Agenda and minutes

To approve as a correct record the minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 22 January 2014.

Subject to the amendment of minute 41 to read that “Uplands Primary School had been rated among the best 250 schools nationally for their Key Stage Two results. Great Hollands Primary School had come among the first 250 primary schools for narrowing the attainment gap” it was

RESOLVED that the minutes of the Council meeting held on 22 January 2014 be approved and signed by the Mayor as a correct record.

Any Member with a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest or an Affected Interest in a matter should withdraw from the meeting when the matter is under consideration and should notify the Democratic Services Officer in attendance that they are withdrawing as they have such an interest. If the Interest is not entered on the register of Members interests, the Monitoring Officer must be notified of the interest within 28 days.

There were no declarations of interest.

Executive Member for the Environment

Councillor Mrs Hayes advised Members that she had attended the AGM of the Martin’s Heron and The Warren Community and Residents’ Associations on 25 February with Claire Pike, Waste Disposal & Recycling Manager to promote the  Recycling Incentive Scheme.  She asked Members to invite her and officers to any meeting that they may be attending involving Community Centres, housing and/or residents associations and volunteer organisations to make more people aware of the scheme and assist those not already on the scheme to sign up.

Councillor Mrs Hayes added that she was pleased to report that Dr. Martin Kittel (Forest End Surgery and member of Bracknell and Ascot Clinical Commissioning Group) had also attended and had spoken highly of Brants Bridge Urgent Care Centre and the work being undertaken there.

Mayor’s Charity Event

The Mayor reminded Members that her charity event was being held on Saturday 22 March and encouraged them to contact her to purchase tickets.

Executive Member for Children, Young People and Learning

Councillor Dr Barnard was pleased to announce that Crowthorne Church of England School had been given an Outstanding rating from Ofsted. He congratulated the school’s Headteacher Ruth Jackson and the whole school community for this recognition against the challenging framework.

To receive the Leader’s report on the work of the Executive since the Council meeting held on 22 January 2014.

The Leader of the Council, Councillor Bettison, presented his report on the work of the Executive since that reported at the Council meeting on 22 January 2014. The Executive had met once on 11 February 2014.

The Leader highlighted the following matters that had been considered:

Adult Social Care, Health and Housing

• Modernisation of Older People’s Services

• Better Care Fund

Planning and Transport

• Binfield Parish & Bracknell Town designated as Neighbourhood Areas
  • neighbourhood development plan to be produced
  • must comply with Core Strategy & SALP

• Statement of Community Involvement
  • revised version agreed
  • sets out approach to community engagement in planning issues

• Local Enterprise Partnership Strategic Economic Plan

·         Local Enterprise Partnership plan endorsed

·         pro-growth in line with Government approach

·         Town Centre, inward investment, Reading – Waterloo and A322/M329 corridor all represented

Children, Young People and Learning

• Strategy for Young Carers

·         new strategy agreed to 2017

·         recognises need for “generic” as well as specialist support services

• NEET Provision

·         update of strategy reflects reduction in numbers

·         City Deal central to future plans

·         Aiming High

·         approach to future consultation agreed

·         transparent approach: expecting to save £120K

·         looking for parents, carers and users to help remodel service

Councillor Mrs Temperton asked why Aiming High had been selected to save £120K , which equated to a third of the budget and this seemed mean.

Councillor Dr Barnard advised her in response that it was important to put a figure on the amount to be provided to the service supporting children with learning difficulties as previously the amount from Central Government had come from multiple funding streams. He replied it was in no way ‘mean’ to ensure that the service was sustainable. There was significant spend on this service and separate to the budget discussion the consultation was underway to be clear about the cost of the service and how it could continue to be delivered.

To resolve recommendations in respect of:

·                     Capital Programme 2014/15-2016/17

·                     Revenue Budget 2014/15 (including Fees and Charges)

·                     Council Tax 2014/15

The supporting information has been circulated separately.

The Council considered the report by the Borough Treasurer which set out the financial plans and revenue budgets for the financial year 2014/15 and supporting information which presented the Council’s spending plans for 2014/15 and detailed budgets for the General Fund and capital programme.

Councillor Ward gave a comprehensive presentation in particular:

·         thanking the Chief Executive and his senior team for their hard work throughout the budget process

·         the Council’s net spending would be £87.2m, with an overall gross expenditure of £130m

·         £87m would be passported directly to schools including the pupil premium targeted towards disadvantaged pupils and sixth forms

·         over £3m proposed savings had been found by increasing efficiency and reducing back office costs which was delivered by adopting a ‘glide path’ to balance the budget as a continuous rather than annual exercise so that services to residents are not adversely affected

·         continuation of the full grant was proposed for Homestart in order to support the organisation whilst a review was undertaken of the way in which it was funded, with particular reference to its health functions. The intention was to place Homestart on a sustainable financial footing so that it can continue to provide the services that are valued by our community

·         he hoped to announce soon a further round of the Members’ Initiative Fund which would provide every Member with funding of £10,000 and the opportunity to support local projects and services based on their knowledge of local ward priorities and in consultation with partners and stakeholders. This could only be confirmed once the Council’s under-spends in the current financial year were known

·         he encouraged Members to use the funding that had been made available to them in the current year before 31 March

·         £2.3m was proposed for new affordable housing including support for people to buy their own homes as well as extending the number of properties held by the Council to house homeless families

·         more than £10m had been secured from central government to finance general school infrastructure and improvement works at primary schools and secondary schools to support the provision of additional school places

·         £1.3m was proposed for the train/bus interchange

·         £400,000 was proposed for further investment in the town centre car parks

·         £1.1m was proposed towards the upgrading of the Twin Bridges roundabout, together with funding for the preparation of the upgrading of roundabouts at Coppid Beech, Peacock Farm and Coral Reef

·         the works at the Council’s offices at Time Square were nearing completion, on time and on budget which would enable more staff to be located there and reduce annual running costs

·         Councillors had listened carefully to the feedback from the consultation process and he was grateful to all those who took part by examining the proposals and providing feedback

·         the consultation responses indicated that most groups understood the current position and accepted the package of proposals

·         £2.6m was proposed to be taken from balances to support the budget

·         no increase in Council Tax on any of the bands was proposed for  ...  view the full minutes text for item 54.

To seek endorsement of the recommendations of the Governance and Audit Committee in relation to amendments to the Code of Conduct for Members.

The Council considered the report seeking endorsement of the Governance  and Audit Committee recommendations relating to the list of “Affected Persons” in the Code of Conduct for Members and Co-Opted members.

On the proposition of Councillor Ward, Executive Member for Transformation and Finance seconded by Councillor McCracken it was

RESOLVED that

i)          the list of “Affected Persons” in the Code of Conduct for Members be extended to include:-

(a)   a company which a Member, his/her spouse, partner, parent, grandparent, child or grandchild is a Director of

(b)   a company which a sibling of a Member or of his/her spouse or partner is a Director of

(c)   a Limited Liability Partnership in which a Member his/her spouse, partner, parent, grandparent, child or grandchild is a Partner, and

(d)   a Limited Liability Partnership in which a sibling of a Member or his/her spouse or partner is a Partner 

(e)   a sibling of a Member or his/her spouse or partner

ii)         the Code of Conduct for Members be amended to require registration (in the register of Member’s interests) of any directorship held by a Member, his/her spouse or partner and any membership of a Limited Liability Partnership by a Member, his/her spouse or partner.

To approve the appointment of a substitute Member on the Overview & Scrutiny Commission and to note the appointment the Leader has made to an external organisation.

RESOLVED that this item be deferred to the Annual Council meeting in May.