Agenda item

The Full Council considered a report setting out the Mayor’s 2022-2023 budget recommendations.

 

The Lord Mayor drew Members attention to the budget procedure to be followed.

 

At this point, on the motion of the Lord Mayor, it was

 

RESOLVED

That the relevant standing orders be suspended, noting that the procedure to be followed at this meeting is at variance with the Council’s standing orders.

 

The Mayor introduced the budget report.

 

Councillor Cheney, Deputy Mayor for Finance, Governance and Performance seconded the report.

 

The leaders of each party group, Cllrs Pearce, Mack, Weston, Clark and Hopkins each responded to the budget proposals.

 

Councillors Dyer and Gollop presented comments on behalf of the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board and Resources Scrutiny Commission.

The Mayor responded to the points raised.

 

Full Council then considered and debated each of the proposed budget amendments as follows:

 

Amendment No.1 - Knowle Community Party Budget Amendment

Capital Loan to Jubilee Pool, reduction in Corporate Contingencies.

 

Councillor Hopkins moved the amendment, seconded by Councillor Davies.

 

Following debate, upon being put to the vote on both elements of the amendment, the amendment was CARRIED.

Vote 1 - 33 members voting for, 20 against and 6 abstentions.

 

Amendment No.2 - Liberal Democrat Group Budget Amendment

Investment in parks, investment in cycling and walking infrastructure, SEND capital investment, capital finance raised through additional borrowing, reduction in funding to the Mayor’s Office, reduction in PR and Consultation, fund Occupational Therapist to speed up assessments for those seeking Disable Facilities Grant, investment in Front Garden Tree Scheme, increase in Capital financing to pay for children’s play, parks and transport.

 

Councillor Brown moved the motion, seconded by Councillor Clark.

 

Following debate, upon being put to the vote the amendment was LOST with 24 members voting for, 27 against and 8 abstentions.

 

Amendment No.3 - Green Group Amendment

Establish at least one Residents Parking Scheme, prudential borrowing to finance at least one Residents Parking Scheme, increase number of civil enforcement officers to enforce parking regulations, additional school streets, establish at least one Residents Parking Scheme, cost of servicing capital finance implications of new Residents Parking Scheme.

 

Councillor Wilcox moved the motion, seconded by Councillor Fitzjohn.

 

Following debate, upon being put to the vote the amendment was CARRIED unanimously with 59 members voting for.

 

ADJOURNMENT: The meeting was adjourned for ten minutes.

 

Amendment No.4 - Green Group Amendment

Return the Twinning Officer to full time, reduce the One City office budget if needed to pay for the cost of maintaining Twinning Officer, reduce Mayor’s Office budget, reduce the Comms/PR budget avoiding cuts to staffing if possible, increase public toilet provision in the city.

 

Councillor Bartle moved the motion, seconded by Councillor Hance.

 

Following debate, upon being put to the vote the amendment was CARRIED with 38 members voting for, 19 against and 1 abstentions.

 

Amendment No.5 – Conservative Group Amendment

Reduction in funding to the Mayor’s Office, reduction in PR & Consultation, reduce Operational Reserve, remove provision for Mayoral Commission Reserve, remove residual investment in a Brussels Office, exempt disabled drivers from charge for installation of designated parking bays, reduce bulky-item household collection charge, progress Fruit Tree Planting initiative in schools, restore proposed saving to libraries non-staffing budgets, reinstatement of unsold public toilet block.

 

Councillor Weston moved the motion, seconded by Councillor Gollop.

 

Following debate, upon being put to the vote the amendment was LOST with 22 members voting for, 32 against and 4 abstentions.

 

Amendment No.6 - Conservative Group Amendment

Use or repurpose currently unallocated strategic CIL receipts, reduce Corporate Contingencies, (Use of CIL) improvement in the quality and viability of the local centre and surrounding streets, (Use of CIL) additional mitigation measures in respect of the Cribbs/Patchway new neighbourhood development (CPNN), (Use of CIL) Increase spending on provision of outdoor equipment/facilities, restore, repair and reinstate Kingsweston Iron Bridge.

 

Councillor Geater moved the motion, seconded by Councillor James Scott.

 

Following debate, upon being put to the vote the amendment was LOST with 22 members voting for, 27 against and 9 abstentions.

 

Amendment No.7 - Green Group Amendment

Over two years draw reserves held for flood defences, reduce planned reductions in staff to invest in front line provision, reverse proposed charging for disabled parking bays, reduce saving on union facility time, draw from Adult Social Care Innovation fund to develop flexible commissioning, pilot to develop flexible commissioning arrangements with providers of care and support to people with complex needs.

 

Councillor Mack moved the amendment, seconded by Councillor Wye.

 

Following debate, upon being put to the vote the amendment was LOST with 18 members voting for, 32 against and 9 abstentions.

 

 

Amendment No.8 - Green Group Amendment

Remove saving to retain the first 30 mins of parking in pay and display bays within Resident Parking Schemes, increase fees for pay and display parking bays within Resident Parking Schemes for the period after the first 30 mins.

 

Councillor Mohamud moved the amendment, seconded by Councillor Hathway.

 

Following debate, upon being put to the vote the amendment was CARRIED with 55 members voting for, 0 against and 4 abstentions.

 

Amendment No.9 - Green Group Amendment

Reallocate unspent strategic CIL, allocate unspent CIL to G&R Parks and Green Spaces, allocate unspent CIL to G&R Transport Budget

 

Councillor Fodor moved the amendment, seconded by Councillor Edwards.

 

Following debate, upon being put to the vote the amendment was CARRIED with 39 members voting for, 20 against and 0 abstention.

 

At the conclusion of the Full Council’s consideration of, and voting on the individual budget amendments, the Section 151 Officer clarified (under section 7 of the procedure) that Amendments 1, 3, 4, 8 and 9 had been CARRIED.

 

On the motion of the Lord Mayor, the Full Council noted the Section 151 Officer’s statement regarding the robustness of the budget estimates.

 

ADJOURNMENT: The meeting was adjourned for five minutes.

 

On the meeting being reconvened, the Lord Mayor indicated that the Mayor, as per the constitution, would take up to five days to consider the amendments passed.  Full Council would meet again on the 2 March 2022 at 2pm in order to continue the debate and vote on the budget proposals the Mayor decides to present to Full Council.