Minute with recommendations and report attached.

The third item requiring approval was the capital programme for 2025-30 which was formally moved by Councillor Paul Stuart, seconded by Councillor Jean Robinson.

Conservative Group Amendment

The Conservative Group Amendment was then formally moved by Councillor Simon Mountney, Seconded by Councillor Max Booth as follows,

Council notes that on-street carparking charges cannot be used to support the Council’s Revenue Budget. 

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Council is dealing with the current financial crisis facing the Council and further notes that the repayment of £1 million capital (over the 10-year life of the asset) will cost the Council Taxpayer £150,000 per year (information provided by Director of Finance) 

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Given the public’s overwhelming rejection of on-street parking charges due to the major impact the resulting parking displacement will have on residents, local businesses and visitors to Council attractions, Council agrees to remove the £1 million from the 2025-2026 Capital Programme identified for car parking charging equipment and return this matter to the appropriate Policy and Services Committee(s) for further consideration. 

Accordingly, Council is recommended to approve: 

1.  The new bids as detailed in Appendix 2 to this report (removing the capital requirement for car parking equipment)requiring £187.8m of funding for inclusion in the Capital Programme; and 

2.  The Capital Programme 2025-32 as detailed in Appendix 3 to this report, deleting reference to the car parking equipment proposing capital expenditure of £1m in 2025/26. 

Councillor Mountney then spoke to the amendment.

The Capital Programme and amendments were then debated.

Councillor Booth then spoke as seconder to the amendment.

Councillor Jo Bird then raised a point of order regarding the timing of guillotine to which the Director of Law and Corporate Services responded.

The Council then proceeded to the votes

The Conservative amendment was then put to the vote and was lost (20:42)1 Abstentions. The substantive motion was then put to the vote.

It was therefore Resolved (62:00) 1 abstention – that…. 

1 The new bids as detailed in Appendix 2 to this report requiring £18.8m of funding for inclusion in the Capital Programme be approved.

2 The Capital Programme 2025-32 as detailed in Appendix 3 to this report be approved.

The Director of Finance provided Members with the proposed Capital Programme 2025-32 for consideration and referral to Council for approval. The report included information regarding the revenue implications of this Programme and an update on the latest forecast for capital receipts. The 2025-32 Capital Programme represented a combination of schemes originally approved as part of the 2024-29 Programme, updated through the Capital Monitoring reports in 2024-25 and new bids for inclusion as detailed in this report. Members discussed the re-development of Mosslands School and proposals for the site, as well as capital schemes for Community Asset Transfer, disposals, asset rationalisation and Library Works. Also considered was the proposed car parking capital equipment expenditure of £1m for 2025/26. After a debate, Councillor Simon Mountney proposed the following amendment to recommendation 2, seconded by Councillor Jeff Green.

‘’The Capital Programme 2025-32 as detailed in Appendix 3 to this report, deleting reference to the car parking equipment proposing capital expenditure of £1m in 2025/26 as set out on page 172 of this report’’.

The amendment was then put to the vote and was lost (05:10)

The original motion was therefore put to the vote, and it was – Resolved (15:00)- That Council be recommended to approve,

1 The new bids as detailed in Appendix 2 to this report requiring £18.8m of funding for inclusion in the Capital Programme; and

2 The Capital Programme 2025-32 as detailed in Appendix 3 to this report.