Meeting documents

County Council
Tuesday, 1 April 2003

CC010403-03

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ITEM CC3

OXFORDSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL

MINUTES of the meeting of the County Council held at County Hall on Tuesday 11 February 2003 commencing at 10.30 am and finishing at 5.35 pm

Present:

Councillor C.H. SHOULER – in the chair

Councillors:

Roger Belson

Bob Johnston

Bill Bradshaw

Terry Joslin

Liz Brighouse

Shereen Karmali

Andrew Brown

Brian Law

Alan Bryden

Lesley Legge

Mrs Dee Bulley

Mrs Diana Ludlow

Ted Cooper

Kieron Mallon

Tony Crabbe

Mick McAndrews

Andrew Crawford

Olive McIntosh-Stedman

Dickie Dawes

Keith R. Mitchell

John Dennis

Roy Mold

Robert Evans

Sandra Mold

Richard Farrell

Jim Moley

Neil Fawcett

Zoe Patrick

Margaret Ferriman

Power

Mrs Anda Fitzgerald-O’Connor

Anne Purse

Jean Fooks

G.A. Reynolds

Mrs C. Fulljames

Dermot Roaf

Barbara Gatehouse

David Robertson

Janet Godden

Chris Robins

Margaret Godden

Rodney Rose

Patrick Greene

George Sanders

Ken Harper

Don Seale

Neville F. Harris

Sam S. Segaran

Steve Hayward

Leslie Sibley

Mrs J. Heathcoat

Craig Simmons

Brian Hodgson

Betty Standingford

Brian L. Hook

Sylvia Tompkins

Biddy Hudson

David Wilmshurst

Roy Jelf

Christine Witcher

The Council considered the matters, reports and recommendations contained or referred to in the agenda for the meeting, together with the following additional documents relating to agenda item 7:-

Updated Annex A (Oxfordshire Plan);

Supplementary report of the Executive containing:

Revised Annex C
New Annex E

Revised recommendations of the Executive;

Summary of Labour Group budget proposals, with commentary thereon by the Director for Business Support & County Treasurer

and decided as set out below. Except insofar as otherwise specified, the reasons for the decisions are contained in the agenda, reports and additional documents, copies of which are attached to the signed Minutes.

    18/03. MINUTES OF THE LAST MEETING

    (Agenda Item 1)

    RESOLVED: that the Minutes of the meeting of Council held on 14 January 2003 be approved and signed as a correct record, subject to Minute 4/03 being amended by the addition of "by Councillor Ferriman" after "paid" on the second line of the first paragraph.

    In relation to Minute 1/03 (Minutes of the Last Meeting), Councillor Hodgson welcomed the reply that had been received recently from the Minister of State in response to the Council’s representations relating to the Company Law review and thanked the officers for pursuing this

    In relation to Minute 11/03 (Questions with Notice from Members of the Council), Councillor Hodgson advised the Council that he was pursuing with the Acting Chief Education Officer concerns over those primary schools that did not teach swimming (Question 2). Referring to question 7, Councillor Hodgson reported that since the last meeting he had received further information from SENSE, should any member wish to see it.

    In relation to Minute 12/03 (Motion from Councillor Brian Hodgson – fitting of sprinklers), Councillor Hodgson thanked the Leader of the Council for his recent letter to the Minister, which he very much hoped would bear fruit. Councillor Hayward also advised the Council that he had received a tape on this subject from East Sussex which members were welcome to borrow.

    19/03. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

    (Agenda Item 2)

    Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Julian Cooper, John Farrow, Mrs M. Hastings, Margaret MacKenzie, Roy Tudor Hughes, David Turner, Carol Viney and Harry Wyatt.

    Referring to the Vice-Chairman’s (Councillor Turner’s) absence, the Chairman, in accordance with Council Procedure Rule (2)(i), invited the Council to elect someone to take the chair should he himself be absent from the Chamber at any time during the meeting.

    Councillor Margaret Godden proposed, Councillor Janet Godden seconded and it was

    RESOLVED: (nem con) that Councillor Roaf be elected to preside should the Chairman not be present at any time during the course of the meeting.

    20/03. PETITIONS AND PUBLIC ADDRESS

    (Agenda Item 6)

    The following request to address the meeting had been agreed:

    Request from

    Agenda Item

    Mr Alan Lester

    51 Northcourt Road

    Abingdon

    7 – Revenue Budget 2003/04 and Medium Term Financial Plan 2003/04 to 2007/08

    Mr Lester spoke against the high level of Council Tax increase being recommended by the Executive. He believed this could not be justified, given the low level of inflation and the fact that the grant settlement from Government was the most generous for many years. He argued that public consultation had been inadequate and urged the Council to hold a referendum to establish the wishes of the electorate.

    21/03. REVENUE AND CAPITAL BUDGET 2003/04

MEDIUM TERM FINANCIAL PLAN 2004/05 – 2007/08

OXFORDSHIRE PLAN 2003/04

(Agenda Item 7)

The Council had before it a report from the Executive following its meeting on 28 January. This presented the Executive’s revenue and capital budget proposals, together with an outline of the Oxfordshire Plan.

Subsequent to that meeting, the final Local Government Finance Settlement had been announced on 3 February. This had resulted in an additional £0.412m being available in 2003/04 and at a further meeting on 5 February the Executive had taken the view that this should be applied in order to reduce the level of Council Tax increase from 13.6% to 13.4%.

Following the meeting of the Executive on 5 February, the following additional papers had been circulated to all Councillors:-

    • Updated Annex A (Oxfordshire Plan)

    • Supplementary report of the Executive containing:

* Revised Annex C – reflecting the Executive’s view that the additional grant income should be applied to reduce the rate of Council Tax increase;

* Annex E – Council Tax and Precept calculations reflecting the Executive’s revised budget proposals

Councillor Mitchell, as Leader of the Council, opened the debate by commending the Executive’s revised budget proposals to the Council. He moved and Councillor Margaret Godden, as Deputy Leader, seconded the following motion:-

"that the Council:

    1. endorse the Outline Oxfordshire Plan 2003/04 at Annex A (updated) pending presentation of the full Best Value Performance Plan to a subsequent Council meeting;

    2. in respect of Revenue, approve:

      1. a Medium Term Financial Plan for the Council as attached at Revised Annex C;

      2. a budget for 2003/04 as shown in the first year of Revised Annex C;

      3. a budget requirement for 2003/04 of £508,136,000;

      4. a precept of £196,657,000 for 2003/04, distributed between the District Councils as shown in Annex E to report CC7 Supplement;

      5. a Council Tax for Band D Equivalent Properties of £870.41 and for other bands as shown in Annex E to report CC7 Supplement; and

      6. virement arrangements for 2003/04 as set out in Annex D to report CC7;

    3. in respect of Capital, approve:

      1. a Capital Programme for 2003/04 as set out in the booklet accompanying Executive Agenda Item 6, 21 January 2003, including:

        1. allowing Education to bring forward capital projects totalling £14.9m, phased as £1.2m in 2003/04, £11.5m in 2004/05 and £2.2m in 2005/06;

        2. transferring the estimated surplus from the HOPS contract of £0.9m at the end of 2003/04 to a reserve to meet future revenue budget costs; and

        3. charging £1.5m of ICT to the Capital Programme in 2003/04;

      2. an overall borrowing limit for 2003/04 of £337m;

      3. an overall borrowing limit for short term borrowing for 2003/04 of £124m; and

      4. a maximum amount of borrowing with interest payable at variable rates for 2003/04 of £124m."

On behalf of the Executive, Councillors Crabbe, Fawcett, Janet Godden and Robertson commended the budget proposals to the Council.

Councillor Law then moved and Councillor Roaf seconded the following amendment:-

To add the following as a new paragraph (c), renumbering the former (c) as (d):-

"recognising the hardship that increased Council Tax bills will cause to scores of thousands of Oxfordshire households whose incomes are low and more or less fixed, and in order to mitigate anticipated future spending pressures and meet if not improve on the target Council Tax increases in the medium term financial plan, this Council calls on the Executive to continue to review the Council’s base budget in order to identify further significant economies that can be set against new demands on the budget.

Areas for particular attention in this continuing review include working practices, property management and marginal activities.

Alternative means for carrying out the review include:

    1. Best Value processes, drawing on good practice elsewhere;

    2. Performance and Review Unit reviews of cost centres;

    3. Use of independent consultants.

The Council calls on the Executive to report on identified and achievable economies emerging from the continuing review with proposals for their implementation at the Council meeting on 4 November 2003."

After debate this amendment was put to the vote and was carried nem con.

Councillor Brighouse then moved and Councillor Hudson seconded that the motion be amended by the addition of the following:-

"All Directors to draw up a three-year Business Plan for their departments, on the basis of zero-based budgeting principles, to be scrutinised by the five Scrutiny Committees in conjunction with independent specialist advisers."

After debate this amendment was put to the vote and was lost by 34 votes to 24.

Councillor Hodgson then moved and Councillor Ferriman seconded the following amendment to the Executive’s budget proposals:-

"In relation to Cross Service - Job Evaluation: add additional provision for low paid workers Cost: £230,000 (one off)

To be funded by: Reduction in provision for non-pay inflation from 3% to 2.5% (£230,000) "

After debate this amendment was put to the vote. Seven members by standing in their places required a named vote in accordance with Council Procedure Rule (15)(a). Voting was as follows:-

Councillors voting for the amendment (24)

Brighouse, Brown, Ted Cooper, Evans, Ferriman, Gatehouse, Harper, Harris, Hodgson, Hudson, Joslin, Karmali, McAndrews, McIntosh-Stedman, Roy Mold, Sandra Mold, Power, Robins, Segaran, Sibley, Simmons, Standingford, Tompkins, Witcher.

Councillors voting against the amendment (36)

Belson, Bradshaw, Bryden, Bulley, Crabbe, Crawford, Dawes, Dennis, Farrell, Fawcett, Fitzgerald-O’Connor, Fooks, Fulljames, Janet Godden, Margaret Godden, Greene, Hayward, Heathcoat, Hook, Jelf, Law, Legge, Ludlow, Mallon, Mitchell, Moley, Patrick, Purse, Reynolds, Roaf, Robertson, Rose, Sanders, Seale, Shouler, Wilmshurst.

The amendment was declared lost.

Councillor Ted Cooper then moved and Councillor Gatehouse seconded the following further amendment to the Executive’s budget proposals:-

"In relation to:

    1. Social and Health Care – additional resources for Learning Disabilities

      2. Cost: £300,000 (ongoing)
      To be funded by: Use of vehicle replacement reserve (£300,000 – Community Safety)

    2. Social and Health Care – additional resources for Children’s residential care

      3. Cost: £200,000 (ongoing)
      To be funded by: Further revenue/capital switch on highways
      (£200,000 – E, R & T)

    3. Social and Health Care – Respite Care Cost: £50,000 (ongoing)

To be funded by: Reduction in funding for Management Development Option (£50,000 – Corporate Governance)"

In acknowledgement of the Labour Group’s co-operation in agreeing to move this as a single amendment rather than three separate ones, the Chairman indicated that as an exception to Council Procedure Rules he would allow Councillor Gatehouse to speak for up to 10 minutes in seconding the amendment and would take a separate vote on each of the three parts.

After debate the amendment was put to the vote, each part being voted on separately. Seven members by standing in their places required a named vote in accordance with Council Procedure Rule (15)(a). Voting was as follows: -

Councillors voting for part (a) of the amendment (23)

Brighouse, Brown, Ted Cooper, Evans, Ferriman, Gatehouse, Harper, Harris, Hodgson, Hudson, Joslin, Karmali, McIntosh-Stedman, Roy Mold, Sandra Mold, Power, Robins, Segaran, Sibley, Simmons, Standingford, Tompkins, Witcher.

Councillors voting against part (a) of the amendment (35)

Belson, Bryden, Bulley, Crabbe, Crawford, Dennis, Farrell, Fawcett, Fitzgerald-O’Connor, Fooks, Fulljames, Janet Godden, Margaret Godden, Greene, Hayward, Heathcoat, Hook, Jelf, Johnston, Law, Legge, Ludlow, Mallon, Mitchell, Moley, Patrick, Purse, Reynolds, Roaf, Robertson, Rose, Sanders, Seale, Shouler, Wilmshurst.

Part (a) of the amendment was declared lost.

Councillors voting for part (b) of the amendment (23)

Brighouse, Brown, Ted Cooper, Evans, Ferriman, Gatehouse, Harper, Harris, Hodgson, Hudson, Joslin, Karmali, McIntosh-Stedman, Roy Mold, Sandra Mold, Power, Robins, Segaran, Sibley, Simmons, Standingford, Tompkins, Witcher.

Councillors voting against part (b) of the amendment (35)

Belson, Bryden, Bulley, Crabbe, Crawford, Dennis, Farrell, Fawcett, Fitzgerald-O’Connor, Fooks, Fulljames, Janet Godden, Margaret Godden, Greene, Hayward, Heathcoat, Hook, Jelf, Johnston, Law, Legge, Ludlow, Mallon, Mitchell, Moley, Patrick, Purse, Reynolds, Roaf, Robertson, Rose, Sanders, Seale, Shouler, Wilmshurst.

Part (b) of the amendment was declared lost.

Councillors voting for part (c) of the amendment (24)

Brighouse, Brown, Ted Cooper, Crawford, Evans, Ferriman, Gatehouse, Harper, Harris, Hodgson, Hudson, Joslin, Karmali, McIntosh-Stedman, Roy Mold, Sandra Mold, Power, Robins, Segaran, Sibley, Simmons, Standingford, Tompkins, Witcher.

Councillors voting against part (c) of the amendment (32)

Belson, Bryden, Bulley, Crabbe, Dennis, Farrell, Fawcett, Fitzgerald-O’Connor, Fooks, Fulljames, Janet Godden, Margaret Godden, Greene, Hayward, Heathcoat, Hook, Jelf, Johnston, Law, Ludlow, Mallon, Mitchell, Moley, Patrick, Purse, Reynolds, Roaf, Robertson, Rose, Seale, Shouler, Wilmshurst.

Councillors abstaining (2)

Legge, Sanders.

Part (c) of the amendment was declared lost.

Councillor Tompkins then moved and Councillor Witcher seconded the following further amendment to the Executive’s budget proposals:-

"In relation to Social and Health Care – Youth Service Cost: £200,000 (ongoing)

To be funded by: Further reduction in provision for balances (£200,000) "

After debate this amendment was put to the vote. Seven members by standing in their places required a named vote in accordance with Council Procedure Rule (15)(a). Voting was as follows:-

Councillors voting for the amendment (23)

Brighouse, Brown, Ted Cooper, Evans, Ferriman, Gatehouse, Harper, Harris, Hodgson, Hudson, Joslin, Karmali, McIntosh-Stedman, Roy Mold, Sandra Mold, Power, Robins, Segaran, Sibley, Simmons, Standingford, Tompkins, Witcher.

Councillors voting against the amendment (35)

Belson, Bryden, Bulley, Crabbe, Crawford, Dennis, Farrell, Fawcett, Fitzgerald-O’Connor, Fooks, Fulljames, Janet Godden, Margaret Godden, Greene, Hayward, Heathcoat, Hook, Jelf, Johnston, Law, Legge, Ludlow, Mallon, Mitchell, Moley, Patrick, Purse, Reynolds, Roaf, Robertson, Rose, Sanders, Seale, Shouler, Wilmshurst.

The amendment was declared lost.

With the leave of the Council in accordance with Council Procedure Rule (13)(k), Councillor Hodgson then moved and Councillor Harper seconded the following further amendment to the Executive’s budget proposals:-

"Additional savings totalling £1.936m to fund a reduction in Council Tax increase from 13.4% to 12.3%

£’000

(a) Reduce Non-Pay Inflation to 2.5% (from 3.0% in Executive proposal) 230

    1. ICT/E-Govt (slip all but S&HC out of Executive’s proposal) 300

    2. Reduce Management Development Option 100

    3. Cut items from E, R & T options list* 206

    4. Further revenue/capital switch on highways (assume not to be repaid) 300

    5. Use of vehicle replacement reserve (to be repaid) 300

    6. Reduce provision for balances (to be repaid) 500

* Items to be cut from E, R & T options list

New integrated ticketing system £40,000

Corporate Travel Plan/Better Ways to Work £100,000

Land Use Planning, additional posts and funding (halve) £66,000 "

After debate this amendment was put to the vote and was lost by 35 votes to 20.

With the leave of the Council in accordance with Council Procedure Rule (13)(k), Councillor Hodgson then moved and Councillor Joslin seconded the following further amendment:-

"The voters of Oxfordshire to be consulted in a referendum on the same day as the District Council elections in May 2003 on:

    1. spending priorities;

    2. the preferred level of Council Tax increase, e.g. 5%, 7%, 9%, 11%

    3. Council Tax reform, e.g. more bands"

After debate this amendment was put to the vote and was lost by 34 votes to 22.

The substantive motion as amended was then put to the vote and was carried by 34 votes to 20.

RESOLVED:-

    1. to endorse the Outline Oxfordshire Plan 2003/04 at Annex A (updated) pending presentation of the full Best Value Performance Plan to a subsequent Council meeting;

    2. in respect of Revenue, to approve:

      1. a Medium Term Financial Plan for the Council as attached at Revised Annex C;

      2. a budget for 2003/04 as shown in the first year of Revised Annex C;

      3. a budget requirement for 2003/04 of £508,136,000;

      4. a precept of £196,657,000 for 2003/04, distributed between the District Councils as shown in Annex E to report CC7 Supplement (attached);

      5. a Council Tax for Band D Equivalent Properties of £870.41 and for other bands as shown in Annex E; and

      6. virement arrangements for 2003/04 as set out in Annex D to report CC7;

    3. recognising the hardship that increased Council Tax bills would cause to scores of thousands of Oxfordshire households whose incomes were low and more or less fixed, and in order to mitigate anticipated future spending pressures and meet if not improve on the target Council Tax increases in the medium term financial plan, to call on the Executive to continue to review the Council’s base budget in order to identify further significant economies that could be set against new demands on the budget.

Areas for particular attention in this continuing review to include working practices, property management and marginal activities.

Alternative means for carrying out the review to include:

      1. Best Value processes, drawing on good practice elsewhere;

      2. Performance and Review Unit reviews of cost centres;

      3. Use of independent consultants;

and to call on the Executive to report on identified and achievable economies emerging from the continuing review with proposals for their implementation at the Council meeting on 4 November 2003;

    1. in respect of Capital, to approve:

      1. a Capital Programme for 2003/04 as set out in the booklet accompanying Executive Agenda Item 6, 21 January 2003, including:

        1. allowing Education to bring forward capital projects totalling £14.9m, phased as £1.2m in 2003/04, £11.5m in 2004/05 and £2.2m in 2005/06;

        2. transferring the estimated surplus from the HOPS contract of £0.9m at the end of 2003/04 to a reserve to meet future revenue budget costs; and

        3. charging £1.5m of ICT to the Capital Programme in 2003/04;

      2. an overall borrowing limit for 2003/04 of £337m;

      3. an overall borrowing limit for short term borrowing for 2003/04 of £124m; and

      4. a maximum amount of borrowing with interest payable at variable rates for 2003/04 of £124m.

in the Chair

Date of signing 2003

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