Issue - meetings

Report of the Chief Executive

The Council considered the report of the Chief Executive which provided details of the proposed response to Minute 8 of the Extraordinary Council Meeting held on 24 June 2010, the impact of the recent announcement by the Government for a reduction of grants to Local Authorities and proposals for the management of the budget reductions for the Council.

The Cabinet had considered the report at its meeting held earlier that day (Minute No. 65 refers) and a revised Appendix A to the report was circulated to Members, together with the confidential Appendix B (see Minute No. 25 below).

The Chief Executive also circulated on addendum to the report on the equality impact assessment of the proposals to reduce/cease some activity funded through Area Based Grant.

This was a Key Decision and was included in the Council’s Forward Plan of Key Decisions.

It was then moved by Councillor Robertson and seconded by Councillor Brodie-Browne that:

(1)      approval be given to the cessation of the specific Area Based Grant projects and activities totalling £2,549,850 in 2010/11 as identified in Appendix A and the confidential Appendix B of the report (see Minute No. 25 below);

(2)      it be noted that this will involve a reduction in staff, to be achieved through the Council’s normal personnel procedures and if necessary through compulsory redundancies;

(3)      the finalisation of these arrangements be delegated to the Chief Executive in consultation with Party Leaders;

(4)      the response to the resolution of the Extraordinary Council Meeting on 24 June 2010 as set out in paragraph 5 of the report be noted;

(5)      approval be given to the use of £1.5m one-off funding previously allocated to support the 2009/10 outturn position to compensate for the reduction in grant;

(6)      approval be given to the use of the 2010/11 contribution to balances of £500k towards the required savings;

(7)      approval be given to the re-phasing of £720k of the transport capital programme;

(8)      approval be given to the reallocation of 2009/10 reserve contributions outlined in Appendix 3 of the report and totalling £745k;

(9)      the ongoing work outlined in paragraph 3.9 of the report to identify the balance of savings required be endorsed and a report be submitted to the next Cabinet meeting.

It was moved by Councillor P. Dowd, seconded by Councillor Maher that the motion be amended by the addition of the following text:

“The Council notes:

that the increase in VAT from 17.5% to 20% announced in the Government's June Emergency Budget will fall hardest on those least able to afford it;

that the increase in VAT will lead to higher prices for goods and services; will have a disproportionate impact on pensioners and other low income groups; and will have a severe impact on businesses, charities and community groups in Sefton;

that the effect of the increase in VAT, when taken with other measures in the Budget, will be unfair to pensioners, who have not had a compensatory increase in other benefits and allowances;

that the way  ...  view the full minutes text for item 23

Report of the Chief Executive

The Cabinet considered the report of the Chief Executive which provided details of the proposed response to Minute No. 8 of the Extraordinary Council Meeting held on 24 June 2010, the impact of the recent announcement by the Government for a reduction of grants to local authorities and proposals for the management of the budget reductions by the Council.

The Chief Executive also circulated an addendum to the report on the equality impact assessment of the proposals to reduce/cease some activity funded through Area Based Grant.

This was a Key Decision and was included in the Council's Forward Plan of Key Decisions.

RESOLVED:   That

(1)       the report be referred to the Council for consideration;

(2)            officers be requested to review the content of the confidential report  referred to Minute No. 67 below in order to identify the information which can be made available to the public at the Council meeting to be held later that day and the information on staffing issues which should remain confidential at this moment in time and not made available to the public.