Democracy in Crawley

How decisions are made and who represents you

Agenda and minutes

Venue: Ashurst Main Hall - The Charis Centre. View directions

Contact: Democratic Services  Email: democratic.services@crawley.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

1.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 634 KB

To approve as a correct record the minutes of the meeting of the Full Council held on 20 October 2021.

 

Minutes:

The minutes of the meeting of the Full Council held on 20 October 2021 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Deputy Mayor.

 

 

2.

Disclosures of Interest pdf icon PDF 115 KB

In accordance with the Council’s Code of Conduct, councillors are reminded that it is a requirement to declare interests where appropriate.

Minutes:

The disclosures of interests made by Councillors are set out in Appendix A to these minutes.

 

3.

Communications

To receive and consider any Deputy Mayoral announcements or communications, including any additional Cabinet Member announcements.

 

The Deputy Mayor will also present each of the following Members with a badge commemorating their long service as a Member of Crawley Borough Council:-

 

            AWARD

            NAME

 

35 Years

Councillor B Smith

 

 

30 Years

Councillor Lanzer

 

 

10 Years

Councillor Millar-Smith

 

Minutes:

The Deputy Mayor informed the Full Council that in light of the reduce membership at the meeting, she was going to delay presenting the long service badges to the Councillors, detailed within the agenda, until the next Full Council meeting which was due to be held on 23 February 2022, so that more Councillors would be present. Also at that meeting she would provide a full update on her Deputy Mayoral events.

 

4.

Public Question Time

To answer public questions under Full Council Procedure Rule 1.1-E.  The questions must be on matters which are relevant to the functions of the Council, and should not include statements.

 

One supplementary question from the questioner will be allowed.

 

Up to 30 minutes is allocated to Public Question Time.

Minutes:

There were no questions from the public.

5.

Budget Strategy 2022/23 – 2026/27- (Recommendation 1)

Minutes:

The Full Council considered report FIN/537 of the Head of Corporate Finance. The Leader of the Council presented the report which set out the projected financial position for 2022/23 to 2026/27 for the General Fund, Housing Revenue Account, capital programme and the underlying assumptions. The report also set the policy framework for the budget process, recognising that there were a range of options for capital investment, income generation, savings and Council Tax levels; none of which could be considered in isolation. The overall objective in the past had been to work towards a balanced General Fund budget over a three year period, this however, due to the impact of the pandemic this had been increased to four years in the Budget Strategy report to Cabinet in November 2020.

 

It was noted that there was currently a budget gap £138,566 for 2022/23 before use of reserves and before any savings are identified, on the basis of a Council tax increase of 2.31% which was £4.95 on a Band D in property 2022/23. It was proposed also to budget a further £948,460 for new capital schemes.

 

The item had been previously considered at the Overview and Scrutiny Commission and Cabinet meetings on 22 November 2021 and 24 November 2021 respectively. Councillor Lamb moved the recommendation which was seconded by Councillor P Smith. Both Councillor Lamb and Councillor P Smith spoke on the report.

 

Councillor Crow also spoke on the item and the recommendation.

 

The Deputy Mayor then called for the vote on the Recommendation, which was carried unanimously.

 

 

RESOLVED

 

That the Full Council approves the Budget Strategy 2022/23 to 2026/27 and:

 

a)         Notes the uncertainties around Government funding prior to the settlement in December and the delay in Local Government Funding reforms such as business rates retention and the future of New Homes Bonus.

 

b)         Notes, for the purpose of projections, the current budget deficit of £138,566for 2022/23 before use of reserves, on the basis of a Council tax increase of 2.31% which is £4.95 on a Band D in property 2022/23. 

 

c)         Works towards balancing this over a four-year period, including putting back into reserves when the Budget is in surplus.  There may be a need to use reserves over the next three to four years to balance the budget together with ongoing savings, efficiencies and additional income through the transformation programme.

 

d)         Notes there was a report on the Climate Change Emergency Action Plan at the Cabinet meeting on 24 November 2021.  The costs identified in 2022/23 are included within existing budgets, however there will be a need to fully cost the Plan over the coming years and decisions will be required on how to fund the Plan.

e)         Notes that savings previously agreed and included in the Budget Strategy are required to ensure a sustainable budget.

 

f)          Delegates to the Leader of the Council in consultation with the Chief Executive and the Head of Corporate Finance to approve a discretionary business rates scheme to distribute the share to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

6.

Crawley Homes Rent Overcharge (Recommendation 2)

Minutes:

The Full Council considered report DCE/11 of the Deputy Chief Executive which had been previously considered by the Overview and Scrutiny and Cabinet meetings on 22 November 2021 and 24 November 2021 respectively. Councillor Lamb, as the Leader of the Council, presented the report and recommendations, which detailed the reasons behind the rental overcharge, the actions being taken to rectify this and the associated financial impact; and along with the proposal of the necessary financial changes that were before the Full Council for its consideration and approval.

 

Councillor Lamb moved the recommendation, which was seconded by Councillor P Smith. Both Councillor Lamb and Councillor P Smith spoke on the report.

 

Councillor Lanzer spoke on the item and the recommendation; in doing that he asked that that the Leader whether he would be happy to provide Councillors with the financial cost and the amount of resource which had been incurred by the Council as a result of dealing with the rents over charge.

 

As part of his right to reply Councillor Lamb confirmed that work had been undertaken within the Council day to day resource, but tracking the cost was currently being undertaken. He would ask officers that once the exercise had been completed, an item be including in the Councillors’ Information Bulletin, detailing the total cost to the Council in responding to the rents over charge.

 

The Deputy Mayor then called for the vote on the recommendation, which was carried unanimously.

 

 

RESOLVED

 

That the Full Council

 

a)            Notes on the reasons behind, and the actions being taken to rectify, the rent overcharge.

 

b)            Agrees the necessary financial provision for both for the refund of rent and the lower income anticipated within the Housing Revenue Account in both the current and future years. The cost in the current and future financial years will result in less resource to fund future housing.

 

c)            Notes that the cost of the refunds made to tenants/DWP will impact in the current financial year the sum that will be transferred to the major repairs reserve for investment in future housing stock. This will be in reported in the Quarter 3 Budget Monitoring Report.

 

7.

Crawley Innovation Centre - Draft Business Case (Part B Report) - Recommendation 3

Minutes:

The Full Council considered exempt report PES/392 of the Head of Economy and Planning, which had been previously considered by the Overview and Scrutiny Commission and Cabinet meetings on 22 November 2021 and 24 November 2021 respectively. The Cabinet Member for Planning and Economic Development presented report which detailed the business case for the design, build and delivery of the Crawley Fusion Innovation Centre, proposed to be located in Manor Royal, fully financed by the government's Getting Britain Building Fund through the Coast to Capital Local Enterprise Partnership.

 

Councillors Lanzer and Burrett also spoke on the item and in support of the recommendation.

 

Councillor Lamb moved the recommendation which was seconded by Councillor P Smith.

 

The Deputy Mayor then called for the vote on the Recommendation, which was carried unanimously.

 

 

RESOLVED

 

That the Full Council approves the increase to the capital programme budget for the Innovation Centre by £8.6m subject to receiving approval from the LEP that the bid is successful and that they will provide the £8.6m grant. This is also subject to a viable business case that satisfies the s151 officer being received on the revenue financial implications to the Council of the project.

8.

Notice of Motion 1 - Amending the Targets Within the Climate Emergency Action Plan pdf icon PDF 258 KB

To consider, in accordance with Full Council Procedure Rule 1.1-H, the following Notice of Motion to be moved by Councillor Crow and Seconder Councillor Piggott.

Minutes:

The Full Council considered the Notice of Motion 1 - ‘Notice of Motion 1 – Amending the Targets within the Climate Emergency Action Plan as set out on page 73 of the Full Council’s agenda. The Motion was moved and presented by Councillor Crow who, in do so, gave further explanation behind the reasoning for the Notice of Motion, emphasising that the Motion was not a criticism of the Climate Emergency Action Plan, but that the Motion intended to challenge the Council by having more aspirational targets on reducing emission, rather than targets that were still challenge but were seemingly achievable.  

 

Councillor Piggott seconded the Motion and spoke in support of it.

 

Councillors Lamb, Lanzer, Jhans, Burrett, Jaggard, P. Smith and Ali also spoke in support of the Motion.

 

The Deputy Mayor then called for the vote on the Notice of Motion, which was carried unanimously.

 

 

RESOLVED

 

The recent COP26 summit was an important event for the world in seeking to address climate change by working to limit global temperature rise to 1.5°C. It was widely agreed at COP26 that this decade, the 2020s, is a make-or-break decade for the world to act. Whilst several promising agreements were reached, it is widely recognised that there is more for the world to do.

 

In November 2021, this Council’s Cabinet agreed the Council’s Climate Emergency Action Plan which pledged to reduce emissions by 45% by 2030 and to reach net zero by 2050.

 

This Council notes that:

 

Nearly two thirds of English local authorities have pledged to reach net zero by 2030, including our own local upper tier authority, West Sussex County Council, as well as other District and Borough Councils within West Sussex.

 

This Council resolves that:

 

Crawley Borough Council’s Climate Emergency Action Plan is amended to pledge to reduce emissions by at least 50%, and as close to net zero as possible by 2030, and to reach net zero by 2040 at the very latest.

 

9.

Councillors' Questions Time pdf icon PDF 342 KB

There will be a maximum of 30 minutes for Councillors’ Question Time (CQT). Councillors may ask questions relating to either a portfolio issue or with regard to the functions delegated to a Committee.

 

There are two methods for Councillors asking questions:

 

1.     Councillors can submit written questions in advance of the meeting and written answers will be provided on the evening of the Full Council.

 

2.     Councillors can also verbally ask questions during the CQT.

 

Councillors have the opportunity to ask oral supplementary questions in relation to either of the methods above.

Minutes:

Question

Response

 

Councillor Crow to the Leader of the Council –

 

We are all well aware of what is happening with Omicron, the new Covid-19 variant, and the ambition of the government to rapidly ramp up the booster programme.  We know we are in a race against time to save lives, reduce hospital admissions, and not put the NHS in crisis over the winter period.  Is there anything we can do as a council to help with the vaccination programme?  I’ve seen lots of things going on nationally so perhaps we could, if council staff are available, suggest they volunteer to help with the vaccination programme and the council give time off in lieu as long as their jobs are not impacted.  I would be supportive of anything we could do to support the booster vaccination programme.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you for your answer.  We all recognise that vaccination is the best thing we can do.  I am pleased to hear that the council is having conversations with partners.  I’m contactable over the Christmas period if the Leader or the Chief Executive wants to contact me for any kind of support.  We’re all in this together and we hope the vaccination programme will be successful, and anything we can do to help my group will be supportive of that.

 

Councillor Lamb (Leader of the Council) –

 

We stand ready to do anything necessary to help the vaccination programme.  Clearly we have facilities we can make available, we also have a workforce that can be made available though it would depend upon the jobs that need doing.  We are in conversation with the local NHS about this but the problem is there is a lack of people who have the medical qualifications to give the vaccinations.  That’s where the major shortage is in the system – and ultimately we don’t have the trained staff.  But if there is a need for volunteers in non-active vaccination roles then we can certainly provide that.  We also need to send a very clear message about the importance of vaccination.  It’s the safest thing you can do for your own health, for the people you love, and for your community.  If there’s one thing to take from this evening’s meeting it’s that this is the first time in the town’s history we’ve had to do a meeting like this – strip attendance down to the quorum in order to do it safely – if we’re taking it this seriously it shows the need for local people to do the same.  Ultimately people should get out there and get their vaccine and their booster, it’s the only way life will get back to normal.

 

Councillor Jaggard to the Leader of the Council –

 

The council purchased Kingsgate car park around three years ago.  As it’s going to take approximately four months to bring it up to a safe standard, with hindsight was it value for money and was there enough oversight and scrutiny given to the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9.

10.

Receiving the Minutes of the Cabinet, Overview and Scrutiny Commission and Other Committees including Items for Debate

To receive the minutes of the meetings of the Cabinet, Overview and Scrutiny Commission and Committees, as listed on page 33, and set out in the appendices to this item and to debate any Reserved Items contained within those Minutes.

 

NB:  In advance of the meeting Political Groups can identify any items they wish to debate as a Reserved Item.  These Reserved Items will then be the only matters to be the subject of debate.

 

Minutes:

Moved by Councillor Flack

 

 

RESOLVED

 

That the following reportsbe received:

Overview and Scrutiny Commission – 1 November 2021

Overview and Scrutiny Commission – 22 November 2021

Cabinet – 24 November 2021

Planning Committee – 30 November 20

 

It was noted that there were no other items reserved for discussion.

 

Declarations of Interest - Appendix A pdf icon PDF 121 KB