Agenda, decisions and draft minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Lisa Nash, Steven Patmore, Sam Collins and Cathy Brownjohn.

Audio recording – 1 minute 51 seconds

 

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Lisa Nash, Steven Patmore, Sam Collins and Cathy Brownjohn.

 

Councillor Michael Muir was absent.

To take as read and approve as a true record the minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on the 15 January and 23 January 2025.

RESOLVED: That the Minutes of the Meeting of the Committee held on 15 January and 23 January 2025 be approved as a true record of the proceedings and be signed by the Chair.

Audio recording – 2 minutes 7 seconds

 

Councillor Clare Billing, as Chair, proposed and Councillor Daniel Allen seconded and, following a vote, it was:

 

RESOLVED: That the Minutes of the Meeting of the Committee held on 15 January and 23 January 2025 be approved as a true record of the proceedings and be signed by the Chair.

Members should notify the Chair of other business which they wish to be discussed at the end of either Part I or Part II business set out in the agenda. They must state the circumstances which they consider justify the business being considered as a matter of urgency.

 

The Chair will decide whether any item(s) raised will be considered.

There was no other business notified.

Audio recording – 2 minutes 54 seconds

 

There was no other business notified.

Climate Emergency

 

The Council has declared a climate emergency and is committed to achieving a target of zero carbon emissions by 2030 and helping local people and businesses to reduce their own carbon emissions.

 

A Cabinet Panel on the Environment has been established to engage with local people on matters relating to the climate emergency and advise the council on how to achieve these climate change objectives. A Climate Change Implementation group of councillors and council officers meets regularly to produce plans and monitor progress. Actions taken or currently underway include switching to green energy, incentives for low emission taxis, expanding tree planting and working to cut food waste.

 

In addition the council is a member of the Hertfordshire Climate Change and Sustainability Partnership, working with other councils across Hertfordshire to reduce the county’s carbon emissions and climate impact.

 

The Council’s dedicated webpage on Climate Change includes details of the council’s climate change strategy, the work of the Cabinet Panel on the Environment and a monthly briefing on progress.

 

Ecological Emergency

 

The Council has declared an ecological emergency and is committed to addressing the ecological emergency and nature recovery by identifying appropriate areas for habitat restoration and biodiversity net gain whilst ensuring that development limits impact on existing habitats in its process.

 

The Council has set out to do that by a) setting measurable targets and standards for biodiversity increase, in both species and quantities, seeking to increase community engagement, b) to work with our partners to establish a Local Nature Partnership for Hertfordshire and to develop Nature Recovery Networks and Nature Recovery Strategy for Hertfordshire and c) to investigate new approaches to nature recovery such as habitat banking that deliver biodiversity objectives and provide new investment opportunities.

 

Declarations of Interest

 

Members are reminded that any declarations of interest in respect of any business set out in the agenda, should be declared as either a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest or Declarable Interest and are required to notify the Chair of the nature of any interest declared at the commencement of the relevant item on the agenda. Members declaring a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest must withdraw from the meeting for the duration of the item. Members declaring a Declarable Interest, wishing to exercise a ‘Councillor Speaking Right’, must declare this at the same time as the interest, move to the public area before speaking to the item and then must leave the room before the debate and vote.

(1)   The Chair advised that, in accordance with Council Policy, the meeting would be recorded.

 

(2)   The Chair reminded Members that the Council had declared both a Climate Emergency and an Ecological Emergency. These are serious decisions, and mean that, as this was an emergency, all of us, Officers and Members had that in mind as we carried out our various roles and tasks for the benefit of our District.

 

(3)   The Chair drew attention to the item on the agenda front pages regarding Declarations of Interest and reminded Members that, in line with the Code of Conduct, any Declarations of Interest needed to be declared immediately prior to the item in question.

 

(4)   The Chair advised that the normal procedure rules in respect of debate and times to speak will apply.

 

(5)   The Chair advised that 4.8.23(a) of the Constitution did not apply to this meeting. A comfort break would be held at an appropriate time, should proceedings continue at length.

 

(6)   The Chair reminded the Committee about the upcoming Chair’s Civic Event and Awards, being held on Friday 28 February 2025.

Audio recording – 3 minutes 4 seconds

 

(1)   The Chair advised that, in accordance with Council Policy, the meeting would be recorded.

 

(2)   The Chair reminded Members that the Council had declared both a Climate Emergency and an Ecological Emergency. These are serious decisions, and mean that, as this was an emergency, all of us, Officers and Members had that in mind as we carried out our various roles and tasks for the benefit of our District.

 

(3)   The Chair drew attention to the item on the agenda front pages regarding Declarations of Interest and reminded Members that, in line with the Code of Conduct, any Declarations of Interest needed to be declared immediately prior to the item in question.

 

(4)   The Chair advised that the normal procedure rules in respect of debate and times to speak will apply.

 

(5)   The Chair advised that 4.8.23(a) of the Constitution did not apply to this meeting. A comfort break would be held at an appropriate time, should proceedings continue at length.

 

(6)   The Chair reminded the Committee about the upcoming Chair’s Civic Event and Awards, being held on Friday 28 February 2025.

To receive petitions, comments and questions from the public.

There was no public participation at this meeting.

Audio recording – 5 minutes 26 seconds

 

There was no public participation at this meeting.

6A) Cabinet – Budget 2025/26 (Revenue Budget and Investment Strategy) – to be considered with Item 10.

The Chair advised that the item referred from Cabinet would be taken with the respective item on the agenda.

Audio recording – 5 minutes 30 seconds

 

The Chair advised that the item referred from Cabinet would be taken with the respective item on the agenda.

REPORT OF THE DEMOCRATIC SERVICES MANAGER

 

To consider and agree the Draft Proposals for the second stage of public consultation of the Community Governance Review.

RESOLVED: That Council:

 

(1)   Noted the outcome of the first stage consultation.

 

(2)   Agreed the Draft Proposals for the Community Governance Review, launching a public consultation on these [note that the Final Recommendations will be considered at a future Council meeting, taking the results of the public consultation into account] to subject to the following amendments:

 

i     Letchworth:

 

Draft Proposals

(1) Create a new parish for Letchworth, served by a new Town Council, subject to engagement from local residents through the consultation, with wards to align to the district wards: Grange: 3 Norton: 2 South East: 3 South West: 3 Wilbury: 2 (2)To ensure local people are aware of the proposal to establish a Town Council and the opportunities and implications of it, hard-copy leaflets should be produced with the Comms team and distributed to every household in Letchworth inviting them to respond to the consultation. The information will be entirely neutral, leaving the opportunity for local people to discuss and motivate the decision.

           

       ii.  That the proposed number of councillors for parishes with fewer than 500

            electors be reduced from 7 to 5.

 

(3)   Noted that hard-copy leaflets will be distributed to households in areas where external parish boundaries are proposed to be moved, new parish councils established, or new parish wards implemented.

 

REASON FOR DECISIONS: The Council is required to keep parish electoral arrangements under review. Following the Local Government Boundary Commission for England (LGBCE) review of district electoral arrangements (Council size and warding patterns), it is necessary to review parish arrangements across the district to bring them into alignment, ensure they remain fit for purpose, and to ensure they continue to reflect local needs. This report provides Draft Proposals following the first round of public consultation. Before Final Recommendations can be developed and considered, there must be a public consultation on the Draft Proposals, the responses to which will be taken into account in forming the Final Recommendations.

Audio recording – 5 minutes 46 seconds

 

Richard Beesley, a Consultant working for the Council, presented the report entitled ‘Community Governance Review – Draft Proposals for Public Consultation’ and advised that:

 

·       The Council was undertaking a Community Governance Review (CGR) of parish electoral arrangements.

·       The results from the first stage of public consultation had been used to develop a number of draft proposals.

·       Once these draft proposals were approved by Council, a second round of public consultation would begin. Responses to the second round of public consultation would be used to develop the final recommendations which would come back to Council later in the year for consideration and implementation.

·       This paper set out the background and legislative considerations, but nothing has been finalised at this stage.

·       It was important to hear the views of local people, parish and town councils throughout the consultation.

·       Part of the proposal was to change the electoral cycle to move parish and town council elections in line with North Herts Council elections.

·       Another part was to amend the number of parish and town councillors as set out in paragraph 8.10 of the report.

·       It was proposed to adjust several external parish boundaries and to create new town councils in Baldock and Hitchin.

·       It was proposed to adjust internal parish ward boundaries to align with North Herts Council wards in Royston and to create of new parish ward in Ickleford.

·       Leaflets would be distributed to households in areas affected by any proposed changes to ensure awareness of public consultations. This would start slightly later on 14 March 2025.

 

Following a question from Councillor Clare Strong, the Consultant advised that parish council elections could still be changed if required following the English Devolution White Paper.

 

Councillor Emma Fernandes proposed an amendment to recommendation 2.2 for a draft proposal for a parish and town council for Letchworth, subject to consultation with residents, with wards to align to the district wards. Councillor Nigel Mason seconded the amendment.

 

The following Members took part in the debate on the amendment: 

 

·       Councillor Ian Mantle

·       Councillor Ralph Muncer

·       Councillor David Chalmers

·       Councillor Claire Strong

·       Councillor Sean Nolan

·       Councillor Sean Prendergast

·       Councillor Nigel Mason

·       Councillor Alistair Willoughby

·       Councillor Tina Bhartwas

·       Councillor Daniel Allen

 

Points raised during the debate included:

 

·       There had been an unsuccessful attempt in the past to create a parish for Letchworth due to the results of consultation with local residents.

·       Due to the uncertainty in the future of the Council following the English Devolution White Paper it was important to ensure that Letchworth was not left without a town council.

·       The residents of Letchworth should be given the opportunity to discuss and offer their opinions before a decision of creating a parish and new town council was decided.

·       There were concerns of the costs involved and whether it was the right time for this to happen with the uncertainty of the future of the Council.

·       The number of councillor seats per ward could be determined at a later stage in  ...  view the full minutes text for item 94.

REPORT OF THE HEAD OF PAID SERVICE

 

This report sets out proposed changes to the structure of the Council’s Leadership Team and Senior Management, to create additional capacity to support the delivery of the Council Plan whilst also ensuring staff are supported, work is delivered, and strategic leadership is provided.

 

RESOLVED: That Council:

 

(1)   Approved the ongoing additional budget of £112k per year for inclusion in the Budget 2025/26 (Revenue Budget and Investment Strategy).

 

(2)   Noted the proposed Leadership Team and Senior Management arrangements as set out in the report and the proposed timetable for the implementation of these arrangements.

 

(3)   Waived the constitutional requirements for the appoint of a Director, in this instance, and authorise the Head of Paid Service to offer the new role of Director - Regulatory to the current Service Director Housing and Environmental Health.

 

(4)   Authorised the Monitoring Officer and Chief Finance Officer to make the necessary amendments to the Council’s Constitution (including the Contract Procurement Rules and Financial Regulations) and any consequential title changes to other Policy and Procedure documentation, to reflect the new Leadership Team and Senior Management arrangements.             

 

REASON FOR DECISIONS: To ensure that the Council has a Leadership Team and Senior Management structure that is fit for purpose and is able to deliver the Council’s priorities. The proposed structure also responds to one of the recommendations in the Corporate Peer Challenge report.

Audio recording – 48 minutes 50 seconds

 

N.B. The Service Director – Resources and the Service Director – Legal and Community moved to the public gallery for this item.

 

The Managing Director presented the report entitled ‘Leadership Team and Senior Management Restructure’ and advised:

 

·       This was a very thorough report and was self-explanatory.

·       The proposals in the report have been developed over several years.

·       This proposal was supported by the findings of the LGA Corporate Peer Challenge who had stated that the leadership team should be increased to ensure sufficient strategic leadership capacity and effective deliverance of services.

·       The current leadership team at North Hertfordshire District Council was smaller and cheaper than other similar councils.

·       The Council had been operating with this temporary structure for 18 months and a difference in delivery had been seen.

·       Having a seventh director had created capacity for the other directors to dedicate to other areas.

·       A number of options had been considered and these were all detailed in the report.

·       The post of the ‘Managing Director’ was to be renamed to ‘Chief Executive’ and the posts of ‘Service Director’ renamed ‘Director’.

·       Descriptions of each position could be found in paragraphs 8.2-8.10 of the report.

·       Staff had engaged positively and constructively to the consultation and feedback has been incorporated into this proposal where possible. The proposal had changed from start of consultation to what was presented to Council.

·       If approved, the seventh director position and new structure would start from the beginning of the new financial year, 1 April 2025.

 

The following Members asked questions:

 

·       Councillor Claire Strong

·       Councillor Joe Graziano

·       Councillor Ralph Muncer

·       Councillor Martin Prescott

·       Councillor David Barnard

·       Councillor Daniel Allen

 

In response to questions, the Managing Director advised that:

 

·       Local government was a completely different sector to retail and division of budget and headcount did not equate to equality of responsibilities.

·       The post of one of the directors was part time for 30 hours a week and savings from this had already been allocated elsewhere within the staffing budget.

·       The best outcome for the Council would be to retain the individual who has been in the role on a temporary basis.

·       Two service directors would be retiring over the next few months and retaining this individual would help to ensure the stability of the Council.

·       The timeline for recruiting a new individual would be approximately 2-3 months from start to finish, plus any notice period.

·       An individual transferring from another local authority would be able to retain continuous service benefits.

·       The LGA Corporate Peer Challenge identified that the current leadership team was stretched and a permanent position of a seventh director would provide additional capacity.

 

Councillor Ruth Brown proposed an amendment to recommendation 2.1 that the additional budget of £112k per year was for 2 years only. Councillor Paul Ward seconded the amendment.

 

The following Members took part in the debate on the amendment:

 

·       Councillor Sadie Billing

·       Councillor Alistair Willoughby

·       Councillor Sean Nolan

·       Councillor Paul Ward

·       Councillor Nigel Mason

·       Councillor Daniel Allen  ...  view the full minutes text for item 95.

REPORT OF THE SERVICE DIRECTOR – RESOURCES

 

This report sets out a draft Pay Policy Statement 2025/26 (Appendix 1) for Council’s consideration and approval in accordance with the requirements of Section 38 of the Localism Act 2011 (the Act), associated guidance issued under Section 40 of the Act, the Local Government Transparency Code 2015 and any other relevant legislation.

RESOLVED:That Council:

 

(1)   Approved the 2025/26 Pay Policy Statement attached at Appendix 1.

 

(2)   Delegated authority for revisions made in year to the Pay Policy Statement, to the Service Director - Resources, in consultation with the Leader of the Council. Revisions which might arise in the year include changes in structure, changes to employment benefits, subsequent pay awards agreed nationally and new legislative requirements.

 

REASON FOR DECISIONS: To comply with the requirements of Section 38 of the Localism Act 2011, Statutory Guidance issued under s40 and the Local Government Transparency Code 2015.

Audio recording – 1 hours 36 minutes 36 seconds

 

The Services Director Resources presented the report ‘Pay Policy Statement 2025/26’ and advised that:

 

·       The draft Pay Policy Statement 2025/36 at Appendix 1 was for approval by Council.

·       This was a statutory requirement to be approved annually as required by The Localism Act 2011.

 

Councillor Daniel Allen proposed and Councillor Ian Albert seconded and, following a vote, it was:

 

RESOLVED:That Council:

 

(1)   Approved the 2025/26 Pay Policy Statement attached at Appendix 1.

 

(2)   Delegated authority for revisions made in year to the Pay Policy Statement, to the Service Director - Resources, in consultation with the Leader of the Council. Revisions which might arise in the year include changes in structure, changes to employment benefits, subsequent pay awards agreed nationally and new legislative requirements.

 

REASON FOR DECISIONS: To comply with the requirements of Section 38 of the Localism Act 2011, Statutory Guidance issued under s40 and the Local Government Transparency Code 2015.

 

N.B. There was a break in proceedings following this item and the meeting reconvened at 21:23

REPORT OF THE SERVICE DIRECTOR – RESOURCES

 

Cabinet recommends a budget for 2025/26 to Council for their consideration and approval.

RESOLVED: That Council:

 

(1)   Noted the position on the Collection Fund and how it would be funded.

 

(2)   Noted the position relating to the General Fund balance and that due to the risks identified a minimum balance of £2.6 million was recommended.

 

(3)   Noted the revenue savings that were likely to be required in future years, combined with the Chief Finance Officer’s section 25 report (Appendix D) which provided a commentary on the risks and reliability of estimates contained in the budget.

 

(4)   Approved the revenue savings and investments as detailed in Addendum Appendix B, as amended by additional proposals.

 

(5)   Approved the capital programme as detailed in Appendix C.

 

(6)   Approved a net expenditure budget of £22.914m, as detailed in Appendix E as amended.

 

(7)   Approved a Council Tax increase of 2.99%, which was in line with the provisions in the Medium Term Financial Strategy.

 

(8)   Approved the Investment Strategy as detailed in Appendix F.

 

(9)   Approved the adoption of the four clauses in relation to the Code of Practice on Treasury Management (as detailed in paragraphs 8.32 to 8.35).

 

(10) Approved to increase Grant funding for Community Forums by £30,000 for 2025/26 only, in the light of the continued reduced support to local organisations from County Council Member Locality Budgets.

 

(11) Approved to set aside a contingency budget of £40k in 2025/26 that will allow cost effective feasibility work to be carried out to further assess whether there are viable options for a Learner pool at Royston Leisure Centre.

 

(12) Approved that once having spoken with residents, particularly in the rural communities, to add an additional Community Safety Officer post at a cost of £52,000 per year from 2025/26 onwards.

 

REASONS FOR DECISIONS:

 

(1)   To ensure that all relevant factors are considered in arriving at a budget (revenue and capital) and Council Tax level for 2025/26. To ensure that the budget is aligned to Council priorities for 2024-28 as set out in the Council Plan.

 

(2)   The Council’s Investment Strategy is set to comply with relevant statutory guidance, including the CIPFA Prudential Code. The Strategy also sets out the Council’s approach to risks in relation to the investment of surplus cash.

Audio recording 1 hour 56 minutes 30 seconds

 

N.B. Cllr Paul Ward declared an interest in this item due to his employment and left the Chamber for the duration of consideration of recommendation 2.8.

 

N.B. During the break Councillor Dominic Griffiths left the meeting and did not return.

 

The Chair advised that recommendation 2.8 would be taken ahead of recommendations 2.1-2.7 and 2.9 and the debate and vote on these would be taken separately.

 

The Chair invited Councillor Daniel Allen, as Leader of the Council, to introduce the referral from Cabinet.

 

N.B. Councillor Ruth Clifton left the Chamber at 21.29 and did not return.

 

Councillor Ian Albert, as the Executive Member for Finance and IT, presented recommendation 2.8 of the report entitled ‘Budget 2025/26 (Revenue Budget and Investment Strategy) and advised that:

 

·       The Investment Strategy highlighted where the Council could invest surplus funds and included the prudential and treasury indicators.

·       Capital spend implications meant that the Council would need to borrow to fund the capital programme and this meant that capital investment came with an increased cost.

·       The Council would need to borrow externally in the longer term with a premium.

·       Borrowing whether internally or externally resulted in a Minimum Revenue Position charge that was spread over the life of the asset it was used to fund.

 

Councillor Ian Albert proposed and Councillor Daniel Allen seconded and, the outcome of the recorded vote was:

 

VOTE TOTALS:

 

YES                 :           40

ABSTAIN        :           0

NO                   :           2

TOTAL            :           42

 

THE INDIVIDUAL RESULTS WERE AS FOLLOWS

Cllr Ian Albert                                      YES

Cllr Amy Allen                                     YES

Cllr Daniel Allen                                  YES

Cllr David Barnard                              NO

Cllr Matt Barnes                                  YES

Cllr Tina Bhartwas                              YES

Cllr Clare Billing                                  YES

Cllr Sadie Billing                                 YES

Cllr Ruth Brown                                  YES

Cllr Val Bryant                                     YES

Cllr Rhona Cameron                           YES

Cllr David  Chalmers                           YES

Cllr Jon Clayden                                 YES

Cllr Mick Debenham                           YES

Cllr Elizabeth Dennis                          YES

Cllr Emma Fernandes                         YES

Cllr Joe Graziano                                  

Cllr Dominic Griffiths                           YES

Cllr Sarah Lucas                                 YES

Cllr Keith Hoskins                               YES

Cllr Steve Jarvis                                  YES

Cllr Tim Johnson                                 YES

Cllr Chris Lucas                                  YES

Cllr Ian Mantle                                     YES

Cllr Nigel Mason                                 YES

Cllr Bryony May                                  YES

Cllr Caroline McDonnell                      YES

Cllr Ralph Muncer                               NO

Cllr Sean Nolan                                   YES

Cllr Louise Peace                               YES

Cllr Vijaiya Poopalasingham               YES

Cllr Sean Prendergast                        YES

Cllr Martin Prescott                             YES

Cllr Emma Rowe                                 YES

Cllr Claire Strong                                 

Cllr Tamsin Thomas                            YES

Cllr Tom Tyson                                   YES

Cllr Laura Williams                              YES

Cllr Alistair Willoughby                        YES

Cllr Stewart Willoughby                      YES

Cllr Claire Winchester                         YES

Cllr Dave Winstanley                          YES

Cllr Donna Wright                               YES

Cllr Daniel Wright-Mason                    YES

 

RESOLVED: That Council:

 

(1)            Approved the Investment Strategy as detailed in Appendix F.

 

REASON FOR DECISION: The Council’s Investment Strategy is set to comply with relevant statutory guidance, including the CIPFA Prudential Code. The Strategy also sets out the Council’s approach to risks in relation to the investment of surplus cash.

 

N.B. Following the conclusion of the vote on recommendation 2.8, Cllr Paul Ward returned to the Chamber for the rest of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 97.

REPORT OF THE SERVICE DIRECTOR – RESOURCES

 

The purpose of this report is to obtain approval for the Council Tax requirement and the overall Council Tax rates for the district of North Hertfordshire for 2025/26.

RESOLVED: That Council:

(1)   Noted that at its meeting on 23 January 2025 the Council Tax Setting Committee confirmed the amount 50,836.30 as its Council Tax base for the year 2025/2026 in accordance with regulation 3 of the Local Authorities (Calculation of Council Tax Base) Regulations 2012 (the Regulations).   b)    50,836.30 being the amount calculated by the Council, in accordance with Regulation 3 of the Regulations, as its Council Tax base for the year.   c)       Parish/Town Council Tax Base Parish/Town Council Tax Base Ashwell 901.70 Knebworth 2,018.70 Barkway 438.90 Lilley 178.00 Barley 338.20 Offley 616.30 Bygrave 129.40 Pirton 702.50 Caldecote and Newnham 56.70 Preston 246.10 Clothall 86.90 Radwell 58.30 Codicote 1,711.30 Reed 160.60 Graveley 175.50 Royston 6,871.60 Great Ashby 2,012.10 Rushden and Wallington 212.10 Hinxworth 162.60 St Ippolyts 948.50 Holwell 160.20 St Pauls Walden 582.10 Ickleford 898.10 Sandon 247.50 Kelshall 80.90 Therfield 267.50 Kimpton 1,062.50 Weston 446.40 Kings Walden 425.00 Wymondley 431.20           Being the amounts calculated by the Council, in accordance with Regulation 6 of the Regulations, as the amounts of its Council Tax base for the year for dwellings in those parts of its area to which one or more special items relate.     d)    That it be noted that at this meeting on the 27 February 2025 the Council has calculated the Council Tax requirement for the Council’s own purposes for 2025/26 (excluding Parish precepts) as £13,612,944. As detailed in 2.2 (e) below the sum of special items is £1,522,848 and hence the total Council Tax requirement (including Parish precepts) is £15,135,792.   (2)   That the following amounts be now calculated by the Council for 2025/2026 in accordance with Sections 31A, 31B and 34 to 36 of the Local Government and Finance Act 1992 (the Act):-   a) £82,806,829 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.   b) £67,671,037 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.   c) £15,135,792 being the amount by which the aggregate at (a) above exceeds the aggregate at (b) above, calculated by the Council, in accordance with Section 31A(4) of the Act, as its Council Tax requirement for the year.   d) £297.74 being the amount at (c) above divided by the amount at 2.1(a) above calculated by the Council in accordance with Section 31B(1) as the basic amount of its Council Tax for the year.   e) £1,522,848 being the aggregate amount of all special items referred to in Section 34(1) of the Act.   f) £267.78   being the amount at (d) above less the result given by dividing the amount at (e) above by the amount at 2.1(a) above, calculated by the Council, in accordance with Section 34(2) of the Act, as the basic amount of its Council Tax for the year for dwellings in those parts of its area to which no special item relates.   g)          Parish/Town Basic  ...  view the full decision text for item 98.

Audio recording - 3 hours 37 minutes 3 seconds

 

The Service Director – Resources presented the report ‘Council Tax Resolution 2024/25’ and advised that:

 

·       The Council was required to incorporate the various other elements of the Council Tax precepts to set the overall Council Tax bills for the district.

·       As there would be an increase to the forecast spend for 2025/26 this had resulted in a change to the figures in recommendations 2.2 (a) and (b)’

 

Councillor Ian Albert proposed and Councillor Daniel Allen seconded the amended recommendations and, the outcome of the recorded vote was:

 

VOTE TOTALS:

 

YES                 :           37

ABSTAIN        :           3

NO                   :           1

TOTAL            :           41

 

THE INDIVIDUAL RESULTS WERE AS FOLLOWS:

 

Cllr Ian Albert                                      YES

Cllr Amy Allen                                     YES

Cllr Daniel Allen                                  YES

Cllr David Barnard                              NO

Cllr Matt Barnes                                  YES

Cllr Tina Bhartwas                              YES

Cllr Clare Billing                                  YES

Cllr Sadie Billing                                 YES

Cllr Ruth Brown                                  YES

Cllr Val Bryant                                     YES

 Cllr Rhona Cameron                          YES

Cllr David  Chalmers                           YES

Cllr Jon Clayden                                 YES

Cllr Mick Debenham                           YES

Cllr Elizabeth Dennis                          YES

Cllr Emma Fernandes                         YES

Cllr Joe Graziano                                ABSTAIN

Cllr Sarah Lucas                                 YES

Cllr Keith Hoskins                               YES

Cllr Steve Jarvis                                  YES

Cllr Tim Johnson                                 YES

Cllr Chris Lucas                                  YES

Cllr Ian Mantle                                     YES

Cllr Nigel Mason                                 YES

Cllr Bryony May                                  YES

Cllr Caroline McDonnell                      YES

Cllr Ralph Muncer                               ABSTAIN

Cllr Louise Peace                               YES

Cllr Vijaiya Poopalasingham              YES

Cllr Sean Prendergast                        YES

Cllr Martin Prescott                               

Cllr Emma Rowe                                 YES

Cllr Claire Strong                                ABSTAIN

Cllr Tamsin Thomas           

Cllr Tom Tyson                                   YES

Cllr Paul Ward                                     YES

Cllr Laura Williams                              YES

Cllr Alistair Willoughby                        YES

Cllr Stewart Willoughby                      YES

Cllr Claire Winchester                         YES

Cllr Dave Winstanley                          YES

Cllr Donna Wright                               YES

Cllr Daniel Wright-Mason                    YES

 

RESOLVED: That Council:

(1)   Noted that at its meeting on 23 January 2025 the Council Tax Setting Committee confirmed the amount 50,836.30 as its Council Tax base for the year 2025/2026 in accordance with regulation 3 of the Local Authorities (Calculation of Council Tax Base) Regulations 2012 (the Regulations).   b)    50,836.30 being the amount calculated by the Council, in accordance with Regulation 3 of the Regulations, as its Council Tax base for the year.   c)       Parish/Town Council Tax Base Parish/Town Council Tax Base Ashwell 901.70 Knebworth 2,018.70 Barkway 438.90 Lilley 178.00 Barley 338.20 Offley 616.30 Bygrave 129.40 Pirton 702.50 Caldecote and Newnham 56.70 Preston 246.10 Clothall 86.90 Radwell 58.30 Codicote 1,711.30 Reed 160.60 Graveley 175.50 Royston 6,871.60 Great Ashby 2,012.10 Rushden and Wallington 212.10 Hinxworth 162.60 St Ippolyts 948.50 Holwell 160.20 St Pauls Walden 582.10 Ickleford 898.10 Sandon 247.50 Kelshall 80.90 Therfield 267.50 Kimpton 1,062.50 Weston 446.40 Kings Walden 425.00 Wymondley 431.20           Being the amounts calculated by the Council, in accordance with Regulation 6 of the Regulations, as the amounts of its Council Tax base for the year for dwellings in those parts of its area to which one or more special items relate.     d)    That it be noted that at this meeting on the 27 February 2025 the Council has calculated the Council  ...  view the full minutes text for item 98.

To consider any questions submitted by Members of the Council, in accordance with Standing Order 4.8.11 (b).

There were no questions submitted by Members of the Council, in accordance with Standing Order 4.8.11 (b).

Audio recording - 3 hours 39 minutes 43 seconds

 

No questions were submitted by Members of the Council, in accordance with Standing Order 4.8.11 (b).

To consider any motions, due notice of which have been given in accordance with Standing Order 4.8.12.

There were no motions received by Members of the Council, in accordance with Standing Order 4.8.12.

Audio recording - 3 hours 39 minutes 46 seconds

 

No motions were received by Members of the Council, in accordance with Standing Order 4.8.12.