Issue - meetings

Further to the discussion on the budget reports, it was moved by Councillor Hall and seconded by Councillor Allen that the recommendations within the 2018/19 general fund budget report be approved. In accordance with the Local Authorities (Standing Orders) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2014, voting on this item was recorded and the vote was taken as follows:

Councillors Allen, Bessant, Boothby, Camamile, Hall, Kirby, Ladkin, MacDonald, Morrell, Nickerson, Roberts, Smith, Surtees, Sutton, Wallace, Ward and Williams voted FOR the motion (17);

Councillors Bill, Bray, Cartwright, Crooks, Hodgkins, Hollick, Lynch, Nichols, Taylor and Witherford voted AGAINST the motion (10);

Councillors Lay and O’Shea abstained from voting.

The motion was declared CARRIED and it was

RESOLVED –

(i)            The general fund budget for 2017/18 and 2018/19 be approved;

(ii)           The special expenses area budget for 2017/18 and 2018/19 be approved;

(iii)          The proposed movement in general fund reserves and balances for 2017/18 and 2018/19 be approved.

Members received the 2018/19 general fund revenue budget. Attention was drawn to the budget summary on page 44 of the agenda pack and the revised 2017/18 budget on page 46.

A member asked for clarification in relation to the discretionary business rate relief schemes as it has been suggested that the criteria used when they were agreed would limit the number of businesses eligible for them. In response it was noted that the criteria had been relaxed to enable more businesses to benefit and that a report would be produced to update members on this.

A member expressed concern about the recent news that the Chinese government was to ban importing of plastic waste and asked whether that would affect the value we receive for them. In response, it was explained that following Leicestershire County Council’s direction of HBBC for dry recycling, from 1 April 2018 the county council would retain and recycle the materials collected so it would not affect HBBC.

In relation to the ‘Homelessness prevention underspend due to capacity issues’, it was explained that this was ring fenced grant funding intended for homelessness prevention work as agreed by Council on 7 December 2017 and the wording would be amended to more accurately reflect this.