Minute with recommendations and report attached.

Further to Minute Item 94 of Policy and Resources Committee, and at the request of members of the Committee, the Section 151 Officer has included a further appendix 11 as part of the report.

Equality Impact Assessments have been completed for all budget proposals and can be found here: Link

The Chair announced that following legal advice appendix at item 10 no longer needed to be treated as confidential and could be made publicly available. He proposed that items 5 and 6 on the agenda (exclusion of the press and public and noting the confidential appendix) therefore be withdrawn. This was approved by assent.

The second matter requiring approval was the Council Budget and Medium-Term Financial Strategy for 2023/24.

Councillor Janette Williamson formally moved the Motion, which was seconded by Councillor Jean Robinson, and which was set out as a recommendation of the Policy and Resources Committee of 15 February 2023, minute 94.

The motion having been formally moved and seconded, Councillor Janette Williamson spoke to her motion.

Councillor Kathy Hodson, as Chair of the Children, Young People and Education Committee, then spoke to the Schools Budget element of the proposed budget.

Councillor Tom Anderson, as Leader of the Conservative Group, then addressed the Council on the budget proposals.

Councillor Pat Cleary, as Leader of the Green Group, then addressed the Council on the budget proposals.

Councillor Phil Gilchrist, as Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group, then addressed the Council on the budget proposals.

The budget proposals were then debated.

At 7.40pm the Mayor adjourned the meeting for a short break.

The meeting resumed at 7.55pm.

In respect of the budget motion, the Council divided as follows:

For the motion (38) - Councillors S Bennett, J Bird, A Brame, C Carubia, P Cleary, H Collinson, C Cooke, A Davies, C Davies, G Davies, S Foulkes, P Gilchrist, N Graham, E Grey, J Grier, J Hoey, C Jones, T Jones, S Kelly, B Kenny, D Kenny, J Laing, P Martin, J McManus, D Mitchell, Y Nolan, C O’Hagan, A Onwuemene, O Osanlou S Percy, S Powell-Wilde, J Robinson, T Smith, P Stuart, Jason Walsh, J Williams, J Williamson and G Wood.

Against the motion (21) – Councillors T Anderson, M Booth, D Burgess-Joyce, H Cameron, I Camphor, M Collins, T Cox, T Elzeiny, A Gardner, P Hayes, A Hodson, K Hodson, J Johnson, M Jordan, I Lewis, S Mountney, C Povall, L Rennie, S Williams, V Wilson and A Wright.

Abstaining (1)– Councillor J Green.

The motion was therefore carried (38:21) (1 abstention).

The Council was then invited to vote on the Statutory calculations for the Council Tax levels for 2023/24 in accordance with Sections 32-36 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992.

The Council voted as follows:

For the motion (59) - Councillors T Anderson, S Bennett, J Bird, M Booth, A Brame, D Burgess-Joyce, H Cameron, I Camphor, C Carubia, P Cleary, M Collins, H Collinson, C Cooke, T Cox, A Davies, C Davies, G Davies, T Elzeiny, S Foulkes, A Gardner, P Gilchrist, N Graham, E Grey, J Grier, P Hayes, A Hodson, K Hodson, J Hoey, J Johnson, C Jones, T Jones, M Jordan, S Kelly, B Kenny, D Kenny, J Laing, I Lewis, P Martin, J McManus, D Mitchell, S Mountney, Y Nolan, C O’Hagan, A Onwuemene, O Osanlou, S Percy, C Povall, S Powell-Wilde, L Rennie, J Robinson, T Smith, P Stuart, Jason Walsh, J Williams, S Williams, J Williamson, V Wilson, G Wood and A Wright.

Against the motion – none.

Abstaining (1) – Councillor Jeff Green

The motion was therefore carried (59:0) (1 abstention).

A. Resolved (38:21) (1 abstention) - That

(1)  a) the Medium-Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) set out as Appendix 7 be approved;
b) increases to the Council’s fees and charges equal to or above the annual Consumer Price Index reported by the Office for National Statistics in February 2023 be approved, unless either of the following conditions apply:
  i. There is a statutory constraint that prevents such an increase,  

ii. The Council is operating in a market whereby such an increase would result in the Council being uncompetitive.

c) the Discretionary Rate Relief Policy for Business Rates for 2023/24 set out as Appendix 6 be approved.

d) Unearmarked Reserves (General Fund Balances) be maintained at a figure not lower than £13.18m for the course of the 2023/24 financial year.

e) it be approved that, in respect of the Budget Proposals, the Director with portfolio undertake such actions as they consider necessary to implement the agreed Budget and deliver the savings, income and efficiency proposals developed as part of the formulation process and update Committees accordingly.

f) the 2023/24 Schools Budget of £337.017m be approved

B. Resolved (59:0) (1 abstention) - That:

(1)   a. the Band D Council Tax be set at £1,798.48 for the Wirral Borough Council element of the Council Tax, representing a general increase of 2.99% and 2.00% ringfenced increase to Adult Social Care, and the Council Tax requirement for the Council’s own purposes for 2023/24 of £171.9m as detailed in Appendix 5.

b. it be noted that the additional precepts from the Police & Crime Commissioner for Merseyside and the Merseyside Fire & Rescue Authority remain in estimated form and authority be delegated to the Section 151 Officer to implement any variation to the overall council tax arising from the final notification of the precepts.

(2)  the additional funds of £135,000 arising from the final settlement be allocated as follows: 

£41k be invested in specialist, complex investigation work to support Children’s social care cases where there are multiple victims or perpetrators.

£94k be invested by not taking the following four budget options that fall within the Environment, Climate Emergency and Transport Committee in respect of:

-  The review of bulky waste (ERIC)collection service £10k

-  The Environmental Health Service Review £40k

-  The reduction in the recycling promotional budget £20k

-  The reduction in Waste & Environmental Services budget £24k