (Appendix B1 to the Report).

(v) that the majority of communal heating/lighting charges remaining at 2012/13 levels (Appendix B2) to the Report.

(vi) The increase by 1% of the Poole Housing Partnership (PHP) Management and Maintenance Fee (Section 7 to the Report).

(vii) approve the proposed Housing Capital Programme (as shown in Appendix D to the Report).

C161.13 POOLE HOUSING PARTNERSHIP (PHP) ANNUAL DELIVERY PLAN 2013: REPORT OF THE PORTFOLIO HOLDER FOR SOCIAL CARE AND HOUSING

Councillor Adams, Portfolio Holder introduced his Report and recommendation which was duly seconded.

The Portfolio Holder drew Members’ attention to the proposals within the Delivery Plan, including:

 Sterte Court would undergo major works to refurbish both the interior and exterior  A potential new build of Council Houses would begin shortly  A greater allocation for bad debt had been made due to the changes in the Benefits Payments System.

In response to a question from a Member, the Portfolio Holder assured Council that further appropriate consultation would take place with the local residents regarding any potential new build of Council homes.

The Portfolio Holder noted and amended the typographical errors regarding the date in his Report.

It was Moved, Seconded and

RESOLVED that Council approve the Poole Housing Partnership Ltd Annual Delivery Plan for 2013/14.

C162.13 MEDIUM TERM FINANCIAL PLAN (MTFP) 2013-2014 / 2015-2016 (INCLUDING BUDGET AND COUNCIL TAX 2013-14: REPORT OF THE LEADER OF THE COUNCIL AND CHAIRMAN OF CABINET

RESOLVED that the Council Procedure Rule 14.4 be suspended to allow the Leader of the Council and one representative from the Liberal Democrat Group and one from Poole People Party to speak on this item for longer than the five minutes allocated in the Constitution.

The Chief Executive explained that the Budget speeches would be made by each Group prior to any debate.

The Mayor invited Councillor Ms Atkinson, Leader, to address the Meeting, which she did in the following terms:

Councillor Ms Atkinson, Leader of the Council, Budget Speech

The recommendations in Councillor Ms Atkinson’s speech were Moved and Seconded.

“ Good evening Madam Mayor, Councillors, Officers and Members of the Public, Welcome to this meeting where the Council must set its balanced budget for the forthcoming year.

In the Chamber tonight there are 42 elected Members, elected to represent not only those residents who voted for them but to represent all the residents of Poole. We have this evening to not only set a budget that will be balanced for the next year, but a budget that will have the foresight to anticipate future financial and service pressures at this time of national austerity and diminishing resource. And set out how it proposes to not only balance the books for 2013/14 but how it will address the issues it knows Poole will face in 2014/15; 15/16 and beyond.

But before we look forward I’d like to reflect back on the last 12 months.

This time last year was the week of the first opening of our Iconic Twin Sails Bridge. Tens of thousands of residents from Poole and beyond attended the Community Weekend. The first of many proud moments associated with handing the bridge over to the residents of Poole by the Mayor of the day, our now Deputy Mayor Cllr. Graham Wilson. A proud Poole man born and bred. The dream to replicate the opening of the old lifting bridge in 1927 - with Cllr. Lindsay Wilsons beautiful dog as his companion leading from the front. Funded by the local office of JP Morgan, BSO Composer Paul Rissman worked with children from several Poole schools to create the “Twin Sails Overture” which was performed live, on the official opening night in March, by the BSO, with children from Branksome Heath Middle School singing the lyrics they had written charting the historical character of Poole. There may have been glitches with the operation of our Iconic, world class bridge because of it’s unique and trailblazing design but it has successfully started to alleviate traffic flow issues in our town centre and opened up excitement and interest in Poole globally.

The last words in my budget presentation in 2012 were Poole is Open for Business. And my goodness we’ve shown that we are.

We are using our role as the planning authority in a responsible way to help businesses create jobs for local people – for example we are consulting on an LDO which could reinvigorate the High Street, we have completed the LDF which gives clarity and certainty to investors looking to create jobs, and through Councillor White we have moved on in leaps and bounds with our consultation with developers and residents.

Although the development market is flat it is encouraging to see a return of some investor confidence here in Poole – for example developers are committed to deliver Phase 1 of the Pilkington site this year and we are in detailed negotiations with other landowners around the regeneration area. I am excited at the prospect of new owners of the Dolphin Centre who I believe want to invest more in Poole.

We are currently engaged in a refresh of the Masterplan which includes Town Centre North. This will enable us to have a framework that will deliver the aspirations of this administration and this town. That includes improving the retail offer and freeing up bureaucracy for the High Street, thereby enabling new vitality. We also hope to realise our long held ambition of closing Kingland Road to traffic, delivering a new and exciting public realm. I know that is the ambition of many councillors here tonight.

The Local Enterprise Partnership- the LEP- was launched in May and there is a strong bond between the public and private sector partners. The LEP is prioritising work which will have a real benefit for Poole residents – I am talking about projects to provide more opportunities for new jobs in the creative industries and care sectors, both drawing on the excellence in our two universities. I am especially proud that our LEP is the only one in the country to see the importance of the Care sector as an area of economic growth and that I am the LEP champion for the sector. The LEP is also championing the roll out of superfast broadband in Dorset, helping to unblock infrastructure issues through the Growing Places Fund and to improve travel across the conurbation through various transportation bids and funds including the Three Towns Travel project AND for the residents of Hamworthy it seems the LEP has enabled the long awaited Hamworthy footbridge to be deliverable.

Our engagement with Dorset Chamber of Commerce saw me, as Leader of Poole Council, address trade delegations from Turkey and Cambodia and attend meetings with national and international bankers and business advisers organised by them. Poole’s own Chamber was re-launched in a fanfare last June - under the leadership of the young and energetic Lucy Cooper – 115 members to date I understand and exploring innovative ways to support new business start ups.

The State of the Area debate in December saw many Poole businesses come to join us in this annual event. Neil MacInroy, Chief Executive of the Centre for Local Economics and named “One of the UK’s leading Economic drivers in 2011” was our keynote speaker. After a short trip around Poole and studying our key data Neil said what a great place Poole is to "do business" He said that we should continue to develop an entrepreneurial culture and be porous

to business interests. We need to be open for business and to do that we need policies that look forward with confidence and not ones which do nothing more than provide temporary relief. We need to invest to keep Poole as a sustainable town with good jobs for local people - I think the amendment I shall propose at the end will support this.

Only last Friday I visited a Poole fashion wear distribution company, moved to Poole from London, distributing high fashion footwear and clothing and about to launch an amazing clothing range BRAKEBURN, aimed at the youth market. The range is designed in Poole, by designers who have studied at Poole’s Bournemouth University. The company now employs 35 people and demonstrating confidence in the Company and Poole HSBC have just extended them financing for expansion to the value of £1.6million. The managing director of the business wrote to me:

“ Poole is a great place for my businesses which draws on talents from colleges and universities in the area, a strong pool of skilled labour and access to a wide range of services”. He added that “Poole is a great place for people to work and live as it offers so much in the way of a great lifestyle with its beaches, harbour, beautiful surroundings and outdoor activities – the inspiration for our Brakeburn brand.” He also told me that other fashion brands have or are planning to relocate to our go ahead Poole.

In the first half of 2012 we saw our highest ever number of business creations and supported by our business survival rates this bodes well for the future for these fledgling companies.

We have created a business support environment across Poole with free business start up courses.

We have seen the 4th highest rise in England for self employed workers 9,800 registered self employed workers in Feb 13. This has not been to the detriment of employed workers and overall our unemployment number has reduced by 21% in the last 3 months. We also have low Job Seeker Allowance claimants of 1.8% and average turnover from claiming benefit to returning to work is under 9 weeks. There are 275 job seekers who have been claiming benefit for over 12 months and of individuals working with our Family Champions, through the complex family’s investment, we have seen just under 30% enter employment that has been sustained for at least 13 weeks.

Our employability programme is helping over 500 local kids improve their chances of employment after education. These schemes are supported by over 50 local businesses who give up their time for free.

This will be the 10th year that Poole’s has delivered services within a balanced budget with no over-spend. We have an excellent track record of being perceptive and reactive to change both in year and in our business planning and forecasting. Financial planning and modelling of future pressures and settlements have been accurate to within single figure percentages.

In 2010/11, we budgeted to save £4m in the year and with the election of the coalition government, in-year budget pressures in Adult Social care and the introduction of austerity we removed a further £ 6m in 2010/11, cut 250 posts and started our major organisational and management restructure.

In 2011/12, we built into the budget and MTFP £15m savings and achieved them. We were even able to set aside a sum of just over £1m to support future MTFP’ s and introduce investments, agreed cross party, to support our communities and help people achieve their potential.

In 2012/13, we budgeted to save a further £7m in the year – and we are set to achieve this. Don’t be misled however by the current predicted under spend in adult social care – challenges of who should bear the costs of service for some very vulnerable people are still in challenge mode with other authorities and the NHS. In recommending this budget tonight we have built in further savings of £10m.

Compared to the £98m net budget of the Council for 2010/11 (the year austerity was introduced) the Council has had to deliver savings and efficiencies of £32m to cover the ongoing cuts in Government funding and service growth and pressures. Put another way the Council has had to make savings equivalent to one-third of our 2010/11 net budget.

None of this has been achieved without the sound strategic thinking and professional advice and guidance of our Chief Executive John McBride and his team, service unit heads and officers at all levels in the council. I give special thanks to them all.

I must pay tribute to all the councils paid employees, and indeed volunteers working with us, for continuing to “do the day job”, at a time when they and their colleagues faced the risk of redundancy, a shifting work environment, significantly changing service delivery, mergers of service units, new and unknown managers delivering front line services with “no detriment “to our customers.

I would particularly like to thank them, on behalf of the whole council, for accepting pay freezes since 2010/11 and for agreeing to freeze their annual increments in 2012/13 - a significant part of public sector pay schemes.

It is also proper that I express special thanks to Andrew Flockhart and the Trades Unions representing our employees for their continued work and goodwill in supporting the council and its employees at these times of continued significant change within the organisation. I wish I could promise that this is the end – but I cannot.

Some familiar faces have also left us in the past year either through retirement or restructure. I thank them all for their contributions and legacies to Borough of Poole.

Poole is a diverse and complex economy. It is a beautiful place to live, work and play. It is ambitious and entrepreneurial a fantastic place to start or locate a business, to bring up a family or to retire to.

We have an above average elderly population – more than 1 in 5 people in Poole are over 65 – and this is rising year on year. This is over 20% above the England average and 15% more than our neighbours in Bournemouth.

Over 75% of Poole’s residents receiving care currently fund it themselves yet we spend more than 50% of our net budget on social care for adults and children. (slightly more than neighbouring Bournemouth). What are we to do post 2017 when all our older people will be expecting to access care, via the local authority, up to their £ 75k cap.

In the first ¾ of 2012/13 our social care team carried out Fair Access to Care Assessments for just under 3.500 people. Everyone is entitled to a FREE assessment whether they receive a service funded by the Borough or not.

For adults meeting the Borough’s eligibility and financial criteria, in the first ¾ of 2012/13 The Borough funded:

 554 residential or nursing home places;  33 Supported living placements  1.342 sessions a week of day care  970 hours of supported activities through COAST  12,438 hours a week of home care

This excludes all places bought privately or with a Direct payment for local services.

We have a rising birth rate, now more than 1 in 5 Poole residents are between 0 and 19.

So far this year we’ve had:

 425 referrals to children’s social care – 1st half year  277 child protection conference in 1st ¾ of 2012/13  We currently have 156 looked after children  And are supporting 89 families in our families with futures programme  Our educational outcomes are Good and improving 80.4 % achieving 5+A*-C grades at GCSE; 58.8% including English and maths.

The Children’s Services Capital Strategy 2012-2016 identifies the need for £15m for additional school places in the Primary phase over the period 2013- 2016. 6 forms of entry will be added in reception year in 2013-14 and 8 forms of entry will be added in Year 3 in 2013-15.

The financial implications of meeting the future need for school places are significant and go beyond the current MTFP period and will remain a pressure in the long term up to 2021 at least. There will be £multi-million cost pressures

to be dealt with in the schools arena from 2016 to 2021 and it is important that the Council begins to make provision for these costs now.

Remember we may no longer be running schools as they become Academies but the statutory duty to ensure there are adequate quality school places remains with us.

We have record numbers of referrals to children’s’ social care, children in need, child protection cases, and looked after children but we are seeing some successes with supporting families with complex needs through family champions and social care.

How do we address these known pressures on our current and future budgets? Do we batten down the hatches and stare into the financial abyss that is the future or do we show Leadership, invest in and promote growth in Poole’s local economy to maintain a dynamic balanced economy to finance these pressures locally and retain as many of our young people as we can as local graduates and apprentices – with quality job options and skills?

So why do we recommend declining the 1% council tax freeze grant on offer with so many Poole residents in need?

In my 2012/13 Budget Speech I said:

The one off grant, equivalent to 2.5% tax increase, is a too good to miss offer, even though inflation is running at around 5%. To refuse it would put unnecessary additional burden on the already hard pressed household budgets of our residents. Taking the grant however will cause problems for future years when, as a consequence, we will have increased by almost £2 million the shortfall to be found in 2013/14 and beyond – but we owe it to the people of Poole to take the opportunity to keep the tax steady this year”

Increasing our Council tax by 1.95% will still leave ALL Poole residents paying less than those in equal banded properties in Bournemouth.

We are again disappointed with the settlement we have received from government. In the new localisation of business rates scheme we were promised that some of Poole’s financial inequalities would be addressed, such as the pressures around an ageing population. We are even more disappointed that we will get to keep only 25 pence in every additional pound raised in business rates through growth. Bournemouth will get to keep 42 pence in every pound – a reasonable sum to enable fair national redistribution – why not the same for Poole? After all we will have equal responsibility for liability of failed businesses not paying business rates. Poole Council Tax payers will be responsible for 50% of all failure, up to the value of £1.1 million a year. We’ve had to create an additional £1million reserve to cover the risk of this in 2013/14.

Why so many differences between Bournemouth and Poole? I’m not suggesting that Bournemouth are excessively or generously funded but that

by comparison Poole residents are not getting a fair deal. I’ve sent an invitation to Mr Pickles to travel by train to see us and identify the dividing line between Bournemouth and Poole. I know some other members do not agree that the disparity between the two is unfair to Poole residents but it is a fact that Bournemouth receive £226 or 40% more in government funding per dwelling than Poole - is that really fair?

Look at the attached comparison sheet below, at reserves. With Bournemouth’s level of Government funding and higher levels of council tax over the years we too could have built healthier reserves and be able to accept the governments 1% council tax freeze grant and absorb the raise in police and fire precepts and invest generously in future proofing Poole.

Welfare reform is a Coalition policy about making every household, with people of working age, economically active and financially responsible, contributing to the local economy and meeting some obligation to national austerity. No one able to work should be better off on welfare benefit than in work and welfare reform is making welfare available only up to a households assessed need.

As a local authority we are expected to deliver Council Tax benefit reform. Throughout last year the Welfare Reform Working party, a cross party group of Members looked at the anticipated legislation and worked with our amazing officers and other authorities across Dorset to develop a scheme that we felt was as fair as practicable and affordable as could be achieved. All we knew was that Councils would be given their spend on council tax benefit for 2012/13 - less 10%. Everyone beyond working age was exempt and we were encouraged to give due regard to “The most Vulnerable”. Reforms around Council Tax were to allow councils to collect additional income in relation to second homes, empty properties, etc and the Working Party devised a scheme that would hypothecate all additional income raised from second home owners paying 100% council tax liability rather than the current 90%. All other monies raised from changes in council tax collection were to go to the general fund to support the MTFP. Colleagues from the Working Party, thank you – it’s one of the hardest jobs we’ve ever had to do.

The scheme recommended by the Working Party, was that the 39% of current Poole council tax benefit claimants in Poole would have to cover the whole of the 10% reduction. They would have to pay the first 20% of their council tax liability, but following representations to government about the unfairness of the scheme on claimants such as single parents with children under 5, people training for jobs or people working and claiming council tax benefit as a top up to a low income, the government offered councils a one off grant if they committed to making no one pay more than 8.5% of their liability.

Borough of Poole accepted this grant, even though it would have a cost of almost £1/4 million. It is now vital that before the contribution goes up next year we do all we can, with partners to help current claimants’ access work, improve skills, qualifications and income.

We have instructed officers to create an exceptional hardship fund for those households where this small contribution causes significant hardship.

My budget proposals and amendment is asking Poole Households, paying full Council Tax to pay an additional .41 pence to £1.23 pence per week in council tax. This gives us clarity and will enable us to start to address future needs and demands and increases our starting point and base line for future years.

Despite the current financial situation locally, nationally and globally we must, as elected members, all show strong leadership and show the residents, partners, and potential investors in Poole that we are prepared to have vision and invest, with them, into the future

So how are we to address the minimum shortfall of £ 13 – 16 m over the period of the MTFP – depending on which amendment is accepted tonight? Is it to grow our economy to future proof the town against its known challenges? Will those of us in the chamber not yet 65 all have the personal financial resilience to care for ourselves or will we be dependant on the services available following the decisions our towns elected representatives make today? Again I say do we batten down the hatches, cover our eyes and wait for it to go away or get better and stare into the financial abyss or do we step forward to grasp the nettle?

This year we have to start to repay the bridge loan – Is it in Poole’s interests to have the right talent in the Chief Executive’s Strategic Team to persuade investors into our regeneration areas, is it in Poole’s interests to have a strategic officer ensuring no detriment to our children as we deliver the long awaited change in age of transfer for us, or is it in Poole’s interests to have the resource to buy in strategic expertise to advise us on whether we should seek to merge health and social care services; before the 2017 care cap catastrophe hits Poole? or is it in Poole’s best interests to review all strategic services to see if they could be delivered better and more economically with neighbours, partners and others, or should we use the resource to support the MTFP set aside last year to reduce households liability to council tax by as little as 41 pence per week. Almost 38.000 of our 65.000 households would be asked to pay less than an additional 55 pence per week.

I have today bought a Euro Lottery ticket, as I always do to celebrate a family birthday, if my ticket hits the Jackpot I’ll give a Million to the Council – but it won’t be enough to fill any of the gaps. Our former S151 officer introduced the work “Prescient” to me. It means perceiving the significance of events before they occur;

I perceive us running out of money by 2015/16 – unable to provide those services we currently see as essential; I perceive us having insufficient places for our toddlers to go to school; I perceive a petition from residents of Poole and Bournemouth calling for a referendum on the merger of Poole and Bournemouth to create a city like Brighton and Hove or government forcing a merger because we have shown ourselves to not be financially viable It is an absolute certainty that on our current formula settlement, projections of increasing demand, impact of any freeze grants taken since 2011 and

emerging legislation Poole WILL BE bankrupt, or else there will be massive cuts to front line services.

Fellow elected members tonight is not about following party political Dogma, fighting the Eastleigh by election through Poole for a Party mention on South today tomorrow, or indeed fighting the 2015 general election – I am being parochial, focussing on Poole and not following my national party’s preferences. Poole is unfairly funded, Poole residents are suffering as a consequence. Our years of lobbying have fallen on deaf ears - we are not Pickles Pets on this side. Tonight I ask that we all show Leadership to those who elected us and commit to starting to future proof our town, show new and growing business and investors that we are there to do business with, show confidence in our strategic officers and allow them the necessary resource to explore and recommend different ways of working to deliver those vital services and those dear to our hearts.

I present the following Conservative Amendment for consideration:

Budget Proposal 2013/14 – Amendment

Recommend to Council the budget as set out in the Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP) 2013/14 to 2015/16 report to Council including the Budget and Council Tax for 2013/14 with the following amendments;

£0.5m one-off additional investment in growth for Poole

The proposal is to utilise £500k of the specific earmarked reserve held to support the MTFP between 2013/14 to 2015/16 as an investment in growth within Poole. The investment will be made in such initiatives as those detailed below provided that they are match funded with resources from other partner organisations;

£100k New Business Start Up’s Supporting New Business start ups In Poole utilising empty retail units other small business units focussing on opportunities around creative and maritime industries – partnered by the Universities and others.

£100k Apprenticeship Scheme - Further support the national apprenticeship scheme across the Borough and explore access to Apprenticeship schemes for adults – in partnership with the College and other providers

£25k Community Arts Weekend Following a presentation on the revitalisation of the centre of Melbourne Australia with performance and other arts events, and seeing the event on Poole Quay “Mobile Homme” presented by French company Transe Express This event won the Award for Promotion of the Year at the Poole Tourism Awards Ceremony in October. It is time to Rejuvenate the Quay

area by supporting this years Community Arts Weekend with the intention of hosting a Free arts festival on the 2014 August Bank Holiday. When Transe Express return. Matched funding will be sought from the community, town centre, tourism partners and arts related organisations.

£50k Coastal Credit Union Additional support to the £150k loan previously awarded. Support in kind exploiting a window in our cashier’s office in revenues and benefits. Matched by a £50k allocation from the Poole Local Strategic Partnership NB Not to be funded until the FSA give a clean bill of health.

£50k Supporting Employment Working with Troubled Families to assist them in getting closer to employment - with the support of the Department for Works and Pensions and Job Centre Plus.

£50k Capitalise on learning from Bourne Estate Transfer learning from the Bourne Valley pilot to Hamworthy. The work we have been supporting on the Bourne Estate over a number of years has resulted in a £1m lottery windfall and a Big Society Award to the Bourne Valley Action Group.

Potentially supported by a resource allocation from the Local Strategic Partnership.

£50k Help low paid/low qualified people to up skill Assist people having to “Top up” income with benefits to up- skill, improve qualifications, earn more and become more employable . Working with Dorset Adult Learning Service, DWP and Job Centre plus.

£10k Cycle Racks Additional facilities in Town Centre locations including the Bus and Train Stations. To support Green Travel Plans – Matched funding to be sought.

£43k Bid Writer/ Fundraiser Officer Working as part of the Economic Development Team, a 1-year post to support bids and maximise inward investment into the Borough particularly from European and Lottery sources which require no match funding from the Council - Will pay for itself in year

£ 22k Available for other economically driven schemes that can provide matched funding.

£500k Total

Consequences of using these resources:

The MTFP and 2013/14 Budget report recommended the use of this £1.012m specific earmarked reserve evenly between 2014/15 and 2015/16 to provide more time for the delivery of some of the predicted cuts to services that will have to be implemented in balancing the budget in each of those years. Utilising these resources early will limit the mitigation that can be offered in each of those years although it is anticipated that some of the above investments may deliver additional resources for the Council or reduced service pressure which in their own right will offer a form of mitigation.

Key Differentials with neighbouring Authority Bournemouth ALL Poole Bournemouth England

Government core funding per h’hold £ 566.10 £ 792.22 £ 1.124.32 % of all England average £ 1.124.32 50.35% 70.46%

Position in funding scale 54 Unitaries 51 st 37 th

Band D Council Tax 2013/14 £ 1.482.03 £ 1.498.68

Population over 65 21 % 17.9% 16.4%

Reserves Excludes school and HRA balances

Unearmarked (2013/14 proposed) £ 5.75 m £ 20.61m Earmarked (2013/14 proposed) £ 15.22m £ 43.86m Capital Reserve (2013/14 proposed) £ 12.62m £ 31.79m

% of council tax benefit payable to 8.5% 20% Claimants of full council tax. ( excludes all claimants beyond working age and the most vulnerable in receipt of higher level disability benefits)

Weeks in unemployment before 8.3 10.3 re-employment

The Mayor thanked Councillor Ms Atkinson for her Speech and then invited Councillor Brown, the Liberal Democrat Spokesperson, to address the Meeting, which he did in the following terms:

Councillor Brown, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson: Budget Speech

The recommendations within Councillor Brown’s Speech were Moved and Seconded.

Liberal Democrat response to the Budget for 2013/14 - Tuesday 26 February 2012

“Madam Mayor, Members, Officers and Residents, 15 BOROUGH OF POOLE – COUNCIL – 26 February 2013

I am grateful for this opportunity to deliver the Liberal Democrats' response to this year's Conservative budget, and in doing so, to set out some of the key principles which have informed our proposals.

But first, I would like to commend the work of the Acting Head of Financial Services and his staff for the way in which they have managed the Council's finances and continue to work to make Local Authority finances understandable for Members, as well as the support they have given to our Group in developing alternative budget proposals.

Local Authority finances can be so complex and opaque, that we are fortunate to have many good and experienced finance officers, as you need a degree in Finance or Accountancy to be able to make sense of them. Fortunately, some members of our group also have such qualifications!

There can be no doubt that this is an extremely difficult and testing time for the Council. So on behalf of my Group I would like to extend sincere thanks to all staff for their continuing commitment to the Authority, for the way in which they have worked to find ever more efficiency savings and yet still deliver good services for local residents.

I don't need to remind Members of the economic background and the changes in government funding and policies which surround the budget decisions we are about to make as these are well described in our papers.

Clearly there continue to be significant issues which the Borough faces as a result of a number of changes in both demographics and the economy and it is important the Council has a comprehensive set of strategies in place to deal with these issues. Last year, I spoke about the strategies which the Council needed to get right to underpin our future financial position, specifically the Car Park Pricing Strategy, Capital Asset Management Strategy and ICT Strategy. While we note that there has been some progress in these areas, it is not enough, and it is not happening quickly enough, which is placing the future financial position of this authority under threat.

In previous years, even against the backdrop of cuts in Government funding, we have still had some limited scope to identify priority areas for additional funding or to allocate one off funding to particular projects.

However, we believe that this year, in light of the ongoing reductions in central government funding and other pressures on service provision, which are likely to continue for more years than initially anticipated, it is not prudent to identify additional new areas of expenditure.

We have four priorities for our budget proposals:

1. To continue to deliver good services to the people of Poole, without tangible or noticeable reductions in front line service provision. This Council has been successful over the years at delivering high quality services and this must remain a priority for the future.

2. To plan for the longer lasting environment of financial austerity and reducing central government funding, but with greater freedom for us to manage our own financial destiny. This will include continuing to find more efficient ways to operate our organisation and provide the services expected by the public, but we also need to actively seek out opportunities to generate new sources of income for the Council, and not by simply increasing fees and charges. We need to optimise all of the assets at the Council’s disposal, financial assets, property assets and our people, to be able to cope with the future financial challenges and even prosper.

3. To have imaginative ambitions for the future of our town after this time of recession. The future of this town and this Council is not only about coping with the economic downturn, but we need to think imaginatively and ambitiously about the future growth and development of our town.

4. To do all of this without significantly impacting the household finances of our residents. We need to remember that we are here to serve the people of Poole and improve the quality of life for the people of Poole. At the moment, many of our residents are struggling to cope with limited incomes, job losses, high housing costs and increasing costs of living.

We believe that it is possible to deliver on all four of these priorities.

We do not believe that this Council needs to increase the level of Council Tax to do this, and furthermore we believe that it is equally important that this Council does not increase Council Tax. If we take an extra £1.25m out of the pockets of Poole residents, that will also take much of that money out of our local economy.

Many families and residents in Poole are facing significant pressure on their household finances, with increases in energy bills, housing costs and transport costs. At this time we need to ensure that we do not act to place additional pressure on family finances

The Coalition Government has made it clear to Local Authorities that they need to avoid the easy option of increasing Council Tax bills, and need to think more creatively to increase income and manage expenditure instead.

Many of our neighbouring Councils agree and will not be increasing the Council Tax for their residents.

We believe it is detrimental to the standard of living of the people of Poole, to propose to collect an additional £2.5m in Council Tax over the next two years, when central government are offering us £1.45m not to do that.

We note that the Council has dealt with cuts and pressures totaling almost £30m over the past four years. One would imagine that that would mean that

we are now spending less than before, but this Council in fact is spending more each year. The cost of providing our portfolio controlled services has gone up from £101m in 2008/09 to £111m in this current financial year, and is proposed to increase again next year to £113.6m.

Cabinet unanimously agreed the budget and recommended it to Full Council only two weeks ago, and now 24 hours before this meeting it is decided that you want to change that unanimous recommendation.

And where is this proposed extra half a million pounds of expenditure to come from – from an “Earmarked Reserve” set aside to support the MTFP? Two weeks ago Cabinet confirmed that these earmarked reserves were both adequate and appropriate for their purpose, but according to this proposed amendment, two weeks later this is no longer the case for this reserve.

In my opinion, this is the wrong use of that earmarked reserve. How can one possibly describe these proposed one-off items of expenditure as meeting the definition of supporting the MTFP. The Cabinet had agreed that these funds would be used in 2014/15 and 2015/16, so by proposing this amendment is placing the future financial balance of the MTFP in jeopardy.

While we would accept the merit of some of these proposals, but we believe they require more consideration before approval. We would agree that they should be considered during the financial year 2013/2014, but we do not agree that this expenditure should be approved here today by using this earmarked reserve.

The £1m of one-off investments agreed at last year’s budget are only partly spent at the moment and their allocation will continue in to the next financial year, so in many ways we need to concentrate on delivering those priorities agreed last year before creating new ones.

Summary

In essence this year’s budget debate comes down to a simple decision, do we tell Poole’s residents we need an additional £1.25m from them each year to provide our services, or do we decide not to add another financial burden on our residents and accept the £1.45m Council Tax freeze grant from central government over the next two years.

Our proposals

As shown on the sheet which has been passed around and detailed below, our budget proposal is to have no increase in Council Tax in order that we don’t detrimentally affect the financial balancing act which many families in Poole are currently managing.

This Amendment will create a pressure of £1.254m compared to the Budget presented by the administration. (Shown on line (a)).

Joint Amendment and Budget Proposal of Liberal Democrat Group and Poole People Party

2013/14 2014/15 2015/16 2016/17 £000’s £000’s £000’s £000’s

(i) Permanent Changes to Base Position

(a) No increase in Council Tax Freeze 1,254 1,254 1,254 1,254

(b) Senior management additional savings target (123) (123) (123) (123)

(c) Delete 2 Cabinet Members Allowances (24) (24) (24) (24)

(d) Reduce Revenue Contribution to Capital from £292k (191) (141) (91) (41) per annum to £101k 2013/14; stepped increase to £251k 16/1

(e) Additional support for Credit Union matched by LSP 50 0 0 0

(f) Improvement Programme – Place Theme to include 100 100 50 0 review of Poole North and address issues of MBH gyratory. ______Total Permanent Changes to Base Position 1,066 1,066 1,066 1,066 ______

(ii) Temporary Resources to fund base position

(f) 2013/14 Council Tax Freeze Grant (729) (729) 0 0

(g) Utilise the £1,012m specific earmarked reserve (337) (337) (338) 0 Held to support MTFP between 2013/14 and 2015/16 across 3 years ______

Total Temporary Resources to fund base Position (1,066) (1,066) (338) 0 ______Net Impact on Budget/MTFP 0 0 728 1,066 ______Please note (*) Item b may lead to a redundancy costs which cannot be ascertained unless specific calculation is undertaken by Human Resources which potentially ill require calculation to be undertaken by the DCC Pension Fund Administrator. The assumption in line with the Council’s policy will be to fund such costs from the specific earmarked reorganisation reserve.

There are only two other smaller areas of expenditure we propose.

Shown on line (f) is the allocation of funds in each of the next three years towards an earmarked reserve to support the concept of Place. We believe that the outcome of the recent select committee and the powerful representations from residents make it important to allocate funds to support this work, including a review of the Poole Town Centre North plans and the issues surrounding the Marston/Bay Hogg Lane gyratory. To do this will need

funding for both capital and revenue elements and we believe therefore that an earmarked reserve need to be established to support this.

Shown on line (e) is the allocation of £50k as a one-off support for the Coastal Credit Union, matched by a £50k allocation from the Poole Local Strategic Partnership. (as described in the previous amended proposal from the administration)

To meet these financial pressures over the next few years, we propose to primarily make use of the Council Tax Freeze Grant offered by central government, utilize the earmarked reserve allocated to support the MTFP, reduce the proposed Revenue Contribution to Capital and a couple of other savings we have identified.

The Council Tax Freeze Grant, shown on line (f), totals £1.458m over the next two years.

The Earmarked Reserve allocated to support the MTFP, shown on line (g), totals £1.012m and we propose to allocate this equally over each of the next three financial years, which we believe is a sensible and reasonable use of this reserve.

The Revenue Contribution to Capital, shown in line (d), has been an area of contention for some years. It has been increased in recent years and around £7m has been allocated from our revenue budget to support capital programmes in the past four years. After several years of increases, Cabinet have agreed that this should cease and until just a couple of months ago was recommending that this should be removed altogether. Now a smaller contribution has been proposed, but we believe that this is not warranted.

We propose asking the Chief Executive to find further savings in Senior Management Costs and believe that £123k can be saved year on year.

We also propose that the budget for the two vacant Cabinet Member Allowances should be deleted, producing a saving of £24k each year.

This alternative budget is a balanced and legal proposal and is in the interest of the people of Poole.

The Mayor thanked Councillor Brown for his Speech and invited Councillor Howell, the Leader of the Poole People Party, to address the Meeting.

Councillor Howell, Leader of the Poole People Party: Budget Speech

Councillor Howell’s Speech and his proposals outlined in the Liberal Democrat’s and Poole People Party’s Joint Budget proposal were Moved and Seconded.

Firstly I would like to thank officers throughout the Council for their hard work which has put Councillors in a position to approve a balanced budget this year. In particular, in these times of no overall control the Finance team have 20 BOROUGH OF POOLE – COUNCIL – 26 February 2013

a significant additional workload as they review proposals from different parties and they have handled this very well.

The budget papers presented to Council are very comprehensive and I do not propose to comment on them in detail because to do so may distract from the key question this council has to decide tonight - that is the question of leadership.

In his forward to the papers, the Chief Executive states: “It seems inevitable that this year funding pressure will lead (perhaps is designed to lead) to major redefinition of what local government is here to do, how it is structured and how it goes about its work. Through its MTFP, Council should be sending out a positive signal about its long-term ambitions and viability whilst restating its commitment to focus on the most vulnerable.”

I agree with this statement but I do not believe that the budget proposals presented to Council today give us any indication as to how the Borough of Poole intends to act proactively to redefine itself nor do they send out a positive signal about long-term ambitions.

While heads of department have worked hard to control costs and streamline organisation, we are not far away from them turning around to councillors to say that there are no more obvious savings to make. At this point councillors will be forced to pick up the baton and generate and implement innovative ideas, otherwise cuts in frontline services will be an inevitable. We believe that the time has come for Councillors to take the initiative and become actively involved in the drive for more productivity and lower costs. We should not wait for decisions to be forced upon us.

I am now in my third year as a Borough of Poole Councillor and during my time in office I have seen significant structural changes in the organisation. However, I still see instances where money is being wasted, for example through the instruction of consultants. An example is the car parks review which is currently underway which has a budget of, I believe, £162,000. We have a continuing shortfall in car parking fees in the budgeting process but we all know that we are not going to address this by increasing car parking charges. We are likely to see increases in total income only by reducing car parking fees. I appreciate that the study will be looking at other car parking issues as well but I question whether the combined wisdom of councillors and officers could not develop suitable proposals in-house.

If we are to maintain delivery of high quality services, we must think radically. Every officer, before incurring cost, must consider what benefit his or her actions are likely to achieve and whether there is another way of meeting objectives. A radical overhaul of management is necessary to enable employees to have the freedom and responsibility to make decisions. Management should be a liberating force, enabling employees to match their skills with their job roles and motivating them to deliver consistently high results.

We have a responsibility to taxpayers in Poole to make these changes before asking them to pay more Council Tax. I do not believe that we have yet earned that right and we must first demonstrate to the public that we are efficient. In a time of static wages and increasing inflation, our residents, who are already subject to high property costs, should not be asked to pay any more than is necessary. We need as much money circulating productively within the local economy as possible and withdrawing more money in tax will not help. Of course, if circumstances in the future dictate that increases are necessary, then it will be appropriate to raise Council Tax but this must be done on the reasoned basis that can be justified to the public. For this reason I am proposing an amendment, jointly with the Leader of the Liberal Democrats, that Council Tax be maintained at a 0% position (excluding Fire and Police levies).

We accept the Leader’s statement that the Borough of Poole faces significant financial challenges. I understand that she considers a 0% percent position to be irresponsible. Given this position, we question the Leader’s capacity to develop and implement the radical policies that are necessary to ensure efficient management of the Council’s finances in the future. Consequently, if this amendment is successful then we will expect the Leader to resign from her position.

We have deliberately limited the number of other proposals which we have considered making during the budgetary process, partly because of the importance of focusing on Council Tax levels but also because of the limited ability of opposition parties to influence the use of funds which are identified in the budget. We have though provided for money to be put aside for the place making agenda in respect of the Marston Bay Hog and wider gyratory system. It is essential for the future of the town that we make sure we have a modern transportation network. It is also important that we finish projects that we start. Given that we have incurred cost and time in the Select Committee review process, it would be irresponsible not to complete the process by updating the Borough's plans for the system.

As a board member of Poole Housing Partnership, I am also very much aware of the possible impact of the Government's universal benefit proposals on PHP’s ability to collect rent. The Coastal Credit Union could play an important role in helping tenants to control their finances and ensure that they can continue to pay their rents and so I very much support the contribution of £50,000 to its funds.

As regards the Leader’s proposed amendment, as she did last year, she has proposed a series of financial contributions to various projects at the last minute which have not been properly thought through. For example, we are being asked to support a contribution of £100,000 to new business start-ups in Poole’s empty retail units. This shows a lack of understanding of the real issues facing such businesses. As someone who has run an arts organisation in Poole in the past focused on supporting creative industries, I can ensure the Leader that creating short-term subsidies will not help to develop a long- term creative environment. What is needed is a long-term strategy that seeks to bring the creative community together and which projects Poole as a

creative place. Although there is virtue in trying to create a hub somewhere within the town, primarily creating success in the creative industries is more about changing culture than helping people pay rent.

The proposed commitment of £25,000 to a community arts weekend and free arts festival is welcome in principal. £25,000 is, however, an awful lot of money which could be split up into much smaller amounts and be used effectively by a host of smaller, community arts organisations. I have in the past, and will in the future, push for a cultural festival which can put Poole on the map. Such a project, however, needs careful planning and takes a considerable amount of time to organise if you are to make the most of the volunteer network we have available to us. The Borough's arts team does not currently have the experience or skill base to put on such a festival and a priority must be to redefine the objectives of our cultural services team so we can focus on a limited number of key objectives which can be achieved successfully within the very limited financial constraints that we face.

We would encourage the Leader, or her successor if she resigns, to take a much more collaborative approach in developing such proposals. We must work together and by doing so we can design projects which meet the needs of our residents and are cost-effective. We will not be supporting the Leader's amendment as we have insufficient confidence that, without such a process having taken place, the money which is proposed to be allocated would be spent efficiently.”

The Mayor thanked Councillor Howell for his Budget Speech.

The Amendment proposed and seconded by Councillor Ms Atkinson in the following terms was then debated:

AMENDMENT FROM THE LEADER’S BUDGET SPEECH

Recommend to Council the budget as set out in the Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP) 2013/14 to 2015/16 report to Council including the Budget and Council Tax for 2013/14 with the following amendments;

£0.5m one-off additional investment in growth for Poole

The proposal is to utilise £500k of the specific earmarked reserve held to support the MTFP between 2013/14 to 2015/16 as an investment in growth within Poole. The investment will be made in such initiatives as those detailed below provided that they are match funded with resources from other partner organisations;

£100k New Business Start Up’s Supporting New Business start ups In Poole utilising empty retail units other small business units focussing on opportunities around creative and maritime industries – partnered by the Universities and others.

£100k Apprenticeship Scheme - Further support the national apprenticeship scheme across the Borough and explore access to Apprenticeship schemes for adults – in partnership with the College and other providers

£25k Community Arts Weekend Following a presentation on the revitalisation of the centre of Melbourne Australia with performance and other arts events, and seeing the event on Poole Quay “Mobile Homme” presented by French company Transe Express This event won the Award for Promotion of the Year at the Poole Tourism Awards Ceremony in October. It is time to Rejuvenate the Quay area by supporting this years Community Arts Weekend with the intention of hosting a Free arts festival on the 2014 August Bank Holiday. When Transe Express return. Matched funding will be sought from the community, town centre, tourism partners and arts related organisations.

£50k Coastal Credit Union Additional support to the £150k loan previously awarded. Support in kind exploiting a window in our cashier’s office in revenues and benefits. Matched by a £50k allocation from the Poole Local Strategic Partnership NB Not to be funded until the FSA give a clean bill of health.

£50k Supporting Employment Working with Troubled Families to assist them in getting closer to employment - with the support of the Department for Works and Pensions and Job Centre Plus.

£50k Capitalise on learning from Bourne Estate Transfer learning from the Bourne Valley pilot to Hamworthy. The work we have been supporting on the Bourne Estate over a number of years has resulted in a £1m lottery windfall and a Big Society Award to the Bourne Valley Action Group.

Potentially supported by a resource allocation from the Local Strategic Partnership.

£50k Help low paid/low qualified people to up skill Assist people having to “Top up” income with benefits to up- skill, improve qualifications, earn more and become more employable . Working with Dorset Adult Learning Service, DWP and Job Centre plus.

£10k Cycle Racks Additional facilities in Town Centre locations including the Bus and Train Stations. To support Green Travel Plans – Matched funding to be sought.

£43k Bid Writer/ Fundraiser Officer

Working as part of the Economic Development Team, a 1-year post to support bids and maximise inward investment into the Borough particularly from European and Lottery sources which require no match funding from the Council - Will pay for itself in year

£ 22k Available for other economically driven schemes that can provide matched funding.

£500k Total

A number of Members spoke in favour of the Amendment, as follows:

 It promoted the economy of Poole  The Administration had listened to what residents wanted  Details of the Amendment had been the subject of continual discussions  Proposals had followed the due, full process and had been approved by the Section 151 Officer  Help was needed regarding new business start-ups  Small businesses required help from the Council  Proposals in the Amendment would attract match funding  Imperative that the Council did not miss out on the opportunity of attracting external funding  Proposals in the Amendment fully supported the Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP)

A number of Members spoke against the Amendment, as follows:

 Amendments conceived at “the eleventh hour” and were not subject to scrutiny, Area Committee discussion or even agreement of Cabinet  Proposals did not support the MTFP  Some of the Proposals might have merit but needed to be fully scrutinised before being agreed  Proposal resulted in Council Taxpayers of Poole paying for cycle racks, an Arts Festival and half a dozen apprenticeships  Called into question the utilisation of earmarked Reserves  Proposals would take £1.25million out of public circulation  £10,000 might be better spent on cycle lanes rather than cycle racks which could be funded by local businesses  What would happen if the Proposals did not receive match funding?  Proposals more “Mr Balls than Mr Pickles”.

Councillor Ms Atkinson, Leader, summed up her Amendment as follows:

 The Council Meeting was not about setting Council Tax, it was about sound financial planning for the future of Poole.  Members were requested to take the lead in securing the future of Poole  Imperative that the 25 pence in every pound of new Business Rates came to Poole, rather than going to Bournemouth.  Members had a duty to improve the opportunities for Poole residents. 25 BOROUGH OF POOLE – COUNCIL – 26 February 2013

The requisite number of Members requested that the voting be recorded on the Leader’s Amendment proposed and seconded.

Voting was as follows:

FOR – Councillors Adams, Atkinson, Burden, Mrs Butt, Chandler, Mrs Dion, Mrs Evans, Mrs Haines, Parker, Pawlowski, Potter, Rampton, Mrs Rampton, Sorton, Mrs Stribley, Ms Thomas, Mrs Walton, White, Wilkins and Woodcock

AGAINST – Councillors Brooke, Brown, Miss Carpenter, Clements, Mrs Clements, Mrs Cox, Eades, Goodall, Godfrey, Mrs Hodges, Howell, Mrs Le Poidevin, Maiden, Matthews, Meachin, Mrs Moore, Mrs Parkinson, Mrs Slade, Trent, Mrs Wilson, Miss Wilson, Wilson

ABSTAINED: None

The Amendment was LOST

Amendment proposed by the Liberal Democrat Group and Poole People Party

Council then debated the following Amendment, proposed and duly seconded:

2013/14 2014/15 2015/16 2016/17 £000’s £000’s £000’s £000’s

(ii) Permanent Changes to Base Position

Temporary Resources to fund base position

(g) Utilise the £1,012m specific earmarked reserve (337) (337) (338) 0 Held to support MTFP between 2013/14 and 2015/16 across 3 years ______26 BOROUGH OF POOLE – COUNCIL – 26 February 2013

A number of Members spoke in FAVOUR of the Amendment, details included:

 Proposals did not change the Budget and as a result, services would not be cut.  The Borough had £21Million in Reserves  Important that the Amendment included provision for the Marston/Bay Hog Gyratory System  The Head of Financial Services had not objected to proposals regarding reductions in Senior Management  There was currently a £1Million budget underspend which was being used to prop up the Medium Term Financial Plan  The Leader had also considered reducing the size of Cabinet herself.  It was imperative to use the Council’s assets for improving the future of Poole  Could not look the Electorate in the eye if a Council Tax increase was approved  The current Administration had adopted a tax and spend plan.

A number of Members spoke AGAINST the Amendment, as follows:

 Would work as hard as possible to save the Borough of Poole from the impending financial abyss  What would happen after the tax freeze grant disappeared?  Members must not turn their backs on the people of Poole  None of the Proposals encouraged growth  What was the Head of Paid Services’ opinion regarding Senior Management cuts as outlined in the Amendment?  The Proposals contained the “what, but not the why or the how?”.  Amendments represented a “elastoplast”, ok for a while, but not for the long term.  Hard to believe that the Marston/Bay Hog Gyratory System was the only Scheme in Poole  Must not put expenditure on the “credit card” to be paid back later

The Chief Executive and Head of Paid Service, responded to a request to comment on the proposed Amendment as set out in Councillor Brown’s Budget Speech.

He outlined his responsibilities to Members, explaining that he was:

 Responsible for advising Members on staffing structure/levels in order to deliver the agreed Agenda  Disappointed that proposals regarding the reduction of Senior Management levels had not been discussed with him prior to the Meeting.  Concerned that little or no reference had been made by Members regarding the need to fill the £13Million funding gap after 2013/14.

Councillor Brown summed up his Amendment by explaining that:

 Only taking £338K per annum for three years out of Reserves  Main thrust of Amendment was not to increase Council Tax  Amendments were balanced, costed and legal  There were no easy decisions, but the Amendment was designed to help the vulnerable residents of Poole.

The requisite number of Members requested that voting be recorded on the Joint Amendment proposed and seconded by the Liberal Democrat and Poole People Party.

Voting was as follows:

FOR – Councillors Brooke, Brown, Miss Carpenter, Clements, Mrs Clements, Mrs Cox, Eades, Goodall, Godfrey, Mrs Hodges, Howell, Mrs Le Poidevin, Maiden, Matthews, Meachin, Mrs Moore, Mrs Parkinson, Mrs Slade, Trent, Mrs Wilson, Miss Wilson and Wilson

AGAINST – Councillors Adams, Ms Atkinson, Burden, Mrs Butt, Chandler, Mrs Dion, Mrs Evans, Mrs Haines, Parker, Pawlowski, Potter, Rampton, Mrs Rampton, Sorton, Mrs Stribley, Ms Thomas, Mrs Walton, White, Wilkins and Woodcock

ABSTAINED – None

The Amendment as CARRIED.

The Amendment became the Substantive Motion.

Councillor Ms Atkinson, Leader of the Council, stated that she would continue in her position as Leader and would work tirelessly for the residents of Poole.

There was no recorded vote on the Substantive Motion as the requisite number of Members did not request it.

In considering the Substantive Motion Members were referred to Agenda Item 10 – “Setting the Amount of Council Tax for the Area of the Borough of Poole 2013/2014” and the recommendations were moved and seconded. Council formally approved the Council Tax Resolution detailed below:

RESOLVED

(i) That the Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP) be amended by the following:

2013/14 2014/15 2015/16 2016/17 £000’s £000’s £000’s £000’s

Permanent Changes to Base Position

Temporary Resources to fund base position

(g) Utilise the £1,012m specific earmarked reserve (337) (337) (338) 0 Held to support MTFP between 2013/14 and 2015/16 across 3 years ______

that a Total Council Tax Requirement of £64.3026m is set for 2013/14 based on the provisional settlement figures published by Government on the 19 December 2012 as set out in Section 5.3 to 5.5 of the Report to Cabinet and Council be approved. This assumes:

i. a decrease of £6m in the Council’s core funding from Government across the two years of the Local Government Finance settlement, equivalent to a further loss of funding of 18% excluding any presentational changes. This equates to a 29 BOROUGH OF POOLE – COUNCIL – 26 February 2013

cumulative decrease of £14m (39%) since the start of the current spending review period (April 2011);

ii. a known net decrease in specific un-ringfenced revenue grants in 2013/14 of at least £4m compared to 2011/12 allocations as set out in Exhibit 5, subject to final confirmation of some individual grants yet to be announced by Government. This equates to a cumulative decrease of £7.5m since April 2011;

iii. known capital grants allocations of approximately £3.9m in 2013/14 subject to final confirmation of the future year allocations of Children’s Services and Disabled Facilities Grant yet to be announced by Government. See Section 21.4;

iv. the key assumptions and provisions made in the Budget as proposed, set out in Section 7.2 of the Report to Cabinet and Council with the agreed freezing of the Council Tax at its current 2012/13 level;

v. the allocations to Portfolio areas further to the Budget as proposed, as set out in Appendix 1 to the Report as amended;

vi. having considered the key matters arising from Budget consultation processes with Overview and Scrutiny Committees and Area Committees held to date as previously reported to Cabinet as part of the December MTFP update report;

(iii) the Senior Officer Pay Policy as prepared by the Head of Human Resources be approved in accordance with the provisions of the Localism Act 2011 as set out in Section 16 and Appendix 6 of the Report to Cabinet and Council;

(iv) further to Communities Overview and Scrutiny consideration of reforms to the Social Fund on the 29 January 2013 and of the Council’s proposals for the operation of crisis payments and the requirement to:

• establish the final operational model • determine the eligibility criteria • make payments as required to claimants in the light of the eligibility criteria,

be delegated to the Head of Adult Social Care (in consultation with the Chairman of Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee).

(v) the use and level of all reserves to be held by the Council further to the advice of the Chief Finance Officer as set out in Section 20 & Appendix 2 to the Report as now amended by (1), be approved;

(vi) the Capital Programme as set out Section 21 & Appendix 3 of this report including the specific recommendations of the Children’s Services Capital strategy as detailed in Appendix 3 (ii) Section 3 to the Report be approved;

(vii) the Treasury Management Strategy and Prudential Indicators as set out in Appendix 4 to the Report be approved;

(viii) that the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) Budget and average HRA dwelling rental increase as detailed in Minute C160.13 be approved in setting the 2013/14 Budget as summarised in Section 18 of the Report to Cabinet and Council.

1X COUNCIL TAX RESOLUTION 2013/2014

The following have been approved by Council:

(a) the revenue estimates for 2013/2014,

(b) the capital programme for 2013/2014 and future years.

That it be noted that at its meeting on 23 January 2013, the Cabinet approved the amount of 53,160 as its Council Tax Base for the year 2013/2014 in accordance with the Local Authorities (Calculation of Council Tax Base) (England) Regulations 2012. This is referred to as item T in the Act.

That the following amounts be now calculated by the Council for the year 2013/2014 in accordance with Sections 31 to 36 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, as amended and in accordance with changes as a consequence of the Localism Act 2011. The Localism Act 2011 requires the billing authority to only calculate a council tax requirement for the year.

(a) £318,539,336.00 - being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 31A(2)(a) to (f) of the Act. (estimated expenditure, contingency and transfers to reserves,)

(b) £254,237,000.00 - being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 31A(3)(a) to (d) of the Act. (estimated income, transfers from reserves, grants including RSG and NDR and any collection Fund Surplus distribution)

(c) £64,302,336.00 - being the amount by which the aggregate at 3.3(a) above exceeds the aggregate at 1X(b) above, calculated by the Council, in accordance with Section 31A(4) of the Act, as its Council Tax requirement for the year and referred to as Item R.

(d) £1,209.60 being the amount at 1X(c) above (Item R), all divided by the amount at 3.2 above (Item T), calculated by the Council, in accordance with Section 31B(1) of the Act, as the basic amount of its Council Tax for the year.

(e) Valuation Band

A B C D E F G H £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ 806.40 940.80 1075.20 1209.60 1478.40 1747.20 2016.00 2419.20

being the amounts given by multiplying the amount at 1X(d) by the number which, in the proportion set out in Section 5(1) of the Act, is applicable to dwellings listed in a particular valuation band divided by the 31 BOROUGH OF POOLE – COUNCIL – 26 February 2013

number which in that proportion is applicable to dwellings listed in Valuation Band D, calculated by the Council in accordance with Section 36(1) of the Act, as the amounts to be taken into account for the year in respect of categories of dwellings listed in different valuation bands.

(X) That it be noted that for the year 2013/2014, the Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner and Dorset Fire Authority have stated the following amounts in precepts issued to the Council, in accordance with Sections 39/40 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, for each of the categories of dwellings shown below.

Precepting Authority: Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner: £9,755,391.60

Valuation Band:

A B C D E F G H £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £

122.34 142.73 163.12 183.51 224.29 265.07 305.85 367.02

Precepting Authority: Dorset Fire Authority: £ 3,473,474.40

A B C D E F G H £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £

43.56 50.82 58.08 65.34 79.86 94.38 108.90 130.68

(XI) That having calculated the aggregate in each case of the amounts at IX(e), and (X) above, the Council, in accordance with Sections 30(2) and 36 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, hereby sets the following amounts as the amounts of Council Tax for the year 2013/2014 for each of the categories of dwellings shown below: Valuation Band:

A B C D E F G H £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ 972.30 1134.35 1296.40 1458.45 1782.55 2106.65 2430.75 2916.90

As set out within the Localism Act 2011 section 52ZB establishes a duty to determine whether council tax increase is excessive. The Secretary of State will determine the principles to be used in each year. For 2013/14 this value is an increase which exceeds 2.0% for the Borough of Poole and 2% for the Dorset Police and Crime Commissioners and a £5 maximum band D for Dorset Fire Authority. None of these values have been exceeded and therefore the Council has determined that there is no excessive increase.

ADJOURNMENT

The Meeting adjourned at 9:35pm and reconvened at 9:45pm. 32 BOROUGH OF POOLE – COUNCIL – 26 February 2013

(Note: Councillor Miss Wilson left the Meeting during the Adjournment).

C163.13 APPOINTMENT TO THE POST OF HEAD OF FINANCIAL SERVICES AND TO THE HEAD OF COMMISSIONING AND IMPROVEMENT – PEOPLE THEME

Councillor Ms Atkinson, Leader, introduced this item and the recommendation was seconded.

Members joined the Leader in congratulating Adam Richens on his excellent interview which led to recommendation of his appointment.

RESOLVED that

(i) Council confirmed the appointment of Adam Richens as Head of Financial Services and Section 151 Officer with effect from 24 January 2013;

(ii) Council approved the appointment of Phil Hornsby to the Post of Head of Commissioning and Improvement, People’s Services.

C164.13 CAPITAL VIREMENT: TOWER BLOCK SCHEME: REPORT OF THE PORTFOLIO HOLDER FOR HOUSING AND SOCIAL SERVICES

Councillor Adams, Portfolio Holder for Housing and Social Services, introduced his Report and the recommendations, which was seconded.

The Portfolio Holder informed the Meeting that the Council had been late in placing the order for the necessary works due to a number of factors, but he could confirm that the Borough had achieved Best Value in relation to the placing of the Contract.

RESOLVED that Council approve the virement of £144,000 in relation to the Sterte Court Project from 2012/13 to 2013/14, due to an anticipated later start of the Contract.

C165.13 PENSION ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUPPORT STAFF WORKING IN FOUNDATION SCHOOLS: REPORT OF THE HEAD OF HUMAN RESOURCES

Councillor Sorton introduced the Report which was duly seconded.

Councillor Sorton stated that it was necessary to formalise existing arrangements and regularise the situation in relation to pension provision for the support staff at Maintained Foundation Schools in Poole, where the

Governing Body was their employer, so that they were able to continue to have access to the Local Government Pension Scheme.

RESOLVED that Council approve the designation of non-teaching support staff employed in the following Foundation schools as eligible for membership of the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS):

 Poole High School  Canford Heath First School  Canford Heath Middle School  Ad Astra School  Haymoor Middle School

C166.13 APPOINTMENT OF INDEPENDENT PERSON, STANDARDS COMMITTEE: REPORT OF THE CHAIRMAN OF STANDARDS COMMITTEE

Councillor Sorton, Chairman of the Standards Committee, introduced the item and proposed the recommendation which was seconded. Councillor Sorton reminded Members that under the new arrangements contained within the Localism Act, prior to considering the imposition of a sanction, the Standards Committee had to consult an Independent Person.

It was Moved, Seconded, and

RESOLVED that Council approves the appointment of Mr Eddie Burridge as the Independent Person in relation to Standards Issues, as required by the Localism Act.

C167.13 PUBLIC HEALTH GOVERNANCE ARRANGEMENTS: REPORT OF THE CHAIRMAN OF HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY COMMITTEE

Councillor Meachin, Chairman of the Health and Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee, introduced his Report and proposed the recommendation which was seconded.

The Chairman of the Health and Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee updated Members on progress in developing the Dorset, Bournemouth and Poole Public Health Service and presented proposals for the Committee in relation to the future governance of the new services, as responsibility would move to the Local Authority in April 2013.

RESOLVED that Council:

i) Note the progress made in establishing the new Public Health Service

ii) Note the work carried out on the principals of the proposed Governance arrangements as set out in Section 6 of the Report and subject to the Committee’s comments and any further advice received from Dorset County Council prior to the date of the meeting, to approve the governance framework.

iii) Approve the operating principles of the new service as set out in the Report to Health and Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 5 February 2013 and delegate authority to the Strategic Director (People Theme) in consultation with the Head of Financial, and Legal and Democratic Services, the relevant Portfolio Holders and the Chair of Health and Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee to agree the final detailed arrangements in line with these principles.

C168.13 DEVOLVING LOCAL MAJOR TRANSPORT SCHEMES – DORSET LOCAL TRANSPORT BODY ASSURANCE FRAMEWORK: REPORT OF THE PORTFOLIO HOLDER FOR TRANSPORTATION

Councillor Mrs Dion, Portfolio Holder for Transportation, introduced her Report and recommendations which were seconded.

The Portfolio Holder for Transportation provided a brief summary of the background information and stated that the Framework would help decisions on future major schemes across Dorset.

RESOLVED that Council approve:

(i) the draft DLTB assurance framework for submission to DfT, subject to the approval of Bournemouth Borough Council, Dorset County Council and the DLEP Board.

(ii) the resolution of BoP representation on the DLTB is delegated to the Strategic Director, in consultation with Portfolio Holder/ Leader and for the Borough of Poole.

(iii) the agreement on the authority that is to act as the DLTB accountable body is delegated to the Strategic Director, in consultation with Portfolio Holder/ Leader for the Borough of Poole to agree with their opposites at Bournemouth Borough Council and Dorset County Council.

C169.13 MEMBERS’ ALLOWANCES SCHEME 2013/14: REPORT OF THE HEAD OF LEGAL AND DEMOCRATIC SERVICES

Councillor Ms Atkinson, Leader, introduced the item and proposed the recommendations which were duly seconded.

The Leader stated that for the fourth consecutive year, following consultation with Group Leaders and in light of the stringent financial climate, no changes to the current rate of Allowances was recommended.

RESOLVED that

(i) Council approve the extension of the current adopted Scheme (with no increases) for one year only from April 2013 to 31 March 2014; and

(ii) the Head of Legal and Democratic Services be authorised to advertise the Scheme as adopted for 2013/14

C170.13 NOTICE OF MOTIONS

The following Motion had been received:

Navitus Bay Development Company

“Borough of Poole will be pro-active in engaging with Navitus Bay Development Company to ensure that

• it has as much input as possible during the planning and consultation phase of the proposed wind farm project

• should the application be approved Poole gains maximum benefit for the local economy from the 1,000 construction jobs, 100 operational jobs and opportunities for providers of services, supplies and tourism, particularly if a Visitor centre could be added to Poole's tourism offer”.

Signed: Councillors Brian Clements, Mrs Marion Le Poidevin, Mrs Slade, Maiden, Eades, Trent and Mrs Moore.

It was noted that Councillor Brooke should be added to the signatories.

RESOLVED that the Motion be referred to the Overview and Scrutiny Board for onward transmission.

C171.13 QUESTIONS RELATING TO THE FIRE AUTHORITY AND WORK WITH THE POLICE AND CRIME PANEL

No questions had been received.

C172.13 QUESTIONS RELATING TO GENERAL BUSINESS

The Questions received and the responses given are detailed at Appendix 1 to these Minutes.

C173.13 COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP CHANGES

Councillor Ms Atkinson, Leader, introduced this Item which was duly seconded.

RESOLVED that Council approves

(i) the appointment of Councillor Mrs Jane Thomas to the Conservative vacancies on Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee and Licensing Committee; and

(ii) the appointment of Councillor John Rampton to the Conservative vacancy on Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

C174.13 URGENT BUSINESS

There was no urgent business.

C175.13 EXCLUSION OF THE PUBLIC AND PRESS

“ RESOLVED that, in accordance with Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public and press be excluded from the Meeting for the following item of business on the grounds that it may involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraphs 3 (in relation to Appendix 3(ii)c Agenda Item 10 should discussion be required,) and 1 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the said Act as the public interest in withholding the information outweighs the public interest in disclosing it”

C176.13 NOMINATIONS FOR MAYOR AND SHERIFF FOR THE MUNICIPAL YEAR 2013/14

Mayor Elect 2013/14

RESOLVED that Councillor Eades be proposed as Mayor for the Municipal Year 2012/13.

Sheriff

RESOLVED that Councillor Peter Adams be proposed as Sheriff for the Municipal Year 2013/14.

APPENDIX

QUESTION 1 TO COUNCIL 26 FEBRUARY 2013 TO THE PORTFOLIO HOLDER FOR ENVIRONMENT AND CONSUMER PROTECTION SERVICES AND LOCAL ECONOMY (INC. TRANSPORTATION AND TOURISM) FROM COUNCILLOR BRIAN CLEMENTS

“The Poole Site Specific Allocations & Development Management Policies Development Plan Document helpfully commits the Council to producing a Development Brief for Ashley Road Local Centre that will:-

 Provide a vision for the centre;

 Provide the framework that will guide future decisions relating to investment and the delivery of improvements; and

 Be prepared in conjunction with key stakeholders and the local community.

The Development Brief will address priorities that will include:-

(i) Improvements to the quality of the public realm;

(ii) Reducing severance created by high levels of traffic and congestion and delivering improvements to on-street parking arrangements; and

(i) Identifying opportunities to improve rear servicing arrangements of shops and commercial premises.

Can the Portfolio Holder tell me what progress has been made with that brief and how the laudable aspirations therein will be applied to the Local Sustainable Transport Fund Projects which are programmed to start in the near future?”

Sustainable development meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. (Brundtland 1987)

Councillor Brian Clements Chairman, Economy Overview & Scrutiny Committee

RESPONSE

“The Poole Site Specific Allocation and Development Management Policies Development Plan Document was adopted in April 2012. The Plan runs to 2026. Within the document Policy SSA24 and its supporting text identify key issues facing Poole’s second largest shopping centre and promotes the concept of a Development Brief for the local centre. The timetable for delivery of this piece of work as set out in the Plan is for a two year period running to the end of 2013. Many different parts of the organisation have been working with various traders and residents regarding various issues in Ashley Road and there is indeed a need for a comprehensive approach to providing a vision for the local centre.

As you will know the Council has very recently been successful in receiving funding for improvements to Ashley Road as part of the Local Sustainable Transport Fund and an engagement process is planned. This provides an opportunity to consider the broader strategic approach to the centre within which various projects can be tailored to the specific needs of the area.

As far as the LST is concerned a Member and Stakeholder workshop was recently held. A public meeting with drop in sessions is scheduled for Wednesday 27 February which will help set out placeshaping in Ashley Road. Further engagement is then planned through March and April. Once the views of the public have been gained then design for the first phase shall commence with scheme proposals being put through the usual process via TAG. It is hoped that this initial phase will also help highlight local views on the principles of what is needed for the longer term vision for Ashley Road as an important shopping centre.

Officers are currently considering available resources to see whether any additional capacity can be found to take forward the brief for one of our key centres.”

Councillor Mrs Xena Dion Portfolio Holder for Transportation