Council Meeting Thursday 27 February 2014 7.00pm Cllr Dennis Andrewartha (Chair) D Cllr John Marjoram G&I Cllr Liz Ashton L Cllr Brian Marsh D Cllr Dorcas Binns C Cllr Russell Miles C Cllr Rowland Blackwell C Cllr Stephen Moore L Cllr Philip Booth G&I Cllr Keith Pearson C Cllr Timothy Boxall C Cllr Elizabeth Peters C Cllr Chris Brine L&C Cllr Simon Pickering G&I Cllr Paul Carter C Cllr Gary Powell L Cllr Molly Cato G&I Cllr Nigel Prenter L Cllr Miranda Clifton L Cllr Andy Read G&I Cllr Nigel Cooper C Cllr Mark Rees (Vice-Chair) L Cllr June Cordwell D Cllr Frances Roden C Cllr Doina Cornell L Cllr Mattie Ross L&C Cllr Gordon Craig C Cllr Roger Sanders L Cllr Karon Cross L Cllr Emma Sims C Cllr Paul Denney L Cllr Paul Smith D Cllr David Drew L&C Cllr Ken Stephens L Cllr Chas Fellows C Cllr Nigel Studdert-Kennedy CNG Cllr Paul Hemming D Cllr Brian Tipper C Cllr Nicholas Hurst C Cllr Geoff Wheeler L&C Cllr Haydn Jones C Cllr Martin Whiteside G&I Cllr John Jones C Cllr Rhiannon Wigzell C Cllr Daniel Le Fleming C Cllr Tom Williams L&C Cllr Graham Littleton C Cllr Penny Wride C Cllr Stephen Lydon L&C Cllr Debbie Young C Vacancy C = Conservative Group CNG = Conservative No Group D = Liberal Democrat Group G&I= Green & Independent Green L = Labour Group L&C = Labour and Co-operative Group Group (Part of the Labour Group) For Agenda enquiries contact: Sarah Weyman, Democratic Services & Elections Officer Tel: 01453 754355 Email: [email protected] To all Members of Stroud District Council 17 February 2014 You are hereby summoned to attend a Meeting of the STROUD DISTRICT COUNCIL at 7.00 pm in the Council Chamber, Ebley Mill on Thursday, 27 February 2014. David Hagg Chief Executive A G E N D A Please Note: This meeting will be filmed for live or subsequent broadcast via the Council’s internet site ( www.stroud.gov.uk ). The whole of the meeting will be filmed except where there are confidential or exempt items, which may need to be considered in the absence of the press and public. The images and sound recording may be used for training purposes within the Council. Whilst the public seating areas are not directly filmed, particular camera shots around the Chamber may capture persons seated in the public areas. If you ask a question in accordance with the procedures in the Council’s Constitution and use a microphone for this purpose, then you will be deemed to have consented to being filmed. By entering the Council Chamber and using the public seating areas, you are consenting to being filmed and to the possible use of those images and sound recordings for webcasting and/or training purposes. If you have any queries regarding the above, please contact the officer named at the top of this agenda. 1 APOLOGIES 2 DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST To receive declarations of interest. 3 MINUTES To confirm and sign as a correct record the Minutes of the meetings held on 28 November 2013 and 23 January 2014. Stroud District Council 1 Agenda 27 February 2014 Published 17 February 2014 4 ANNOUNCEMENTS To receive announcements from the Chair of Council, the Leader and the Chief Executive. 5 PUBLIC QUESTION TIME The Chair of the Strategy and Resources Committee, the Community Services Committee, the Environment Committee, the Housing Committee, the Audit and Standards Committee, the Licensing Committee and the Development Control Committee, will answer questions from members of the public, submitted in accordance with the Council’s procedures. DEADLINE FOR RECEIPT OF QUESTIONS Noon on Monday, 24 February 2014. Questions must be submitted in writing to the Chief Executive, Democratic Services, Ebley Mill, Ebley Wharf, Stroud and sent by post, by fax (01453 754957), or by Email: democratic.services@stro ud.gov.uk 6 AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION As from 25 February 2014, in accordance with The Local Authorities (Standing Orders) (England) Regulations 2001 (which were amended on 29 January 2014), district, county and unitary councils are required to amend their Constitutions to provide that a recorded vote is always taken on budget decisions. Such decisions include the setting of Council Tax (as per Agenda item 7), as well as substantive budget motions agreeing the budget or issuing precepts. Consequently, further to paragraph 9.1 of the Constitution, the Council is RECOMMENDED to approve the amendment to the Council’s Constitution and authorise the Monitoring Officer to update the Constitution accordingly. 7 SETTING THE AMOUNT OF COUNCIL TAX FOR 2014/15 The Council Tax rates for 2014/15 cannot be finalised until Gloucestershire County Council and the Gloucestershire Police and Crime Commissioner give notification of their precepts for 2014/15. The Police and Crime Panel accepted the Police and Crime Commissioner’s proposed precept at their meeting on 6 February 2014. The County Council meeting is on 26 February 2014. Formal notification of the precepts are not expected until later and these will be circulated as soon as they are received. This is an acceptable procedure given the timescales. The Council Tax must be set by 11 March 2014. The time-scale from the date the tax is set to the date the bills are posted is extremely tight. If the deadlines are not met then the Council Tax cannot legally be collected from 1 April 2014. Subject to Agenda item 6, a Recorded Vote will be taken on this item. Stroud District Council 2 Agenda 27 February 2014 Published 17 February 2014 8 BOUNDARY REVIEW To receive a presentation from representatives of the Local Government Boundary Commission for England. 9 RECOMMENDATIONS FROM COMMITTEES Following the meetings of the Strategy and Resources Committee held on 19 December 2013 and 13 February 2014 and the Audit and Standards Committee held on 28 January 2014, the following items are recommended to Council for approval (reports attached). Strategy and Resources Committee - 19 December 2013 (a) Title Agenda Chair of Strategy & Item No. Resources Committee Glouces tershire Economic 6 Councillor Geoff Growth Committee Wheeler Strategy and Resources Committee RECOMMENDS to Council: 1. That Council agrees to the establishment of a statutory Joint Committee with core functions as set out in paragraph 5; 2. That Council is represented on the Joint Committee by the Leader of the Council, with the Vice-Chair of Strategy and Resources Committee as substitute should one be required under the constitution of the Joint Committee. Audit and Standards Committee – 28 January 2014 (b) Title Agenda Chair of Audit & Item No. Standards Committee Treasury Management 8 Councillor Molly Strategy, Annual Investment Cato Strategy and Minimum Revenue Provision Policy Statement 2014/15 Audit and Standards Committee RECOMMENDS to Council: 1. To adopt the prudential indicators and limits for 2014/15 to 2016/17; 2. To approve the treasury management strategy 2014/15, and the treasury prudential indicators; 3. To approve the investment strategy 2014/15, and the detailed criteria for specified and non-specified investments; and 4. To approve the Minimum Revenue Policy Statement 2014/15. Stroud District Council 3 Agenda 27 February 2014 Published 17 February 2014 Strategy and Resources Committee - 13 February 2014 (c) Title Agenda Chair of Strategy & Item No. Resources Committee Senior Pay Policy Statement 8 Councillor Geoff 2014/15 Wheeler Strategy and Resources Committee RECOMMENDS to Council: That the Statement is approved. 10 REVIEW OF POLLING DISTRICTS, POLLING PLACES AND POLLING STATIONS 2013/14 To adopt a revised scheme of polling districts and stations following the outcome of the consultation undertaken between 1 October and 15 November 2013. 11 APPOINTMENT TO THE GLOUCESTERSHIRE POLICE AND CRIME PANEL To appoint a Member to the Gloucestershire Police and Crime Panel for the remainder of this Civic Year. 12 MATTERS FOR INFORMATION Meetings that have taken place since the last ordinary Meeting on 28 November 2013: Community Services Committee 3 December 2013 Environment Committee 5 December 2013 Development Control Committee 10 December 2013 Housing Committee 12 December 2013 Strategy and Resources Committee 19 December 2013 Strategy and Resources Committee 9 January 2014 Development Control Committee 14 January 2014 Stroud Council Housing Forum 21 January 2014 Audit and Standards Committee 28 January 2014 Community Services Committee 30 January 2014 Environment Committee 4 February 2014 Housing Committee 6 February 2014 Development Control Committee 11 February 2014 Strategy and Resources Committee 13 February 2014 13 MEMBERS’ QUESTIONS See Agenda Item 5 for the submission deadline. Stroud District Council 4 Agenda 27 February 2014 Published 17 February 2014 14 NOTICES OF MOTION (i) Support for a Financial Transaction Tax (Robin Hood Tax) – 01/14 Proposed by Councillor Molly Cato and seconded by Councillor Paul Denney. “This Council notes the suffering forced upon local residents as a result of this Coalition government’s cuts programme and asserts that there is an alternative to its ideologically driven attack on public services – namely the levy of a financial transaction tax on the speculative activities that have accelerated the recent enrichment of the few to the detriment of the many. Council notes that: • local government will see real term cuts in central grant of 28% over the 2010 Comprehensive Spending Review period, meaning a cut of £6bn in annual grant by 2015; • extending the current FTT on shares to other asset classes such as bonds and derivatives could raise £20bn of additional revenue in the UK a year; and • At least 11 European nations including France, Germany, Italy and Spain are moving ahead with FTTs on shares, bonds and derivatives estimated to raise £30bn a year.