Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Phillip Barrett, Stephanie Duckett, Janet Jefferson, John McCartney, Heather Moorhouse and John Ritchie.

Minute Item 137

Councillor Carl Les OBE declared an interest in his capacity as Chair of Trustees of North Yorkshire Citizens Advice and Law Centre.  Councillors David Chance, Caroline Goodrick and Melanie Davis each declared an interest as Trustees of the same organisation.  Councillor Liz Colling declared an interest as a former Trustee.  Councillor Peter Wilkinson declared an interest since his firm provided support to North Yorkshire Citizens Advice and Law Centre.

Councillor Davis also declared an interest as a second home owner.

Councillor Gareth Dadd declared an interest on the basis that he was a Director of a company with holiday lets.  He remained in the meeting for the item as he had previously been granted a dispensation.

Councillor Michael Harrison declared an interest since his employer was referred to in the Treasury Management Strategy.  He remained in the meeting for the item as he had previously been granted a dispensation.

Councillor Lindsay Burr MBE declared an interest since she was a dedicated Safeguarding Officer.

Councillor Dan Sladden declared an interest since he let a small number of properties on a commercial basis.

Any correspondence, communication or other business brought forward by the direction of the Chair of the Council.

The Chair welcomed the Honorary Aldermen and members of the public and press who were present.

The Chair informed Members of the usual arrangements for the meeting.

The Chair reminded Members that as per the email previously sent by Barry Khan, Assistant Chief Executive Legal and Democratic Services, there was a legal requirement to ensure that Members were not in arrears for their Council Tax when voting on the budget.

The Chair advised that there were a number of proposed amendments to the Council budget that had previously been circulated by email and copies made available in the Council Chamber.  Her intention was to work through these, inviting the proposer and seconder to put their amendments in the order in which they were received.

The Chair then drew Council’s attention to the King’s New Year’s Honours list and passed on congratulations to Stuart Carlton, the Corporate Director for the Children and Young People’s Service, who had been awarded a knighthood for services to children, young people and families, and to Wendy Nichols, who had been elevated to the House of Lords and was now Baroness Nichols of Selby OBE for her political service.

The following deaths were noted:

• Former North Yorkshire County Councillor and longstanding Hambleton District Councillor, June Imeson OBE
• Former North Yorkshire County Councillor, Richard Thomas who served from 1993 to 2005
• Former Selby District Councillor and Mayor of Selby, Doreen Davies

The Chair also advised that she had been privileged to attend the funeral of PC Rosie Prior at York Minster on 13 February.  PC Prior had lost her life while helping at the scene of a road traffic accident on the A19 near Bagby.

A minute’s silence was held in memory of these four public servants.

1.     Revenue Budget for 2025/26 and Medium Term Financial Strategy 2026/27 to 2027/28

The recommendations at pages 64 to 66 of the agenda (pages 2468 to 2470 of the Minute Book) were moved by the Leader of the Council, Councillor Carl Les, and seconded by the Deputy Leader, Councillor Gareth Dadd.

(i)             The following amendment was moved by Councillor Kevin Foster and seconded by Councillor Andy Brown:

“The locality budgets for all 90 Councillors remains as it was when the 7 District councils merged to the new North Yorkshire Council on the 1st of April 2023.”

The amendment was then debated.  In the course of the debate, the Corporate Director of Resources, Gary Fielding clarified that his analysis of the impact of the proposed amendment to the Council budget circulated at the meeting was based on the retention of the full £10,000 per Member locality budget for 2025/26 only, instead of on a recurring basis as proposed.  The latter meant that the overall cumulative budget shortfall as at the end of 2027/28 would increase to £34.9m.  It would also mean an additional draw on reserves of £1.35m over the period of the Medium Term Financial Strategy to 2027/28.

A recorded vote was taken by roll call and the motion was declared defeated 37 for, 47 against and no abstentions.

For:  Councillors Chris Aldred, Joy Andrews, Philip Broadbank, Eric Broadbent, Barbara Brodigan, Andy Brown, Lindsay Burr MBE, Liz Colling, Sam Cross, Felicity Cunliffe-Lister, Melanie Davis, Michelle Donohue-Moncrieff, Kevin Foster, Hannah Gostlow, Bryn Griffiths, Paul Haslam, Mike Jordan, Peter Lacey, Steve Mason, Rich Maw, Andrew Murday, David Noland, Bob Packham, Stuart Parsons, Kirsty Poskitt, Jack Proud, Tony Randerson, Mike Schofield, Subash Sharma, Steve Shaw-Wright,  Dan Sladden, Monika Slater, Andy Solloway, Neil Swannick, Andrew Timothy, Matt Walker and Arnold Warneken.

Against:  Councillors Karl Arthur, Alyson Baker, Derek Bastiman, Nick Brown, John Cattanach, David Chance, Mark Crane, Gareth Dadd, Caroline Dickinson, Keane Duncan, Richard Foster, Sam Gibbs, Caroline Goodrick, Tim Grogan, Michael Harrison, Robert Heseltine, David Hugill, Nathan Hull, David Ireton, George Jabbour, David Jeffels, Tom Jones, Nigel Knapton, Andrew Lee, Carl Les OBE, Cliff Lunn, John Mann, Simon Myers, Andy Paraskos, Yvonne Peacock, Clive Pearson, Heather Phillips, Janet Sanderson, Karin Sedgwick, David Staveley, Roberta Swiers, Malcolm Taylor, Angus Thompson, Phil Trumper, Steve Watson, David Webster, John Weighell OBE, Greg White, Annabel Wilkinson, Peter Wilkinson, Andrew Williams and Robert Windass.

Abstentions: none

(ii)            The following amendment was moved by Councillor Bryn Griffiths and seconded by Councillor Peter Lacey:

·       “We propose that the Council retains the full value of the locality budgets for 2025/26 at £10,000 per Member per annum pending an external evaluation of the value and benefits to local communities arising from the use of such locality budgets. 

·       We further propose that the one-off external evaluation should be funded to a maximum of £50k from reserves. This evaluation should identify the overall value to local  ...  view the full minutes text for item 137.

The recommendations at page 354 of the agenda pack (page 2768 of the Minute Book) were moved and seconded.

The motion was debated.  Because the financial landscape had altered considerably since the Council Plan was first drafted, and remained uncertain in the future, the Deputy Leader of the Council proposed an amendment to the report’s recommendations to the effect that the Council:

“Approve the Council Plan with an appropriate statement highlighting the dependence of the plan on our and partners’ financial ability to fund it. The text and positioning to be written by the Chief Executive in consultation with the Leader.”

The amendment was seconded.

Concerns were expressed at the lack of detail in certain sections of the document and that the amendment had been tabled without advance notification.

It was moved and seconded that Council move to the vote on the amendment and on a vote being taken 52 Members voted for the motion, 24 voted against and there were no abstentions.

After this vote was taken, some councillors left the meeting in protest.

On a vote being taken on the amendment, the motion was declared carried, with 54 votes for, six against and no abstentions.

With the amendment now the substantive motion, a final vote was taken and declared carried, with 54 votes for, one against and five abstentions.

Resolved:

(i)             That the Council approves the Council Plan with an appropriate statement highlighting the dependence of the plan on our and partners’ financial ability to fund it. The text and positioning to be written by the Chief Executive in consultation with the Leader; and

(ii)            That the Council authorises the Chief Executive to make any necessary changes to the text, including reflecting decisions made by the Council on the budget and Medium-Term Financial Strategy, and updated performance data and key performance indicators.