Agenda and decisions

To receive any announcements from the Mayor and Chief Executive.

The Mayor clarified a procedural matter arising from the Annual Meeting, confirming that the role of appointed Spokespersons of External Bodies was to respond to relevant questions raised at meetings of Council, subject to information being requested not being of a confidential nature.

In acknowledgement of the recent General Election, the Mayor conveyed thanks to the former Kirklees area MPs for the work that they had done in representing local residents over their years of service, and also welcomed the newly elected MPs. The Mayor also conveyed thanks to Electoral Services staff for the organisation of the election and count.  

Group Business Managers to submit any apologies for absence.

Apologies for absence were received on behalf of Councillors Burke,

P Davies, Lees-Hamiton, A Smith and Vickers.

To consider the following Motion in the names of Councillors Pattison, Crook, McKerchar, Munir Ahmed, Rylah, Butt, O’Donovan, Firth, Turner, Sokhal, P Davies, Kendrick, A U Pinnock, Sewell, Lowe, Addy, McCarthy, Ullah, Homewood, Simpson, Hawkins, Amin and McLoughlin;

“We, as signatories, call for a Vote of No Confidence to remove the current Leader of the Council under section 7.6.1 of the Council's Constitution.

We believe that the current Leader and their new group have no legitimate mandate from this Council or from the people of Kirklees.  Leadership from this small and newly formed minority party is not sustainable.

We therefore resolve to see the current Leader removed from office and for a new Leader be properly elected by this Council.”

RESOLVED – That the Motion be carried.

RESOLVED – That Councillor Carole Pattison be elected as Leader of the Council, in accordance with Article 7 of the Constitution.

To approve the Minutes of the Meeting of Annual Council Meeting held on 22 May 2024.

RESOLVED – Approved as a correct record.

Elected Members will be asked to advise if there are any items on the Agenda in which they have a disclosable pecuniary interest, or any other interests, which may prevent them from participating in the discussion or vote on any of the items.

No interests were declared.

The Committee will receive any petitions and/or deputations from members of the public. A deputation is where up to five people can attend the meeting and make a presentation on some particular issue of concern. A member of the public can also submit a petition at the meeting relating to a matter on which the body has powers and responsibilities.

In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 10, Members of the Public must submit a deputation in writing, at least three clear working days in advance of the meeting and shall subsequently be notified if the deputation shall be heard. A maximum of four deputations shall be heard at any one meeting.

Council received (a) deputations from (i) Mick Donoghue (Unison) – Customer Service Centre Closures (ii) Kasia Akhtar – Reopening of Batley Baths and (iii) Mudassa Iqbal – Boycotting of produce from illegal settlements in the West Bank, and (b) a petition from Kasia Akhtar regarding the future use of Batley Baths.

To receive any public questions.

In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 11, the period for the asking and answering of public questions shall not exceed 15 minutes.

Any questions must be submitted in writing at least three clear working days in advance of the meeting.

No questions were asked.

To receive any Petitions from Members of the Council in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 9.

Council received petitions from (i) Councillor Hawkins requesting the enforcement of planning conditions at Laneside Quarry and (ii) Councillor Munir Ahmed on behalf of the Friends of Kirkheaton Library requesting that the Council retain the current levels of support provided to the library.

The Mayor advised that, in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 9(3), the subject matter of the petitions be referred to the relevant Executive Director.

In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 9a, Council will discuss the subject matter of a previously submitted petition which opposes the potential introduction of car parking charges in the Cleckheaton area.

Council held a petition debate on the potential impact of parking charges. This matter was considered alongside the Agenda Item 10 (Petitions Debate – Car Parking Charges Honley/Meltham).

In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 9a, Council will discuss the subject matter of a previously submitted petition which opposes the potential introduction of car parking charges in the Honley/Meltham area.

Council held a petition debate on the potential impact of parking charges. This matter was considered alongside the Agenda Item 9 (Petitions Debate – Car Parking Charges - Cleckheaton).

To receive the Minutes of West Yorkshire Combined Authority held on 7 December 2023, 1 February 2024 and 14 March 2024.

The Minutes were received and noted.

To consider the report.

Contact: James Anderson, Head of Accountancy

RESOLVED;

General Fund

1)    Note the revenue outturn position of +£7.3m overspend for 2023/24

2)    Note the year end position on reserves and balances of £61.2m (excluding Statutory Reserves), particularly that the level of general reserve at £25m is the desirable level on a risk based approach as presented to Members in the 2024/25 budget report;

3)    Note the application of the Councils flexible capital receipts strategy to the value of £3.3m applied against eligible transformation costs in 2023/24;

4)    Note the regular monitoring and review of corporate reserves in 2024/25 to be reported to Cabinet as part of the Quarterly financial monitoring cycle;

5)    Note the year end deficit position on the Collection Fund of £8m, along with the position on the DSG as part of the Council’s Safety Valve agreement.

HRA

6)    Note the HRA revenue outturn position of +£1m deficit for 2023/24 and the year end reserves balance of £33.9m;

Capital

7)    Note the Council capital outturn position at £148.2m for 2023/24

8)    Note the £22.3m capital slippage from 2023/24 to 2024/25 paragraph 3.6.13 of the appended report;

9)    Note the revised capital plan for the period 2024/25 onwards after taking into account the re-phasing of schemes and additional grant funding assumptions (Appendix 2a: Summary Capital Plan and Appendix 2b: Detailed Capital Plan of the appended report);

10)Approve £0.75m additional borrowing for the in-house fleet for home to school transport pilot (Appendix 3 of the appended report);

11)Approve the extension of the existing Property Investment Fund loan facility for Kingsgate shopping centre for a further 9 months, at the prevailing interest rate (cost neutral for the Council) (Appendix 3 of the appended report);

12)Approve the use of £0.14m Libraries Improvement Grant Fund towards spend on the Kirklees Open Access pilot project (Appendix 3 of the appended report);

Treasury Management

13) Note the Review of Treasury Management activity for 2023/24 (Appendix 4 of the appended report);

To consider the report.

Contact: Robert Green, Climate Change

Item deferred.

To consider the report.

Contact: Shauna Coyle, Head of People Services

RESOLVED – That the Pay Policy Statement 2024/2025 be approved.

To appoint the Chair of Health and Wellbeing Board for the remainder of the muncipal year.

Contact: Leigh Webb, Acting Head of Governance

RESOLVED – That Councillor Beverley Addy be appointed as Chair of Health and Wellbeing Board for the remainder of the municipal year.

To receive written questions to the Leader, Cabinet Members, Chairs of Committees and Nominated Spokespersons in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 12.

A schedule of the written questions and responses will be tabled at the meeting. One supplementary question will be permitted.

Item deferred.

To receive the Minutes of (i) Cabinet held on 23 January, 13 February, 20 February, 12 March and 9 April 2024 and (ii) Cabinet Committee – Local Issues held on 22 November 2023, 31 January and 22 March 2024.

The Minutes were received and noted.

(a)  To receive a portfolio update from the Leader of the Council

(b)  To receive oral questions/comments to Cabinet Members on their portfolios and relevant Cabinet Minutes;

-       The Leader of the Council (Councillor Scott)

-       The Deputy Leader of the Council/Children’s Services Portfolio (Councillor H Zaman)

-       Communities Portfolio (Councillor A Zaman )

-       Culture and Greener Kirklees Portfolio (Councillor Hussain)

-       Highways (Councillor Masood Ahmed)

Item deferred.

(i)             Corporate Governance and Audit Committee

(ii)            Corporate Parenting Board

(iii)          Health and Wellbeing Board

(iv)          Licensing and Safety Committee

(v)           Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee

(vi)          Personnel Committee

(vii)         Standards Committee

(viii)       Strategic Planning Committee

The Minutes were received and noted.

To receive oral questions in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 13(4):

-       Appeals Panel (Councillor Longstaff)

-       Corporate Governance and Audit Committee (Councillor Taylor)

-       District Wide Planning Committee (Councillor Ullah)

-       Health and Wellbeing Board (to be confirmed at Agenda Item 15)

-       Kirklees Parenting Board (Councillor H Zaman)

-       Licensing and Safety Committee - including Licensing and Regulatory Panel (Councillor A U Pinnock)

-       Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee (Councillor Burke)

-       Personnel Committee (Councillor Scott)

-       Scrutiny Panel – Childrens (Councillor Ali)

-       Scrutiny Panel – Environment and Climate Change (Councillor Cooper)

-       Scrutiny Panel – Growth and Regeneration (Councillor Amin)

-       Scrutiny Panel – Health and Adult Social Care (Councillor J D Lawson)

-       Standards Committee (Councillor Armer)

-       Strategic Planning Committee (Councillor Homewood)

-       Kirklees Active Leisure (Councillor Sokhal)

-       One Adoption Joint Committee (Councillor Sewell)

-       West Yorkshire Combined Authority (Councillor Scott)

-       West Yorkshire Combined Authority Transport Committee (Councillor McLoughlin)

-       West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority (Councillor O’Donovan)

-       West Yorkshire Joint Services Committee (Councillor Munir Ahmed)

-       West Yorkshire Police and Crime Panel (Councillor Lowe)

Council received oral questions in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 13(4).

To receive for information the response to the Motion of Council, approved on 17 January 2024.

That the response be noted.

To receive for information the response to the Motion of Council, approved on 17 January 2024.

That the response be noted.