Agenda item

Report of the Chief Executive

Further to Minute No. 162 of the Cabinet Meeting held on 16 December 2010, the Council considered the report of the Chief Executive which provided an update on the Transformation Programme and set out recommendations on the relative priority of Council services in the light of the forecast savings required, following the Government's Comprehensive Spending Review.  This prioritisation informs the identification of budget savings options which were set out in the report to reduce the 2011/12 - 2013/14 budget gap.

 

An extract of Minute No. 162 of the Cabinet meeting held on 16 December 2010 was circulated at the meeting together with the revised recommendations to Council and a revised Appendix E (Tactical Savings Options).

 

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

 

Mr. Glen Williams, Branch Secretary of Unison addressed the Council on the trade union perspective on the Transformation Programme and the Budget Position generally.

 

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

 

That:

 

1.       the progress to date on the Transformation Programme be noted;

 

2.       the assessment of critical, frontline and regulatory services as defined in Appendices A, B and C of the report be approved;

 

3.       the associated savings set out in Appendix D of the report be approved;

 

4.       the tactical savings options as set out in the revised Appendix E of the report be approved;

 

5.       the changes to the Medium Term Financial Plan be approved as set out in the report and it be noted from the illustrative assumption that corporate and departmental management and admin can be reduced by 25%;

 

6.       officers be authorised to commence a consultation process with employees and Trade Unions with a view to reaching an agreement on the Terms and Conditions issues outlined in paragraph 4.4 of the report, including the issue of relevant statutory and contractual notifications, if appropriate to achieve change;

 

7.       the Council meeting scheduled for Thursday, 13 January 2011 in Southport Town Hall be postponed until Thursday, 27 January 2011 to allow time for political groups to consider the prioritisation of ‘other services’.

 

8.       the savings options set out in Appendix F of the report to achieve savings of £2.4m be approved;

 

9.       the savings options (external funding review) set out in Appendix G of the report be approved;

 

10.     the savings options (tactical savings Table A) set out in Appendix H of the report, be approved; and

 

11.     the savings options (tactical savings Table B) identified in Appendix H of the report, be approved.

 

An amendment was then moved by Councillor Maher and seconded by Councillor Moncur that the motion be amended by the addition of the following text at the end of Resolution (4):

 

Subject to the deletion of the saving option CS9 (Cease School Clothing Grant)

The requisite number of Members having then signified their wish that the voting on the amendment should be recorded in accordance with Rule 18.4 of the Council and Committee Procedure Rules, the voting was duly recorded and the Members of the Council present at the time, voted as follows:

 FOR THE AMENDMENT:

 

Councillors Bradshaw, Brady, Brennan. Byrom, Carr, K. Cluskey, L. Cluskey, Cummins, M. Dowd, P. Dowd, Fairclough, Friel, Gustafson, Hardy, Kelly, Maher, McGinnity, Moncur, Tweed, Veidman and Webster.

AGAINST THE AMENDMENT:

 

Councillors Barber, Blackburn, Booth, Brodie-Browne, Cuthbertson, Dodd, Doran, Dorgan, Dutton, Mrs. M. Fearn, Lord Fearn, Fenton, Gibson, Glover, Griffiths, Hands, Hill, Hough, Howe, Hubbard, Ibbs, Jones, Larkin, C. Mainey, McGuire, McIvor, Papworth, Parry, Pearson, Porter, Preece, B. Rimmer, D. Rimmer, Robertson, Shaw, Sumner, Tattersall, Tonkiss, Sir Ron Watson and Weavers

 

The amendment was lost by 40 votes to 21

 

A further amendment was then moved by Councillor Moncur and seconded by Councillor Maher that the motion be amended by the addition of the following text at the end of Resolution (10):

 

Subject to the deletion of the saving option CS5 (Post 16 Transport)

 

On a show of hands, the amendment was lost by 40 votes to 21

 

A further amendment was then moved by Councillor Hardy and seconded by Councillor Friel that the motion be amended by the addition of the following text at the end of Resolution (9):

 

Subject to the deletion of the saving options CM17a (Cease Neighbourhood Cleansing) and CM49 (Cease Cleansing – Linacre Bridge Team)

 

On a show of hands, the amendment was lost by 40 votes to 21

 

A further amendment was then moved by Councillor Brennan and seconded by Councillor K. Cluskey that the motion be amended by the addition of the following text at the end of Resolution (8):

 

Subject to the deletion of the saving option SCL1c (Arts and Cultural Services)

 

On a show of hands, the amendment was lost by 40 votes to 21

 

A further amendment was then moved by Councillor Friel and seconded by Councillor McGinnity that the motion be amended by the addition of the following text at the end of Resolution (4):

 

Subject to the deletion of the saving option CM37 (Cease funding for Opportunities Shop); and

 

the addition of the following text at the end of Resolution (9):

 

Subject to the deletion of the saving option CM44 (Cease Good Neighbour Skips)

 

On a show of hands, the amendment was lost by 40 votes to 21

 

A further amendment was then moved by Councillor McGinnity and seconded by Councillor Carr that the motion be amended by the addition of the following text at the end of Resolution (9):

 

Subject to the deletion of the saving options CM48a (Cease Cleansing – Fly Tipping/Graffiti) and CM51a (Cease Cleansing – Arterial Routes)

 

On a show of hands, the amendment was lost by 40 votes to 21

 

A further amendment was then moved by Councillor Gustafson and seconded by Councillor Friel that the motion be amended by the addition of the following text at the end of Resolution (9):

 

Subject to the deletion of the saving option SCL18 (Free and Active)

 

On a show of hands, the amendment was lost by 40 votes to 21

 

A further amendment was then moved by Councillor Byrom and seconded by Councillor Moncur that the motion be amended by the addition of the following text at the end of Resolution (4):

 

Subject to the deletion of the saving option CE19a (Cease membership of Local Government Association)

 

On a show of hands, the amendment was lost by 38 votes to 21 with 2 abstentions

 

Following a period of debate, it was moved by Councillor Parry, seconded by Councillor Porter and

 

RESOLVED:

 

That the meeting be adjourned for a period of ten minutes to enable Councillor Porter to seek legal advice from the Acting Head of Corporate Legal Services (Monitoring Officer).

 

Following the adjournment, the meeting resumed and the Mayor requested the Members of the Public present to refrain from disrupting the meeting or she would request that the Public be excluded from the meeting.

 

Following further debate, an amendment was then moved by Councillor Robertson and seconded by Councillor Brodie - Browne that the motion be amended by the addition of the following text at the end of Resolution (4):

 

Subject to the deletion of the saving option SCL7a (Libraries - Closures), to allow the option to be postponed pending the outcome of the review of the Library Service and the lease for the Mobile Library vehicle be extended for twelve months.

 

On a show of hands, the amendment was carried by 40 votes to 21.

 

Following further debate, the requisite number of Members having signified their wish that the voting on the Substantive Motion should be recorded in accordance with Rule 18.4 of the Council and Committee Procedure Rules, the voting was duly recorded and the Members of the Council present at the time, voted as follows:

 FOR THE SUBSTANTIVE MOTION:

Councillors Barber, Blackburn, Booth, Brodie-Browne, Cuthbertson, Dodd, Doran, Dorgan, Dutton, Mrs. M. Fearn, Lord Fearn, Fenton, Gibson, Glover, Griffiths, Hands, Hill, Hough, Howe, Hubbard, Ibbs, Jones, Larkin, C. Mainey, McGuire, McIvor, Papworth, Parry, Pearson, Porter, Preece, B. Rimmer, D. Rimmer, Robertson, Shaw, Sumner, Tattersall, Tonkiss, Sir Ron Watson and Weavers.

AGAINST THE SUBSTANTIVE MOTION:

 Councillors Bradshaw, Brady, Brennan, Byrom, Carr, K. Cluskey, L. Cluskey, Cummins, M. Dowd, P. Dowd, Fairclough, Friel, Gustafson, Hardy, Kelly, Maher, McGinnity, Moncur, Tweed, Veidman and Webster.

 

 The Substantive Motion was carried by 40 votes to 21 and it was

RESOLVED:   That

1.       the progress to date on the Transformation Programme be noted;

 

2.       the assessment of critical, frontline and regulatory services as defined in Appendices A, B and C of the report be approved;

 

3.       the associated savings set out in Appendix D of the report be approved;

 

4.       the tactical savings options as set out in the revised Appendix E of the report be approved subject to the deletion of the saving option SCL7a (Libraries - Closures), to allow the option to be postponed pending the outcome of the review of the Library Service and the lease for the Mobile Library vehicle be extended for twelve months;

 

5.       the changes to the Medium Term Financial Plan be approved as set out in the report and it be noted from the illustrative assumption that corporate and departmental management and admin. can be reduced by 25%;

 

6.       officers be authorised to commence a consultation process with employees and Trade Unions with a view to reaching an agreement on the Terms and Conditions issues outlined in paragraph 4.4 of the report, including the issue of relevant statutory and contractual notifications, if appropriate to achieve change;

 

7.       the Council meeting scheduled for Thursday, 13 January 2011 in Southport Town Hall be postponed until Thursday, 27 January 2011 to allow time for political groups to consider the prioritisation of ‘other services’.

 

8.       the savings options set out in Appendix F of the report to achieve savings of £2.4m be approved;

 

9.       the savings options (external funding review) set out in Appendix G of the report be approved;

 

10.     the savings options (tactical savings Table A) set out in Appendix H of the report, be approved; and

 

11.     the savings options (tactical savings Table B) set out in Appendix H of the report, be approved.

 

(In accordance with Rule 18.5 of the Council and Committee Procedure Rules, the following Councillors requested that their votes against Resolutions (3) to (6) and (8) to (11) above be recorded, namely:

 

Councillors Bradshaw, Brady, Brennan, Byrom, Carr, K. Cluskey, L. Cluskey, Cummins, M. Dowd, P. Dowd, Fairclough, Friel, Gustafson, Hardy, Kelly, Maher, McGinnity, Moncur, Tweed, Veidman and Webster.