Issue - meetings

Councillor A S Fluker asked the Leader of the Council to provide three examples since May 2022 where, in her capacity as Leader, she had brought forward policies to the Council on behalf of the Conservative administration. In response the Leader referred to the June Statement where she set out the programme for this Municipal Year. The review of the Corporate Plan was underway, an Events Strategy was coming forward and the remainder of the programme of work would come to fruition in 2023.

Councillor C Mayes asked the Leader of the Council what budget was allocated to the Cemetery Team given the sterling work they do and the income they generate. The Leader said she would provide a detailed response outside of the meeting.

Councillor A S Fluker acknowledged the Leader’s statement but said that there was no policy on budget, the Council was underperforming and the situation was further exacerbated by the refusal of his request for an Autumn budget. In response the Leader drew Members’ attention to her February statement on the budget and said that the Council was going through its budget cycle and providing updates on the financial position and savings as appropriate. The financial challenges had been unprecedented with Covid closely followed by a cost of living crisis. These issues were adversely impacting all local authorities, constituted a global crisis and an Autumn budget would not necessarily have been able to address or foresee these issues. Officers and Councillors were all working together through the cross party Finance Working Group and, as acknowledged in the Working Group and at recent Treasury Management training, reserves were there to use when times were difficult like now. The financial strategy was addressing the cost of living crisis and the needs of the community evidenced as the priority in the Resident Survey. She outlined work currently underway with other authorities and agencies including the Local Government Association lobbying the Government to urgently provide financial sustainability and certainty to Councils to ensure the requisite support to communities and service delivery to improve quality of life.

Councillor W Stamp asked the Leader of the Council if she would consider calling a meeting of all Chairpersons and Vice-Chairpersons to plan for the future. She further commented that Transformation had a detrimental impact and reiterated the Leader’s comments that the current economic downturn was nationwide. The Leader in response to the request for a Chairperson / Vice-Chairperson meeting said that an invitation was imminent.

At this point the Chairman called for an adjournment of the meeting.