Members of the Council are asked to consider whether they have any disclosable pecuniary interests and/or any other relevant interest, in connection with any matter to be debated or determined at this meeting and, if so, to declare it and state the nature of such interest.

The Civic Mayor welcomed everyone to the meeting and advised that she had been informed in advance of a number of Members who had a personal interest in agenda item 4b 2025/26 Budget and Medium-Term Financial Strategy, related to the schools budget element by virtue of holding positions as school governors as follows:

Councillors Brame, Cleary, Cooke, Angie Davies, George Davies, Gilchrist, Foulkes, Jobson, Wilson, Wood.

The Civic Mayor also reported the following personal interests insofar as they related to the schools budget element, by virtue of those Members either themselves of having close family members working in either schools or the Council’s Children, Families and Education Directorate as follows:

Councillors Stephen Bennett, Cleary, George Davies, Gardner Grier, Mountney, Povall, Raymond, Robinson, Sullivan, Graham McManus, Julie McManus

The Civic Mayor then advised Members that in respect to recommendation 2 of the budget report which related to staffing, interests were to be noted for the following Members of the Council by virtue of membership of trade unions, as declared within their register of interests:

Councillors Basnett, Stephen Bennett, Bird, Cleary, Cooper, Angie Davies, George Davies, Foulkes, Gorman, Grey, Hall, Jenkinson, Jobson, Jones, Kenny, Laing, Luxon-Kewley, Martin, Grahame McManus, Julie McManus, Onwuemene, Pitt, Powell-Wilde, Redfern, Robinson, Skillicorn, Stewart Laing, Paul Stuart, Sullivan, Tomeny, Jason Walsh-McDonald, Williams, Williamson, Wood

The Civic Mayor then asked Members to make any further declarations of interest. Councillor Paula Basnett declared a disclosable pecuniary interest in respect of a Budget proposal contained within item 4b of the Budget 2025/26 and medium financial terms strategy report, by virtue of her employment at the Wirral Chamber of Commerce. Councillor Basnett informed the Mayor that she would leave the Chamber whilst the budget proposal that gives rise to any disclosable pecuniary interest is debated upon.

Councillor Naomi Graham declared a personal non -prejudicial interest by virtue of her husband’s employment.

To receive the Civic Mayor's announcements and any apologies for absence.

The Civic Mayor announced that apologies had been received from Councillors Ainsworth, Graham Davies and Johnson

Minute with recommendations and report attached.

The Council was then invited to consider the recommendation from the Policy and Resources Committee meeting from 19 February 2025, in respect of the procedure to be adopted for the budget debate at this extraordinary meeting of the Council.

On a motion by Councillor Paul Stuart, seconded by Councillor Jean Robinson, it was –

Resolved – That, for the duration of the extraordinary meeting of 3 March 2025 (Budget Council): 

(a)  The procedure attached as Appendix A be followed in respect of the meeting; and

(b)  Council Standing Order 15.4 (timing of speeches) be suspended together with such other standing orders as may conflict with the Budget Council procedure or the Mayor’s administration of the meeting, in such a manner as the Mayor in his or her absolute discretion dictates, to ensure the objective of Council setting a lawful budget and council tax requirement prevails.

To consider any recommendations and receive reports from the Council’s Committees which require the approval or consideration of the Council, and to receive questions and answers on any of those reports.

7 matters had been referred by the meetings of Policy and Resources Committee on 15^th January and 19^th February 2025.

Minute with recommendations and report attached.

The first matter requiring approval was in relation to the Council Tax Reduction Scheme and Council Tax Base Calculation 2025/26, which was moved by Councillor Paul Stuart, seconded by Councillor Jean Robinson.

Resolved – that,

1. the figure of 97,908.96 as the Council Tax Base for 2025/26. This is an increase of 1,915.03 (1.99%) on last year’s Council Tax Base be approved.

2. The level and award of each local discount for 2025/26 be as follows: -

1.Wirral Women’s & Children’s Aid To continue to award Wirral Women & Children’s Aid 100% discount. This remains unchanged from 2024/25.

2. Care Leaver’s Discount To award Care Leavers the requisite discount to reduce their Council Tax liability to zero until they are 25. This remains unchanged from 2024/25.

3. Empty Property Discounts 2025/26 Discount category D = 0% Full charge on properties undergoing renovations. Discount category C = 0% Full charge on empty properties from date they become unoccupied. Both to remain unchanged from 2024/25, and to include an exception for properties requiring adaptations to meet the needs of a disabled person who will be occupying the property as soon as the adaptations are complete. This also applies to properties awaiting renovations prior to being occupied by someone under Ukraine resettlement scheme. Empty Property Premiums for 2025/26 to remain unchanged from 2024/25, except for where statutory exceptions have been introduced in “The Council Tax (Prescribed Classes of Dwellings and Consequential Amendments) (England) Regulations 2024”. So that the following apply: - 100% (200% Council Tax) for unfurnished properties empty for more than one year. 200% (300% Council Tax) for unfurnished properties empty more than five years. 300% (400% Council Tax) for unfurnished properties empty more than ten years. Exceptions detailed in 3.24.

4. Council Tax Discretionary Hardship Relief Scheme The Council Tax Discretionary Hardship Relief Scheme, approved by Cabinet in October 2013, to continue in its current format for 2025/26. The Scheme offers help and assistance in exceptional cases of hardship. Residents experiencing hardship as a result of changes to the Council Tax Reduction Scheme will be directed to this scheme. Appendix 1

 5. Local Council Tax Reduction Scheme (LCTRS) The current Local Council Tax Reduction Scheme for Working Age Residents to be replaced from the 1st April 2025 with a banded scheme requiring a minimum payment of 17.5% from all Working Age Claimants. Appendix 2 The scheme for pensioners as required by legislation remains unchanged from 2024/25 apart from the following:

a.  The scheme to be aligned to all the Department of Work and Pensions uprating’s and changes for Housing Benefit and Universal Credit.

b.  There to be no loss of entitlement due to payments made under government defined compensation schemes.

6. Changes to the treatment of second homes (dwellings that are furnished but are not someone’s sole or main residence) Page 18 From 1st April 2025 the council to charge an additional 100% council tax (200% Council Tax) for any person with a second home within Wirral

Minute with recommendations and report attached.

The Mayor announced it was her intention to run one single debate on the motion but then take separate named votes at the end of discussion on the 2025/26 Budget and Medium-Term Financial Strategy recommendations (1-6)  and on the statutory calculations for the Council Tax precept (7)

The first named vote was in respect of recommendations 1- 6.

Councillor Paul Stuart formally moved the Motion, which was seconded by Councillor Jean Robinson.

The Civic Mayor then informed Members that two amendments had been received.

Councillors Bird formally moved the Green Group Amendment which was seconded by Councillor Cleary.

Green Group Amendment

·  Insert an additional recommendation: 

Given recent reports from the Office of Environmental Protection and Natural England the £300,000 for Hoylake & West Kirby Beach Maintenance is repurposed as follows: 

1.  £125,000 is allocated to Library provision to provide more time for engagement with local communities and consideration of a future operating model for the library offer in Wirral for the financial year 2025/6; and 

2.  Any remaining funds left unspent after facilitating RNLI operations be allocated to a special reserve to support the development of community-based libraries and/or community asset transfer of existing library assets. 

The Civic Mayor then asked Councillor Gilchrist and Councillor Carubia to formally move and second the Liberal Democrat amendment. Councillor Paul Stuart confirmed that the amendment had been accepted at friendly.

Liberal Democrat Amendment

·  Insert an additional recommendation: 

To request the Director of Finance supported by the Director of Law and Corporate Services to establish a clear programme of dates for both the Committee Budget Oversight Panels and the Finance Working Group which will allow members to: 

·  monitor projected income and budget savings and to allow early identification and notification of savings not being met to members 

·  be briefed on where, how and to what extent budgets are impacted by seasonal variations 

·  be briefed on the impact of future Government spending reviews 

·  ensure that all of the above is reflected in the Council’s Financial Recovery Plan 

The Civic Mayor then informed Members that there was an administrative matter which had necessitated an additional recommendation being prepared. This was in light of the disclosable pecuniary interest declared by Councillor Paula Basnett which related to a specific budget proposal.

The recommendation was as follows,

6.d (ii) Approve specifically the Reduction in Business Support - contained in Appendix 1 (page 173), proposed and recommended by both the Council’s Economy, Regeneration and Housing Committee and subsequently the Council’s Policy and Resources Committee to Council.

The Civic Mayor informed Members that she would ask Councillor Basnett to leave the chamber whilst Council considered the individual savings proposal for which she had made a declaration. The Civic Mayor asked Members to confirm they agreed with the proposed way of dealing with this administrative issue. This was agreed by assent.

Councillor Basnett then left the chamber.

Councillor Paul Stuart then formally moved the additional recommendation, which was seconded by Councillor Jean Robinson.

Recommendation 6.d (ii) was then put to the vote,

It  ...  view the full minutes text for item 36b

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. 

? 

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) 

? 

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.

Minute with recommendations and report attached.

The fourth item requiring approval was the Capital Financing Strategy 2025/26.

On a motion by Councillor Paul Stuart, seconded by Councillor Jean Robinson, it was –

Resolved – that,

1. the Capital Strategy for 2025/26 be approved;

2. the associated Prudential Indicators to be adopted, contained within this report; and the Council’s Minimum Revenue Provision policy as set out in Appendix 1 of this report be approved;

3. the Council’s Minimum Revenue Provision policy as set out in Appendix 1 of this report be approved.

Minute with recommendations and report attached.

The fifth item requiring approval was the Capital Financing Strategy 2025/26, Quarter 3.

On a motion by Councillor Paul Stuart, seconded by Councillor Jean Robinson, it was –

Resolved – that,

1.The revised Capital Programme of £93.953m for 2024/25, including the virements of budget referred to in Appendix 3 of this report be approved.

2. Additional funding for the scheme referred to in section 3.7 in this report be approved; and

3. The amendment to the Council’s Minimum Revenue Provision policy as set out in 3.9.2 of the report be approved.

Minute with recommendations and report attached.

The sixth item requiring approval was the Treasury Management Strategy 2025/26.

On a motion by Councillor Paul Stuart, seconded by Councillor Jean Robinson, it was –

Resolved – that,

(1) the Treasury Management Strategy for 2025/2026, as set out in Appendix A to this report be approved.

(2) the Treasury Management Policy Statement, as set out in Appendix B to this report be approved.

(3) the Treasury Management Prudential Indicators for 2025/2026, as set out in Appendix C to this report be approved.

Minute with recommendations and report attached.

The seventh item requiring approval was in relation to the Investment Strategy 2025/26.

On a motion by Councillor Paul Stuart, seconded by Councillor Jean Robinson, it was –

Resolved – that, the Investment Strategy for 2025/26 which includes the scope of potential investment in the following activity areas: (a) Commercial Property; (b) Service Investments: Loans; (c) Service Investments: Shares be approved.