Agenda and minutes

To approve and sign as an accurate record the minutes of the Council meeting held on 25 January 2017.

7.05pm - RESOLVED

That the minutes of the Council Meeting held on 25 January 2017were confirmed and signed as an accurate record.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Larry Culhane, Jane Law, Robert Largan, and Councillor Ffiske.

Apologies for lateness were received from Councillors Charlie Dewhirst and Joe Carlebach.

To receive a speech from the outgoing Youth Mayor and welcome the newly elected Youth Mayor, Deputy Youth Mayor, and members of the Youth Parliament.

The Mayor expressed the Council’s appreciation for the hard work of Aminata Koroma and Joshua Owuraku on completion of their terms of office as the first Youth Mayor and Deputy Youth Mayor of Hammersmith and Fulham.

Aminata and Joshua gave short speeches highlighting their favourite moments in office, before receiving gifts from the Mayor as tokens of the Council’s appreciation for their service.

The Mayor then welcomed the new Youth Mayor, Hiba Al Moosawi, Deputy Youth Mayor, Cas Bradbeer, and Members of the Youth Parliament, Adam Elbounabi and Sabrina Mohammed.

The Mayor announced with great sadness the death of former Deputy Leader and Councillor, Mrs Christine Graham. Christine, or Chris to those who knew her, was elected as a Councillor representing Coningham Ward from 1990 to 1998 then Askew Ward from 1998 to 2006, and served as Deputy Leader of the Council until 2005.

Councillors Michael Cartwright, Lisa Homan, and Alex Karmel gave speeches in honour of Christine’s memory.

The Council then observed a minute of silence in remembrance.

If a Councillor has a disclosable pecuniary interest in a particular item, whether or not it is entered in the Authority’s register of interests, or any other significant interest which they consider should be declared in the public interest, they should declare the existence and, unless it is a sensitive interest as defined in the Member Code of Conduct, the nature of the interest at the commencement of the consideration of that item or as soon as it becomes apparent.

At meetings where members of the public are allowed to be in attendance and speak, any Councillor with a disclosable pecuniary interest or other significant interest may also make representations, give evidence or answer questions about the matter.  The Councillor must then withdraw immediately from the meeting before the matter is discussed and any vote taken.

Where Members of the public are not allowed to be in attendance and speak, then the Councillor with a disclosable pecuniary interest should withdraw from the meeting whilst the matter is under consideration. Councillors who have declared other significant interests should also withdraw from the meeting if they consider their continued participation in the matter would not be reasonable in the circumstances and may give rise to a perception of a conflict of interest.

Councillors are not obliged to withdraw from the meeting where a dispensation to that effect has been obtained from the Audit, Pensions and Standards Committee.

No public questions were submitted.

There were no public questions.

This report sets out the 2017/18 revenue budget proposals - including:

·         Council tax levels

·         Savings and growth proposals

·         Changes to fees and charges

·         Budget risks, reserves and balances

·         Equalities Impact Assessments

7.34pm - 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 Max Schmid, Vivienne Lukey, and Ben Coleman (for the Administration).

The Leader of the Council, Councillor Stephen Cowan, then made a speech winding up the debate. The report and recommendations were put to the vote and a roll-call was undertaken, in accordance with Council convention when voting on the budget:

FOR                            24

AGAINST                   17

NOT VOTING           1

The report and the recommendations were declared CARRIED.

9.01pm - RESOLVED

1.            A freeze in the Hammersmith & Fulham element of the council tax charge

2.            Not apply the “social care precept” levy. This means H&F residents will pay council tax at 4% below the level modelled (2% social care precept and 2% for council tax) by the Government for the coming year.

3.            Council tax be set for 2017/18 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:

(a)       The element of council tax charged for Hammersmith & Fulham Council will be £727.81 per Band D property in 2017/18.

(b)       The element of council tax charged by the Greater London Authority will be £280.02 per Band D property in 2017/18

(c)      Social Care Precept set at nil.

(d)       The overall Council Tax to be set at £1,007.83 per Band D property in 2017/18.

4.            The Council’s own total net expenditure budget for 2017/18 is set at £144.205m.£

5.            To approve £7.268m new spend on key council services, including £4.413m new funding for Adult Social Care to improve services for the elderly and disabled.  m.

6.            Fees and charges are approved as set out in paragraph 6.1

7.            The budget projections, made by the Strategic Finance Director to 2020/21, be noted.

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

9.         The Strategic Finance Director 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  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.1

This report presents the Council’s four-year Capital Programme for the period 2017-21. The programme for this period totals £253.2m.

9.01pm - 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 Andrew Jones and Lisa Homan (for the Administration).

The report and recommendations were then put to the vote:

FOR                            UNANIMOUS

AGAINST                   0

NOT VOTING            0

The report and recommendations were declared CARRIED.

9.12pm – RESOLVED

1.            To approve the General Fund Capital Programme budget at £45.6m for 2017/18 (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 2017/18 General Fund ‘Mainstream’ Programme as set out in Table 3 (paragraph 5.2 of the report) and specifically as follows:

·         Capital receipts and internal borrowing 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 previously approved, but now scheduled for 2017/18 (paragraph 5.2, Table 3 of the report):

            One off schemes:

·           Schools’ Organisation Strategy - £0.8m

·           Carnwath Road - £ 3.07m

Rolling programmes:

·           Parks Programme- £0.335m

·           Planned Maintenance/DDA Programme (including Hammersmith Town Hall refurbishment) – £5.35m

4.            To approve the Housing Programme at £53.2m for 2017/18 as set out in Table 5 (paragraph 7.3 of the report) and Appendix 1 of the report.

5.            To approve the annual Minimum Revenue Provision policy statement for 2017/18 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 to the report.

The report sets out the Council’s Treasury Management Strategy for 2017/18.

9.12pm - The report and recommendations were formally moved for adoption by the Cabinet Member for Finance, Councillor Max Schmid.

The report and recommendations were then put to the vote:

FOR                            UNANIMOUS

AGAINST                   0

NOT VOTING            0

The report and recommendations were declared CARRIED.

9.12pm – RESOLVED

1.          That approval is given to the future borrowing and investment strategies as outlined in this report and that the Strategic Finance Director be authorised to arrange the Council’s cash flow, borrowing and investments in 2017/18.

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 this report and the four year capital programme 2017/18 to 2020/21.

1.          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 0.40% p.a.) earned on temporary investments throughout the year to the 31^st March 2017.

This report sets out the Council’s pay policy statement for the financial year 2017/18. The pay policy statement includes the Council’s approach to the publication of and access to information relating to the remuneration of chief officers.

9.12pm - The report and recommendations were formally moved for adoption by the Leader of the Council, Councillor Stephen Cowan.

The report and recommendations were then put to the vote:

FOR                            UNANIMOUS

AGAINST                   0

NOT VOTING            0

The report and recommendations were declared CARRIED.

9.13pm - RESOLVED

1.            That Council is recommended to approve the pay policy statement for 2017/18 as set out in the report.

2.            That Council endorses the pay schemes in appendices 1, 2 and 3 of the report.

This report is the statutory annual review of members’ allowances for the 2017/18 financial year. The review takes into account the recommendations made in the Independent Remuneration report to London Councils in June 2014.

9.13pm - The report and recommendations were formally moved for adoption by the Leader of the Council, Councillor Stephen Cowan.

The report and recommendations were then put to the vote:

FOR                            UNANIMOUS

AGAINST                   0

NOT VOTING            0

The report and recommendations were declared CARRIED.

9.13pm – RESOLVED

That the Members’ Allowances Scheme 2017/18 as set out in Appendix 1 of the report be adopted.

This report sets out the Council’s meetings for the municipal year 2017/18.

9.13pm - The report and recommendations were formally moved for adoption by the Leader of the Council, Councillor Stephen Cowan.

The report and recommendations were put to the vote:

FOR                            UNANIMOUS

AGAINST                   0

NOT VOTING            0

The report and recommendations were declared CARRIED.

9.13pm – RESOLVED

That the schedule of meetings in the 2017/18 Council calendar be approved.