STIRLING COUNCIL
MINUTES of the SPECIAL MEETING of STIRLING COUNCIL held in the COUNCIL
CHAMBERS, VIEWFORTH, STIRLING on THURSDAY 22 FEBRUARY 2018 at 10.00 AM
Present:
Provost Christine SIMPSON (in the Chair)
Councillor Maureen BENNISON
Councillor Neil BENNY
Councillor Alistair BERRILL
Councillor Margaret BRISLEY
Councillor Robert DAVIES
Councillor Douglas DODDS
Councillor Martin EARL
Councillor Scott FARMER
Councillor Bryan FLANNAGAN
Councillor Danny GIBSON
Councillor Chris KANE
Councillor Graham LAMBIE
Councillor Alison LAURIE
Councillor Alasdair MACPHERSON
Councillor Alastair MAJURY
Councillor Jeremy MCDONALD
Councillor Susan MCGILL
Councillor Ross OXBURGH
Councillor Alasdair TOLLEMACHE
Councillor Jim THOMSON
Councillor Evelyn TWEED
In Attendance
Carol Beattie, Director of Children, Communities & Enterprise
Jim Boyle, Chief Officer – Finance (Localities & Infrastructure)
Stewart Carruth, Chief Executive
Graham Gibson, Communications Officer (Children, Communities & Enterprise)
Carol Hamilton, Service Manager Housing, Augmented Care & Support (Children, Communities & Enterprise)
Kristine Johnson, Chief Officer HR & OD (Children, Communities & Enterprise)
Kevin Kelman, Senior Manager Schools & Learning (Children, Communities & Enterprise)
John MacMillan, Service Manager, Integrated Facilities Management (Localities & Infrastructure)
Louise McDonald, Support Officer (Localities & Infrastructure)
Isabel McKnight, Chief Officer – Strategic Commissioning & Customer Development (Children, Communities & Enterprise)
Alan Milliken, Senior Manager Communities & People (Children, Communities & Enterprise)
Nicole Paterson, Senior Manager Environment & Place (Localities & Infrastructure)
Brian Roberts, Senior Manager Infrastructure (Localities & Infrastructure)
Fiona Robertson, Interim Senior Manager Economic Development & Regeneration (Children, Communities & Enterprise)
Marie Valente, Senior Manager Children & Families (Children, Communities & Enterprise)
Iain Strachan, Chief Officer - Governance (Localities & Infrastructure) (Clerk)
Karen Swan, Committee Officer (Localities & Infrastructure)
Prior to the start of the meeting the Provost updated the meeting on the work following the fire at Murray Place in Stirling. She commended and thanked the emergency staff and Council Officers for their speed and efficiency in handling the situation.
SC73 APOLOGIES
Apologises were submitted on behalf of Councillor Graham Houston.
SC74 DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST
Councillor Gibson declared a non-financial interest in respect of another person for Item 3 - Revenue Budget and Determination of Council Tax 2018/19, Councillor Gibson’s spouse being employed by Stirling University to undertake dementia research, this being relevant to the Dementia-Friendly City Initiative in the Administration Motion.
Information/advice from officers on the Budget Proposals and Amendments had been tabled prior to the meeting in accordance with Standing Order 20, and this is attached as Appendix C to these Minutes.
SC75 REVENUE BUDGET AND DETERMINATION OF COUNCIL TAX 2018/19
The purpose of the report was to provide Council with details of the 2018/19 General Fund revenue Budget along with indicative financial plans for the following four financial years 2019/20 to 2022/23.
The report also provided a full suite of documents that brought together the budget, the five-year Business Plan and the Strategic Workforce Plans and provided Members with an integrated view of the Council’s position for the coming five year.
The Members commended and thanked the Council officers for good financial
management and work entailed in the process of the budget.
Budget Proposal
“That Council approves the Administration Revenue Budget Proposal published in accordance with Standing Orders 17 – 19 with agreed amendments to that at point
(11) of the Proposal the Total Budget Expenditure to be Funded would be £213.1m not £213.2m.”
Moved by Councillor Margaret Brisley, seconded by Councillor Alison Laurie
Amendment
“That Council approves the Opposition Revenue Budget Proposal published in
accordance with Standing Orders 17 – 19.”
Moved by Councillor Neil Benny, seconded by Councillor Martin Earl
On the roll being called the Members present voted as follows:-
For the Amendment (9)
Councillor Neil Benny
CouncillorAlistair Berrill
Councillor Robert Davis
Councillor Douglas Dodds
Councillor Martin Earl
Councillor Bryan Flannagan
Councillor Alastair Majury
Councillor Jeremy McDonald
Councillor Ross Oxburgh
Against the Amendment (13)
Councillor Maureen Bennison
Councillor Margaret Brisley
Councillor Scott Farmer
Councillor Danny Gibson
Councillor Chris Kane
Councillor Graham Lambie
Councillor Alison Laurie
Councillor Alasdair MacPherson
Councillor Susan McGill
Provost Christine Simpson
Councillor Alasdair Tollemache
Councillor Jim Thomson
Councillor Evelyn Tweed
The Amendment fell by 13 votes to 9.
For the Motion (22)
Councillor Maureen Bennison
Councillor Neil Benny
Councillor Alistair Berrill
Councillor Margaret Brisley
Councillor Robert Davies
Councillor Douglas Dodds
Councillor Martin Earl
Councillor Scott Farmer
Councillor Bryan Flannagan
Councillor Danny Gibson
Councillor Chris Kane
Councillor Graham Lambie
Councillor Alison Laurie
Councillor Alasdair MacPherson
Councillor Alastair Majury
Councillor Jeremy McDonald
Councillor Susan McGill
Councillor Ross Oxburgh
Provost Christine Simpson
Councillor Alasdair Tollemache
Councillor Jim Thomson
Councillor Evelyn Tweed
Decision
The Motion was carried by 22 votes to 0, and accordingly the Council agreed to approve the Administration Revenue Budget Proposal as set out at Appendix A to these minutes.
(Reference: Report by Chief Executive dated 13 February 2018, submitted)
SC76 PROPOSED GENERAL SERVICES CAPITAL PROGRAMME 2018/19 TO 2021/22
The purpose of the report was to provide Council with details of the 2018/19 General Services Capital Programme, along with an indicative programme for the following 3 years.
The report sets out the resources availability for the financial year 2018/19, along with assumptions for future years. The report also takes account of the provisional capital budgets as approved by the Council on 23 February 2017, as varied by any decision made by the Council since that report.
In response to a Member’s question, the Convener of Environment & Housing
Committee agreed that an update report on Flood Schemes, in particular Aberfoyle, would be submitted to a future meeting of the Committee.
Following approval of the Administration Revenue Budget Proposal earlier in the meeting, Cllr Benny and Cllr Earl agreed to withdraw their Capital Budget Proposal. The Administration Capital Budget Proposal was therefore agreed without the need for a roll call vote with disscent recorded for Councillor MacPherson.
Decision
That Council agreed to approve the Administration Capital Budget Proposal as set out at Appendix B to these minutes.
(Reference: Report by Chief Executive dated 15 February 2018, submitted)
SC77 HOUSING RENTAL STRATEGY 2018/19
The report sought to determine the rent increase for 2018/19.
As part of the 2014/15 rent setting process the Council agreed to move away from ‘inflation plus’ and instead use a ‘cost of service’ approach. It required the service to present Elected Members and tenants with a breakdown of known cost pressures and savings for the forthcoming financial year and consult on the balance of cost savings versus rent increase in order to produce a balanced budget.
This year’s consultation was carried out on the basis of a 1.6% rent increase.
Council was now asked to set the rents for 2018/19 based on the assumptions of the Housing Revenue Account budget as discussed in paragraphs 3.10 and 3.11 of the submitted report.
A full consultation process for rent setting was agreed in consultation with Housing Advisory Group and included the use of Social media, Facebook and twitter. Consultation began in November 2017 and continued through December 2017. The results of the consultation process were set out in the report. The results showed support for a 1.6% rent rise to enable the Council to continue with the 2018/19 investment programme. The results of the tenant consultation were shown in Appendix 2 to the report.
The detailed budget for the Housing Revenue Account 2018/19 was shown in the Appendix 3 to the report.
Decision
The Council agreed to:-
-
approve an increase of 1.6% for house rents in 2018/19;
-
approve an increase of 1.6% for garages and pitches sites; and
-
approve the Housing Revenue Account budget for 2018/19 as detailed Appendix 3 of the submitted report.
(Reference: Joint report by Chief Executive and Director of Children, Communities & Enterprise, undated, submitted)
SC78 HOUSING – CAPITAL INVESTMENT PROGRAMME 2018/19
The Housing Revenue Account Capital Investment Programme for 2018/19 had been based on the Council’s agreed 30-year housing business plan and set to ensure that we continue to meet the Scottish Housing Quality Standard beyond 2015 and achieve the Energy Efficiency Standard for Social Housing by 2020.
Total planned expenditure for the year was £14.499 million.
Funding from revenue was expected to be £6.021 million with prudential borrowing for the year estimated at approximately £5.568 million and income from the strategic housing account projected to be £200,000.
Grant funding from the Scottish Government of up to £1,710,000 would also be available to support the construction of new Council housing.
Decision
The Council agreed:-
1. to approve the 2018/19 Capital Investment Programme as detailed in the
submitted report.
(Reference: Report by Chief Executive dated 31 January 2018, submitted)
The Convener closed the Meeting at 11.40 am