Agenda and decisions

To receive any announcements from the Mayor and Chief Executive.

The Council Monitoring Officer reminded Council of the restrictions applying to voting under Section 106 of the Local Government Act 1992, in respect of Agenda Item 5 (Minute No.108 refers).

The Mayor referred to a charity event being held on 29 February and encouraged all Members to attend and support the event.

Group Business Managers to submit any apologies for absence.

Apologies for absence were received on behalf of Councillors Mahmood Akhtar, Martyn Bolt and John Taylor

To agree and authorise the Mayor to sign the Minutes of Council held on 15 January 2020.

That the Minutes of Council held on 15January 2020 be approved as a correct record.

Councillors will be asked to advise if there are any items listed on the Agenda in which they have a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest, which would prevent them from participating in any discussion or vote on the item, or any other interest.

In regards to Agenda Item 5 (Minute No.108 refers); (i) A table of granted dispensations was tabled (attached). Further to the table submitted, Councillor Paola Davies and Councillor Habiban Zaman had been granted dispensation as property owners.

To consider the recommendations of Cabinet (Budget), held on 28 January 2020, that;

(i)            General Fund Revenue

-          the draft Revenue Budget 2020-2023 be approved, as attached at Appendix A

-          the forecast levels of statutory and other Council reserves, as set out at Appendix Bii, be noted

-          the strategy for the use of balances and reserves be approved

(paragraph 2.17 refers)

-          a further reassessment of reserves requirements be undertaken at year end and reported to Members as part of the 2019-2020 financial outturn and rollover report (paragraph 2.17.8 refers)

-          the Council’s continued participation in the North and West Yorkshire business rates pool for 2020-2021 be noted and that approval be given in principal to the new arrangements for the 2020-2021 pool, as set out at Appendix I, with authority being delegated to the Service Director  (Legal, Governance and Commissioning) in conjunction with the Service Director (Finance), to finalise the new arrangements with the City Solicitor of Leeds City Council (paragraph 2.3.6 refers)

-          the Council Tax requirement for 2020-2021 be approved (Appendix G refers)

-          the Council’s Statutory S151 Officer’s positive assurance statement be noted (paragraphs 3.3.1 – 3.3.21 refer)

-          the Council’s Statutory S151 Officer be given delegated authority to amend how the finally approved precepts are recorded in the Council’s revenue budget in line with the final notifications received following decisions by the Office of Police and Crime Commissioner, the Fire and Rescue Authority and Parish Councils, should these be received after 12 February 2020 (paragraph 3.1.3 refers)

(ii)          Treasury Management

-          the borrowing strategy be approved (paragraphs 2.15-2.21 refer)

-          the investment strategy be approved (paragraphs 2.22-2.31 refer)

-          the policy for provision of repayment of debt (minimum revenue provision/MPR) be approved (paragraphs 2.32-2.36 and Appendix C refer)

-          the treasury management indicators be approved (Appendix D refers)

-          the Investment Strategy (non-treasury investments) (Appendix E refers) be approved

(iii)         Capital

-          the updated Capital Plan 2019-2025 be approved (Appendix A)

-          the Capital Strategy (including Prudential Indicators), as detailed at Appendix F, be approved

(iv)         Housing Revenue Account

-          the draft Housing Revenue Account Budget for 2020-2023 be approved (appendix A refers)

-          the strategy for the use of the Housing Revenue Account reserves, as set out at paragraph 2.19.7, be approved 

Amendments will be published in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 19(4) on 5 February 2020.

Budget Motion approved.

In accordance with the requirements of Council Procedure Rule 19 (7), the decision was taken by Recorded Vote as follows;

FOR: Councillors Masood Ahmed, Gulfam Asif, Aafaq Butt, Nosheen Dad, Paul Davies, Eric Firth, Steve Hall, Erin Hill, James Homewood, Mayor (Mumtaz Hussain), Yusra Hussain, Manisha Kaushik, Viv Kendrick, Musarrat Khan, Fazila Loonat, Gwen Lowe, Naheed Mather, Peter McBride, Richard Murgatroyd, Darren O’Donovan, Shabir Pandor,  Carole Pattison, Mussarat Pervaiz, Amanda Pinnock, Mohammad Sarwar, Cathy Scott, Will Simpson, Mohan Sokhal, Graham Turner, Sheikh Ullah, Harpreet Uppal, Rob Walker, Lesley Warner, Habiban Zaman.(34 votes)

AGAINST: Councillors Karen Allison, Bill Armer, Donna Bellamy, Cahal Burke, Andrew Cooper, Paola Davies, Richard Eastwood, Donald Firth, Charlotte Goodwin, Michelle Grainger-Mead, Charles Greaves, David Hall, Lisa Holmes, Christine Iredale,  Vivien Lees-Hamilton, John Lawson, Susan Lee-Richards, Aleks Lukic, Terry Lyons, Bernard McGuin, Andrew Marchington, Alison Munro, Nigel Patrick, Andrew Pinnock, Kath Pinnock,  Elizabeth Smaje, Anthony Smith, Richard Smith, Kath Taylor, Mark Thompson, Michael Watson, Paul White (32 Votes)