Agenda and draft minutes

There were no apologies for absence received.

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.

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 Standards Committee.

There were no declarations of interest

To approve the minutes of the previous meeting and note any outstanding actions.

RESOLVED:

That the minutes of the meeting held on 19^th November 2024 were agreed as an accurate record.

This report provides an update on the overall preparation and proposals for the 2025/26 revenue budget, risks, financial resilience, and the impact of those proposals.

This report also sets out the budget proposals for the Climate Change and Ecology Policy & Accountability Committee.

Corporate Budget

Councillor Rowan Ree (Cabinet Member for Finance and Reform) gave a presentation that detailed the proposals for the 2025/26 revenue budget – including the risks, financial resilience, and impact of those proposals. He showed slides that highlighted the following key aspects.

• The Net General Fund Revenue Budget was £221m.  

• The difficulty of operating environment included reduced revenue funding, changing demographics and a sluggish national economy. 

• The key objectives of the financial plan were ensuring the safety of residents, businesses and visitors, protecting the statutory services and other Council services valued by residents, promoting prosperity, running an efficient council, ensuring strong financial governance and resilience, and preserving low council tax rates. 

• The budget headlines for 2025/26 included investing £3.5m in community safety and crime prevention, relieving pressure on statutory services, investing in the Upstream Industrial Strategy, tackling climate change and investing in sports facilities. 

• Council tax would increase by 88p per week, but it was estimated that four in 10 households would receive some sort of discount. 

Councillor Rowan Ree noted that the Revenue Budget would be presented to the Cabinet and Budget Council in February 2025 and thanked cabinet members and officers for their work in realising a balanced budget over the past year. 

Departmental Budget

Kellie Gooch, (Head of Finance, Place) gave a presentation on the department’s revenue budget 2025/26. This covered the department’s recent achievements, relevant to this Committee as follows:

Kellie Gooch, (Head of Finance, Place) also updated members on the budget implications and future strategic budget risks. This included significant funding requirements for addressing the climate and ecological emergency. Including ongoing pressure and challenges to secure funding for the H&F Plan objectives

Councillor Jose Afonso thanked Councillor Rowan Ree and officers for their presentation. He noted that a report on the 2025-30 Air Quality Plan had been presented at the last Full Council. However, he expressed concerns that the allocated funding was insufficient to deliver the necessary projects to meet the plan’s targets. He asked officers how they intended to secure funding for these projects moving forward. John Galsworthy (Director of Climate Change and Transport) noted that the team’s role was primarily to influence projects that contributed to achieving the climate target. He explained that most of the investment would come from external sources as and when it became available. Additionally, government grants would be pursued  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

The Ocean Conservation Trust want to support local and national governments to take action to improve ocean health. A model ‘Ocean Recovery Declaration’ – or Motion for the Ocean – seeks to help all local governments recognise that the world’s Ocean is a fundamental part of climate regulation and that it must be considered as part of an effective climate emergency response.

Grace Clifford (Ocean Conservation Trust) gave a presentation on the Ocean Conservation Trust, a charity dedicated to resorting and protecting the ocean through people centred, positive action. The charity’s funding primarily came from ticket sales, gift aid, and donations. Her slides covered key topics such as ocean literacy, the charity’s programmes, promoting ocean access, ocean advocacy and marine citizenship. She also provided an overview of the local government model for the “Motion for the Ocean” proposal for the Council to sign. She explained that this model bought together local communities and government leaders, with the aim of driving change at a national level through local council support. Additionally, she shared examples of how various councils had successfully implemented the “Motion for the Ocean” model.

The Chair thanked Grace Clifford for her presentation and noted that virtual reality (VR) headsets would be available after the meeting for anyone interested in experiencing the “under the ocean” VR journey. She highlighted that the River Thames, which ran through the borough, was increasingly polluted, emphasising that its protection and restoration were key priorities for the Council. She expressed her support for advancing the “Motion for the Ocean” to Full Council and opened the floor to any questions.

Councillor Stala Antoniades thanked Grace Clifford for her engaging and inspiring presentation and enquired about any proactive measures the council could adopt to support the motion. In response Grace Clifford (Ocean Conservation Trust) responded by encouraging participation in the ‘Think Ocean Challenge” a series of small actions and micro habits that could be developed over time. She provided examples such as switching to sustainable energy providers, reducing plastic usage, opting for environmentally responsible banking, engaging in litter picking and choosing to walk instead of driving. These small efforts would collectively contribute to the objectives of the motion.

A resident enquired about the impact of animal agriculture on the ocean and whether the ‘Think Ocean Challenge’ addressed dietary influence. In response Grace Clifford (Ocean Conservation Trust) noted that whilst animal agriculture was not a primary focus for the charity at this time, they were open to collaborating with stakeholders from various sectors to explore its connection to Ocean health. She also mentioned that the ‘Think Ocean Challenge’ included guidance in reducing meat consumption and making more sustainable dietary choices.

A resident observed that the Council was already engaged in several initiatives related to the motion. She suggested that the Council could further enhance its efforts by engaging and facilitating local voluntary groups or organisations to participate in litter picking. Additionally, she recommended that if the Council agreed to support this motion, it should explore further opportunities to implement new initiatives and raise awareness of existing policies related to this cause.

Councillor Laura Janes asked what additional actions the Council could take to enhance the motion’s impact within the borough. Clifford (Ocean Conservation Trust) suggested that committing to and engaging with Fulham Reach Boat Club regarding sewage issues would be beneficial. She also emphasised the importance of working with  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

For the Committee to suggest items for the work programme

The Chair requested that an item of active travel be presented at the next meeting and representatives from Ghent to invited to attend the Committee remotely.

To note the following dates of future meetings:

·       7^th May 2025

The Chair requested that an item of active travel be presented at the next meeting and representatives from Ghent to invited to attend the Committee remotely.