STIRLING COUNCIL

MINUTES of SPECIAL MEETING of STIRLING COUNCIL held in the COUNCIL
CHAMBERS, VIEWFORTH, STIRLING on THURSDAY 27 FEBRUARY 2020 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 Graham HOUSTON

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 Jim THOMSON
Councillor Alasdair TOLLEMACHE
Councillor Evelyn TWEED

In Attendance

Carol Beattie, Chief Executive

Crawford Bell, Community Development Manager (Economic Development & Communities)
Annemargaret Black, Chief Officer – Clackmannanshire & Stirling Health & Social Care Partnership/Integrated Joint Board

Jim Boyle, Chief Officer – Finance
Stephen Clark, Chief Officer – Housing

Martin Dalziel, Team Leader External Communications (Communities & Performance)
Gillian Findlay, Housing Management & Development Team Leader (Housing)
Kristine Johnson, Chief Officer – HR & OD

Kevin Kelman, Chief Operating Officer – People
Drew Leslie, Senior Manager – Infrastructure
Louise McDonald, Committee Officer (Governance)
Gillian McKenzie, Accountant (Finance)

Isabel McKnight, Chief Operating Officer – Communities & Performance
Islay Moore, Support Officer (Governance)

George Murphy, Accounting Operations Manager (Finance)

Stuart Oliver, Senior Manager – Economic Development & Communities
Brian Richardson, Accounting Team Leader (Finance)

Brian Roberts, Chief Operating Officer – Infrastructure & Environment

Scott Ross, Transformation Policy & Performance Manager (Communities & Performance)
Karen Swan, Committee Officer (Governance)

Lorraine Thomson, Unison Branch Secretary

Marie Valente, Senior Manager – Children & Families (CSWO)
Gregor Wightman, Private Sector Housing Manager (Housing)
Julia McAfee, Chief Officer – Governance (Clerk)

Also in Attendance‌‌‌‌

Andrew Wallace, Audit Scotland

SC265 APOLOGIES

There were no apologies submitted.

SC266 DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

There were no declarations of interest.

Information/advice from officers on the Determination of Council Tax 2020/21 Proposal and Amendment had been tabled prior to the meeting in accordance with Standing Order 47, and this is attached as Appendix B to these Minutes.

SC267 DETERMINATION OF COUNCIL TAX 2020/21

A report submitted by the Chief Executive provided information to the Council on the 2019/20 Revenue Budget that would allow the level of B and D Council Tax for 2020/21 to be determined.

On 7 January 2020 the UK Budget date was confirmed as 11 March 2020. The
timescale had presented the Scottish Government with significant problems in
scheduling the Scottish Draft Budget and the Local Government Finance Settlement, both of which would normally take place in early/mid-December.

The Scottish Government subsequently confirmed that they would announce the Scottish Draft Budget and Local Government Finance Settlement on 6 February 2020, announcements had now been made.

In response to an Elected Member question, the Chief Officer – Finance confirmed that the budget contained a number of pressure areas, in particular “PPB savings options not met” and “PBB options under review” (detailed in Appendix 1 to the submitted report). Officers were working to reduce the deficit but it had to be noted that some may not be met.

The Chief Officer – Finance also confirmed that budget proposals would be
presented within the reports published for the Special Meeting of Stirling Council on 12 March 2020, referring to the decision taken by the Finance & Economy Committee in June 2019.

Budget Proposal

“That the Council agrees:

1. To note the considerations set out in the officer report, “Determination of Council Tax 2020/21” which appears on the agenda for this meeting of Council;

    

2. That a Band D Council Tax of £1,344.29 (4.84% increase) be set for 2020/21 as detailed in Appendix 1 of this Motion, and to note that the Council Tax increase will help to mitigate against the spending reductions that will be required to achieve a balances budget for 2020/21, and to protect the delivery of essential public services;

    

3. That a Council Tax be paid in respect of chargeable dwelling in each of the other valuation bands in accordance with Section 74(1) of the Local Government Finance Act, 1992.

    

   Moved by Councillor Margaret Brisley, seconded by Councillor Alison Laurie.

    

   Amendment

    

   “To add to the Administration Resolution:

    

4. To instruct officers to bring forward to the first appropriate meeting of Council, cost effective and practical options for paying back surpluses created as a result of changes to the Local Government finance settlement to Council Taxpayers; and

    

5. To instruct officers to publish immediately on the Council Website and make printed copies available in all Public Libraries the proposed officer options totalling £4.8m referenced at 2.2 of the officer report.”

    

   Moved by Councillor Neil Benny, seconded by Councillor Martin Earl.
   On the roll being called the Members present voted as follows:-

   For the Amendment (8)

    

   Councillor Neil Benny
   Councillor Alistair Berrill
   Councillor Douglas Dodds
   Councillor Martin Earl
   Councillor Bryan Flannagan
   Councillor Alastair Majury
   Councillor Jeremy McDonald
   Councillor Ross Oxburgh

    

   Against the Amendment (15)

    

   Councillor Maureen Bennison
   Councillor Margaret Brisley
   Councillor Robert Davies
   Councillor Scott Farmer
   Councillor Danny Gibson
   Councillor Graham Houston
   Councillor Chris Kane
   Councillor Graham Lambie
   Councillor Alison Laurie
   Councillor Alasdair MacPherson
   Councillor Susan McGill
   Councillor Christine Simpson
   Councillor Alasdair Tollemache
   Councillor Jim Thomson
   Councillor Evelyn Tweed

   The Amendment fell by 15 votes to 8.
   For the Budget Proposal (15)

   Councillor Maureen Bennison
   Councillor Margaret Brisley
   Councillor Robert Davies
   Councillor Scott Farmer
   Councillor Danny Gibson
   Councillor Graham Houston
   Councillor Chris Kane
   Councillor Graham Lambie
   Councillor Alison Laurie
   Councillor Alasdair MacPherson
   Councillor Susan McGill
   Councillor Christine Simpson
   Councillor Alasdair Tollemache
   Councillor Jim Thomson
   Councillor Evelyn Tweed

    

   Against the Budget Proposal (8)

    

   Councillor Neil Benny
   Councillor Alistair Berrill
   Councillor Douglas Dodds
   Councillor Martin Earl
   Councillor Bryan Flannagan
   Councillor Alastair Majury
   Councillor Jeremy McDonald
   Councillor Ross Oxburgh

    

   Decision

    

   The Motion was carried 15 votes to 8, and accordingly the Council agreed to approve the Administration’s Determination of Council Tax 2020/21 Proposal, as set out in Appendix A to these minutes.

    

   (Reference: Report by Chief Executive, dated 20 February 2020, submitted)

    

   SC268 HOUSING RENTAL STRATEGY 2020/21

    

   The Chief Operating Officer – Communities & Performance submitted a report that sought approval for a rent increase for Council house rents, garages and pitch sites for 2020/21.

    

   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. The approach required the service to present Elected Members and tenants with a breakdown of known cost pressures and savings for the forthcoming financial year and to consult on the balance of cost savings versus rent increase in order to produce a balanced budget.

    

   A full budget consultation process for rent setting was agreed in consultation with the Housing Advisory Group (HAG) and included the use of Social media, Facebook and Twitter. Consultation began in November 2019 and ended with a return date of 6 January 2020. Detailed results of the consultation were shown in Appendix 1 to the submitted report.

    

   This year’s consultation gave tenants two options for a rent increase of 3.2% or 4.0%.

    

   The first rent increase option of 3.2% would fund the estimated cost pressures, which equated to £653,000. The second rent increase option of 4.0% equated to £816,000 and would fund the expansion of solar photovoltaic (PV) and battery storage to reduce tenant energy bills and fuel poverty, as well as address climate and environmental concerns.‌

    

   Decision

    

   Council agreed to:

    

   1. approve an increase of 3.2% for house rents in 2020/21;

       

   2. approve an increase of 3.2% for garages and pitch sites in 2020/21; and

       

   3. approve the Housing Revenue Account budget for 2020/21, as detailed in Appendix 2 to the submitted report.

(Reference: Report by Chief Operating Officer – Communities & Performance, dated 19 February 2020, submitted)

SC269 HOUSING – CAPITAL INVESTMENT PROGRAMME 2020/21

A report submitted by the Chief Operating Officer – Communities & Performance detailed that the Housing Revenue Account Capital Investment Programme for 2020/21 was based on the Council’s agreed 30-year housing business plan. It ensured the housing service improved and developed its housing stock to meet the Scottish Housing Quality Standard beyond 2015, achieve the Energy Efficiency Standard for Social Housing (EESSH-2020) by December 2020 and the new Energy Efficiency Standard for Social Housing (EESSH-2032) that was announced by the Scottish Government in 2019 that social landlords must meet by December 2032.

Total planned expenditure for the year was £18.360 million.

Funding from revenue was expected to be £6.682 million with prudential borrowing for the year estimated at approximately £6.904 million and income from the strategic housing account projected to be £200,000.

Grant funding from the Scottish Government of up to £3.782 million would be
available to support the construction of new Council housing in 2020/21.

Additional funding of £792,000 would also be available from Scottish Government to continue the delivery of the energy efficiency programme to the private housing sector.

In response to Members questions, the Chief Officer – Housing confirmed that
Stirling Council was 23% and 53% in compliance with the respected EESSH-2020 and EESSH-2032 renewable technologies, noting that Stirling was ahead in comparison to a number of other local authorises.

The Chief Officer – Housing responded to a Members question on Central Heating Air source technology and advised that it was a future technology that Stirling Council was reviewing.

Decision

Council agreed to approve the 2020/21 Capital Investment Programme as detailed in the submitted report.

(Reference: Report by Chief Operating Officer – Communities & Performance, dated 19 February 2020, submitted)

The Provost declared the Meeting closed at 11.05am.

Appendix a

APPENDIX B

SPECIAL MEETING of the STIRLING COUNCIL to be held in the COUNCIL CHAMBERS,
OLD VIEWFORTH, STIRLING on THURSDAY 27 FEBRUARY 2020

Budget Proposals and Amendments in terms of Standing Orders 44 to 49
Information/Advice from Officers

1. Budget Proposals Submitted by the Administration

1. Determination of Council Tax 2020/21 (proposed Councillor Margaret
   Brisley, seconded Councillor Alison Laurie)

    

   As set out in the officer report, the setting of the Council Tax in advance of the setting of the General Fund Budget is a departure from the normal practice of setting both together, and has been brought about by delays in national government planning processes, and the consequent compression of timescales. The Motion proposed by Councillor Brisley and seconded by Councillor Laurie, recommends that the maximum permissible increase of 4.84% be applied, and if approved will provide the Council with the maximum additional funding from that source to support the budget for 2020/21. From that respect the Council would not be foregoing any income that could help to support the budget, that it could otherwise have raised. In that respect, setting the tax at the proposed level will confirm the overall council tax funding for the financial year 2020/21, and will then be built into the budget proposals
   to be considered on 12 March. Crucially, it will also allow officers to produce council tax bills and for them to be issued in time to avoid disruption to collection levels and inconvenience to individual council tax payers.

    

2. Housing Rental Strategy 2020/21 (proposed Councillor Danny Gibson,
   seconded Councillor Graham Lambie)

    

   Officer advice and information on the Budget and Rents Proposal is set out in the report submitted with the agenda, and this Motion simply endorses that report and recommendations contained therein.

    

3. Housing – Capital Investment Programme 2020/21 (proposed Councillor
   Danny Gibson, seconded Councillor Graham Lambie)

Officer advice and information on the Housing Capital Investment Programme
Proposalis set out in the report submitted with the agenda, and this Motion
simply endorses that report and recommendations contained therein.

SPECIAL MEETING of the STIRLING COUNCIL to be held in the COUNCIL CHAMBERS,
OLD VIEWFORTH, STIRLING on THURSDAY 27 FEBRUARY 2020

Budget Proposals and Amendments in terms of Standing Orders 44 & 49
Information/Advice from Officers

1. Budget Amendment Submitted by the Opposition

a) Determination of Council Tax 2020/21 (proposed Councillor Neil Benny,
seconded Councillor Martin Earl)

1. Should additional funding be added to the Local Government finance
   settlement announced on 6 February 2020, Officers will identify further
   options around the use of that funding. Those options could include use
   of funding to assist in balancing the 2020/21 budget, contribution or part
   contribution to Council reserves or any other options that may be
   available. These will, of course, be presented to Council for
   consideration and decision.

    

2. Officer Options, which have already been shared with all Members, will
   be formally published along with the papers for consideration by
   Members at the Council meeting of 12 March 2020.