Issue - meetings

To consider the following Motion in the names of Councillors Cooper, Lee-Richards and Allison;

“The Council is facing a severe financial crisis that will affect our ability to deliver services for the people of Kirklees. It is vital that the Council comes together to address this crisis and finds innovative ways to tackle the funding gap that needs to be bridged to provide the support and services needed by local people.

This Council asks Kirklees Cabinet to:

1. Investigate establishing a Corporate Opportunities Register to demonstrate that the Council is aware of and has considered all potential external funding and partnerships that will help the Council achieve its objectives.
2. Work with the Community, Voluntary Sectors and Parish Councils to maximise external funding that the Council can’t access to deliver local schemes and services e.g. National Lottery funding, Parish council funds and other sources.
3. Consider new working patterns for employees, where appropriate, in consultation with staff and Trade Unions to help preserve jobs within the Council and the skills and capacity needed to bid for external funding and deliver projects. Also consider approving overtime when it helps the council generate income.
4. Establish a local lottery to help support activity by the voluntary and community sectors. This has had a positive impact in other areas. 
5. Ask Leaders from all parties on the Council to jointly lobby Government regarding the resources needed to deliver local services.
6. Take advantage of support available from the Local Government Association to help with financial resilience. 
7. Explore how we might collaborate effectively with other West Yorkshire Councils to share costs and provide shared services and back office functions.
8. Work with West Yorkshire Combined Authority to see how funding such as gainshare may be better used to help the Council achieve its objectives.
9. Ensure cost saving measures such as use of pool cars are being fully utilised and expand the supply of pool cars if necessary, on an invest to save basis.
10. Provide space for timely discussion of all parties budget proposals with the aim of producing a cross party budget amendment for the 2024/25 financial year.”

Item not considered (Meeting terminated in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 16:2).