Agenda and minutes

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To approve and sign as an accurate record the Minutes of the Council Meeting held on 28 January 2015.

RESOLVED:

That the minutes of the Council Meeting held on 28 January 2015were confirmed and signed as an accurate record.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Charlie Dewhirst, Harry Phibbs and Andrew Brown.

Apologies for lateness were received from Councillor Joe Carlebach.

The Mayor congratulated Councillor Andrew Jones on the birth of his baby girl.

The Mayor informed the chamber that Councillor Andrew Brown was in hospital with his wife who had gone into labour.  The Council sent them their best wishes.

The Mayor congratulated Ted Loveday, Councillor Mark Loveday’s son, who was team captain of the Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge on reaching the University Challenge semi-finals.  The Council wished them the best in the competition.

The Mayor congratulated Mel Barrett on his appointment as the Chief Executive of Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council.  The Leader of Council, Councillor Stephen Cowan, and the Opposition Whip, Councillor Mark Loveday, congratulated Mel Barrett and made speeches appreciating his hard work and dedication to the authority.

In respect of agenda item 6.5 Pay Policy of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham 2015-16, Councillor Larry Culhane declared a significant interest as he was an employee of Phoenix High School.  He considered that this did not give rise to a perception of a conflict of interests and, in the circumstances it would be reasonable to participate in the discussion and vote thereon.

In respect of agenda item 6.7, Local Government Pension Scheme 2014 – Discretionary Policies, Councillors Adronie Alford, Michael Cartwright, Stephen Cowan, Lisa Homan, Alex Karmel, and PJ Murphy declared significant interests as they were deferred members of the LBHF local government pension scheme.  They considered that this did not give rise to a perception of a conflict of interests and, in the circumstances it would be reasonable to participate in the discussion and vote thereon.

Councillor Larry Culhane declared a significant interest as a deferred member of the pension scheme and Councillor Caroline Needham declared a significant interest as a member of the LBHF local government pension scheme in respect of this item.  They considered that in the circumstances it would be unreasonable to participate in the matter and therefore left the room during the discussion without speaking or voting thereon.

In respect of agenda item 6.8 The Establishment of a Pension Board, Councillor PJ Murphy declared a significant interest as he was a deferred member of the LBHF local government councillor pension scheme.  He considered that this did not give rise to a perception of a conflict of interests and, in the circumstances it would be reasonable to participate in the discussion and vote thereon.

7.10pm - The Mayor called on Mary Smith who had submitted a question to the Cabinet Member for Finance, Councillor Max Schmid, to ask her question. Councillor Schmid responded.  Mary Smith asked a supplementary question which was also answered.

(A copy of the public question submitted and the reply given is attached at Appendix 1 to these minutes).

This report details the recommendation to cease charging for homecare services and the customer, financial and staffing implications of the decision.

7.15pm - The report and recommendations were formally moved for adoption by the Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Social Care, Councillor Vivienne Lukey.

Speeches on the report were made by Councillors Vivienne Lukey and Rory Vaughan (for the Administration) and Councillor Lucy Ivimy (for the Opposition).

The report and recommendations were put to the vote and a roll-call was requested:

                FOR                                                                   NOT VOTING

FOR                       25

AGAINST             0

NOT VOTING       15

The report and recommendations were declared CARRIED.

7.34pm RESOLVED:

(1)    To abolish charging for home care services provided to customers of the Borough on 31 March 2015.

(2)    To note that for services delivered up to 31 March 2015, charges will still apply, and to agree that these charges be pursued for a period of 3 months ending 30 June 2015.

(3)    To write-off total estimated outstanding home care debt of £133,000 as at 1 July 2015 and delegate authority to write-off the debts to the Executive Director of  Finance and Corporate Governanceand Deputy Executive Director and Director of Finance and Resources, Adult Social Care and Health.

(4)    To request additional provision for bad debt of £91,000 from Corporate Finance from the bad debt provision account.

The 2015/16 revenue budget proposals are set out regarding:

·         Council tax levels

·         Savings and growth proposals

·         Changes to fees and charges

·         Budget risks, reserves and balances

·         Equalities Impact Assessments

·         Implementing the retail business rates relief scheme as proposed by the Government.

7.35pm - The report and recommendations were moved for adoption by the Leader of the Council, Councillor Stephen Cowan.

In accordance with Council convention, the Leader of the Council, Councillor Stephen Cowan, and the Leader of the Opposition, Councillor Greg Smith, were given unlimited time to speak on the Budget report.  Speeches on the report were also made by Councillors Sue Fennimore, Max Schmid and Andrew Jones (for the Administration) and Councillors Lucy Ivimy and Marcus Ginn (for the Opposition).

Councillor Stephen Cowan (for the Administration) made a speech winding up the debate.  The report and recommendations were put to the vote and a roll-call was done, in accordance to voting on the budget:

FOR                                       AGAINST                             NOT VOTING

FOR                            25

AGAINST                   17

NOT VOTING            1

The report and recommendations were declared CARRIED.

9.03pm RESOLVED:

(1)    A 1% cut in the Hammersmith & Fulham element of the council tax charge is approved. 

(2)    Council tax be set for 2015/16 for each category of dwelling, as calculated in accordance with Sections 31A to 49B of the Localism Act 2011, as outlined below and in full in Appendix A of the report:

(a)       The element of council tax charged for Hammersmith & Fulham Council will be £727.81 per Band D property in 2015/16.

(b)       The element of council tax charged by the Greater London Authority will be £295.00 per Band D property in 2015/16

(c)       The overall Council Tax to be set at £1,022.81 per Band D property in 2015/16.

(3)    The Council’s own total net expenditure budget for 2015/16  is set at £158.428m.

(4)    Fees and charges are approved as set out in paragraph 6.1.

(5)    The budget projections, made by the Executive Director of Finance and Corporate Governance to 2018/19, be noted.

(6)    The statement made by the Executive Director of Finance and Corporate Governance under Section 25 of the Local Government Act 2003 regarding the adequacy of reserves and robustness of estimates be noted (section 14).

(7)    The Executive Director of Finance and Corporate Governance be authorised to collect and recover National Non-Domestic Rate and Council Tax in accordance with the Local Government Finance Act 1988 (as amended), the Local Government Finance Act 1992 and the Council Schemes of Delegation.

(8)    That all Executive Directors be required to report on their projected financial position compared to their revenue estimates in accordance with the Corporate Revenue Monitoring Report  ...  view the full minutes text for item 42.2

This report presents the Council’s four-year Capital Programme for the period 2015-19.  The programme for this period totals £333.1m.  The gross programme for 2015/16 totals £125.9m.  This comprises the General Fund Programme of £31.7m and the Housing Programme of £94.2m.  The report also sets out the Councils’ Minimum Revenue Provision (MRP) policy and the Prudential Indicators.

9.04pm - The report and recommendations were formally moved for adoption by the Cabinet Member for Finance, Councillor Max Schmid.

Speeches on the report were made by Councillors Lisa Homan and Ben Coleman (for the Administration).

The report and recommendations were put to the vote:

FOR                        25

AGAINST                16

NOT VOTING            0

The report and recommendations were declared CARRIED.

9.15pm RESOLVED:

(1)    To approve the General Fund Capital Programme budget at £31.7m for 2015/16 (paragraph 5.1, Table 2 and Appendix 1 of the report).

(2)    To approve the continuation of the Council’s rolling programmes and the continued use of internal funding for 2015/16 General Fund Programme as set out in Table 3 (paragraph 5.2 of the report) and specifically as follows:

·         Capital receipts amounting to £5.48m to fund the Council’s rolling programmes as follows:

·         Contributions from revenue amounting to £0.544m to fund the Council’s rolling programmes as follows:

(3)    To note existing capital receipts funded schemes in the Schools programme of £441k, previously approved, but now scheduled for 2015/16 (paragraph 5.2, Table 3 of the report).

(4)    To approve the Housing Programme at £94.2m for 2015/16 as set out in Table 5 (paragraph 7.2) and Appendix 1 of the report.

(5)    To approve the annual Minimum Revenue Provision policy statement for 2015/16 in Appendix 4 of the report.

(6)    To approve the Chartered Institute of Public Finance & Accountancy (CIPFA) Prudential Indicators as set out in Appendix 5 of the report.

The report sets out the Council’s Treasury Management Strategy for 2015/16.  It seeks approval for the Executive Director of Finance and Corporate Governance to arrange the Treasury Management Strategy in 2015/16 as set out in this report.

9.16pm - The report and recommendations were formally moved for adoption by the Cabinet Member for Finance, Councillor Max Schmid.

A speech on the report was made by Councillor Max Schmid (for the Administration), before being put to the vote:

FOR                        Unanimous

AGAINST                0

NOT VOTING         0

The report and recommendations were declared CARRIED.

9.21pm RESOLVED:

(1)   That approval is given to the future borrowing and investment strategies as outlined in the report and that the Executive Director of Finance and Corporate Governance be authorised to arrange the Council’s cash flow, borrowing and investments in 2015/16.

(2)    In relation to the Council’s overall borrowing for the financial year, to note the comments and the Prudential Indicators as set out in the report and the four year capital programme 2015/16 to 2018/19.

(3)    That approval is given to pay the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) investment income on unapplied HRA receipts and other HRA cash balances calculated at the average rate of interest (approximately 0.5% p.a.) earned on temporary investments with effect from 1 April 2014.

This report sets out the pay policy statement for the financial year. 

9.21pm - The report and recommendations were formally moved for adoption by the Cabinet Member for Finance, Councillor Max Schmid.

A speech on the report was made by Councillor P J Murphy (for the Administration), before being put to the vote:

FOR                Unanimous

AGAINST       0

NOT VOTING 0

The report and recommendations were declared CARRIED.

9.26pm RESOLVED:

(1)    That Council is recommended to approve the pay policy statement for 2015/16 as set out in the document attached to the report.

(2)    That Council endorses the pay schemes attached as Appendices 1, 2 and 3 of the pay policy.

This report performs the statutory annual review of Members’ allowances for the 2015/16 financial year.  The annual review takes into account the recommendations made in the Independent Remuneration report to London Councils (June 2014).

9.27pm - The report and recommendations were formally moved for adoption by the Leader of the Council, Councillor Stephen Cowan.

Speeches on the report were made by Councillor Mark Loveday (for the Opposition) and Councillors Larry Culhane and Stephen Cowan (for the Administration), before being put to the vote:

FOR                           Unanimous

AGAINST                  0

NOT VOTING            0

The report and recommendations were declared CARRIED.

9.41 pm RESOLVED:

That the Members’ Allowances Scheme 2015/16 as set out in Appendix 1 of the report be adopted.

This report sets out the main changes to the Local Government Pensions Regulations 2013 which came into effect in April 2014 and seeks approval to the setting of the local pension policy statement both as an employer and as an authority administering a local pension fund.

9.41pm - The report and recommendations were formally moved for adoption by the Cabinet Member for Finance, Councillor Max Schmid.

The report and recommendations were put to the vote:

FOR                         Unanimous

AGAINST                0

NOT VOTING         0

The report and recommendations were declared CARRIED.

9.42pm RESOLVED:

That the Council:

(a)   Adopts as local employer discretionary policy the positions set out in paragraphs 5 – 5.5 of the report.

(b)   Delegates to the Bi-Borough Director of Human Resources (in conjunction with the Executive Director for Finance and Corporate Governance as relevant with regard to the policies set out at paragraphs 5.3 (Discretion to permit flexible retirement) and 5.4 (Discretion to permit early payment of pension) of the report the power to make decisions on any application for the Council to exercise its discretionary powers via the Council’s Adjudicating Panel.

(c)   Adopts as an administering authority policy the positions set out in paragraphs 6 – 6.3 of the report.

(Councillors Larry Culhane and Caroline Needham left the room before the consideration of this item and did not vote on it.)

This report proposes the establishment of a Pension Board and sets out its terms of reference as attached at Appendix 1 of the report.

9.43pm - The report and recommendations were formally moved for adoption by the Cabinet Member for Finance, Councillor Max Schmid.

The report and recommendations were put to the vote:

FOR                           Unanimous

AGAINST                  0

NOT VOTING            0

The report and recommendations were declared CARRIED.

9.43pm RESOLVED:

(1)  That the establishment of a Pension Board and its terms of reference attached at Appendix 1 of the report be approved.

(2)  That the approval of the Pension Board Code of Conduct, Conflicts of Interests Policy, Training Policy and the process for selecting non-councillor members of the Board be delegated to the Executive Director of Finance and Corporate Governance following consultation with Chair of the Audit, Pension and Standards Committee.