Apologies for absence were received from Councillor S Harvey.

The Chairman informed Members that since the last meeting of Council he or the Vice-Chairman had attended the following civic events:

• Lord-Lieutenant of Rutland’s Festival of Remembrance, St George’s Barracks
• Armistice Day Service, Grounds of Oakham Castle
• Service of Remembrance, All Saints’ Church
• Citizens Advice AGM, Victoria Hall
• Preview to Christmas, Belvoir Castle
• Mayor of Melton’s Carol Service, St Mary’s Church, Melton
• Chairman of North West Leicestershire’s Charity Dinner, The Royal Arms Hotel, Sutton Cheney
• Combined Police & Fire Carol Service, Leicester Cathedral
• Stocken Prison Carol Service
• 2248 Air Cadet Squadron Presentation Evening, Oakham Cadet Centre
• Mayor of Melton’s Charity Quiz Night, Melton Borough Council
• University of Leicester Winter Graduations, De Montfort Hall
• Mayor of Peterborough’s Holocaust Memorial Service, St John’s Church, Peterborough
• Lord Mayor of Leicester’s Holocaust Memorial Service, De Montfort University
• Annual Meeting of the University Court, Leicester University

Mayor of Northampton Town Council Civic Service, All Saints’ Church, Northampton

Councillor G Waller, informed Members that she had attended several meetings on behalf of the Council, and a written update on these meetings would be circulated with the minutes.

In accordance with the Regulations, Members are invited to declare any disclosable interests under the Code of Conduct and the nature of those interests in respect of items on this Agenda and/or indicate if Section 106 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 applies to them.

Councillor K Payne notified Members that with regard to her report at Item 13 – Joint Arrangements and external Organisations – Heidelburg Cement had submitted a planning application to the Council. Councillor Payne confirmed that as a Member of the Planning and Licensing Committee she had not participated in any discussion at the liaison committee with regard to the application and would therefore not be able to answer any questions form Members with regard to the application.

To confirm the Minutes of the 253^rd, 254^th and 255^th meetings of the Rutland County Council District Council held on 6 November 2023, 5 December 2023, and 18 January 2024.

Consideration was given to the minutes of the meetings of Council held on 6 November, 6 December and 18 January.

A motion to approve all minutes was moved by the Chairman and seconded, and a separate vote was taken on each set of minutes.

With 24 votes in favour and 2 abstentions, the minutes of the meeting held on 6 November were approved.

With 21 votes in favour and 6 abstentions, the minutes of the special meeting held on 6 December were approved.

With 24 votes in favour and 2 abstentions the minutes of the special meeting held on 18 January were approved.

RESOLVED

That the minutes of the meetings of Council held on 6 November, 6 December and 18 January be APPROVED.

To receive any petitions, deputations or questions received from members of the public in accordance with the provisions of Procedures Rule 25 and 26. The total time allowed for this is 30 minutes.  Petitions, deputations and questions will be dealt with in the order in which they are received and any which are not considered within the time limit shall receive a written response after the meeting.

No petitions, deputations or questions had been received from Members of the public.

To receive any questions submitted from Members of the Council in accordance with the provisions of Procedure Rules 27 and 28.

One question had been received from Councillor R Ross and this was put to Councillor A Johnson as detailed in the agenda supplement.

In response Councillor Johnson confirmed that relief for Oakham School was £370,000 and for Uppingham School £451,000. The Council retained

50% of the remaining £220,000 business rate yield meaning it received £110,000 in income from the schools. Councillor Johnson also outlined the benefits arising from the schools including combined employment of 1000 people and offering of leisure facilities to the public. It was also set out that both schools owned several domestic dwellings in Rutland in which their pupils and staff reside and for which council tax was paid in addition to business rates.

To determine matters where a decision taken by a Committee has been referred to the Council in accordance with the provisions of Procedure Rule 89.

No referrals had been received.

To determine matters where a decision taken by the Cabinet has been referred to Council by the call-in procedure of the Scrutiny Committee in accordance with the provisions of Procedure Rules 149 and 150. As a result of the decision being deemed to be outside the Council’s policy framework by the Monitoring Officer or not wholly in accordance with the budget by the Section 151 Officer, or otherwise not in accordance with Article 12.

No call-ins had been received.

To receive reports from the Cabinet on recommendations referred to the Council for determination.

Two reports had been received from the Cabinet.

To receive Report No. 03/2024 from the Leader of the Council.

Report No. 03/2024 was introduced by Councillor G Waller, Leader of the Council. The report set out revisions to the strategic priorities of the Council covering the period 2024-2026. The revision had been undertaken as part of a scheduled refresh of the existing Corporate Strategy which was approved by Council in July 2022.

Members spoke in support of the revised strategy highlighting its role as a high-level document with more specific delivery plans and policies coming separately, for which Members set out a wish for changes and their implications to be carefully considered, particularly with regard to climate change and transformation.

A motion to approve the recommendations of Report No had been moved by Councillor G Waller ,and seconded. Upon being put to the vote, with 26 votes in favour the motion was unanimously carried.

RESOLVED

That Council, on the recommendation of Cabinet, APPROVED the Corporate Strategy Refresh 2024-2026

To receive Report No. 04/2024 from the Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Governance and Resources.

Report No. 04/2024 was received from Councillor A Johnson, Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Resources and Governance. The report came to Council as part of the Council’s formal budget setting process and set out a number of required decisions from Council, including the setting of Council Tax (including an Adult Social Care precept), and approval of the Medium-Term Financial Strategy and Fees and Charges Strategy. It was noted a revised Appendix Q had been circulated in the agenda supplement with updated figures from the Combined Fire Authority.

Members spoke in support of the proposed budget, highlighting the Council’s commitment to operate within its means through investment in transformation activities to reduce expenditure in the long term. Members noted the difficult financial circumstances and subsequent choices facing many local authorities based on national government policy and the lobbying the Council was engaging in seeking fairer funding for rural authorities.

Thanks were also expressed to the Council’s Section 151 Officer and all officers who had worked throughout the budget-setting process in order to being the budget before Council. Thanks were also expressed to the members of the public who had engaged in the Council’s budget consultation.

A motion to approve the recommendations of Report No. 04/2024 had been moved by Councillor A Johnson and seconded with the inclusion of the updated Appendix Q, a recorded vote being required voting was as follows:

There voted in favour:

Councillors N Begy, A Brown, P Browne, T Carr, M Chatfield, G Clifton, K Corby, H Edwards, D Ellison, M Farina, K Heckels, O Hemsley, A Johnson, S Lambert, S McRobb, K Payne, R Payne, R Powell, R Ross, T Smith, L Stephenson, G Waller, A West, D Wilby, C Wise and H Zollinger-Ball.

There being 26 votes in favour and no votes against nor any abstentions, the motion was unanimously carried.

RESOLVED

That Council APPROVED:

a)    The budget including a Council Tax increase of 4.99% (2.99% general Council Tax and 2.0% Adult Social Care precept), as outlined in section 5.1.2, Appendix F and the Council Tax resolution in Appendix P.

b)    The updated budget assumptions, to be incorporated in the Medium-Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) 2024/25 – 2027/28. These are outlined in sections 5 and 6.

c)    The grant funding receipts estimated across the MTFS as contained in Appendix D.

d)    The Fees and Charges Strategy that details the approach to be adopted by directorates when setting and updating fees and charges as provided in Appendix E.

e)    The revised capital programme and schemes outlined in section 6.5 and referencing Appendix K and M.

f)     The funding of the capital programme as detailed in the treasury management and capital strategies in Appendices L and M

g)    The updated Reserves Strategy and forecast reserve commitments to fund the cost of transformational investment and previously identified departmental commitments as outlined in section 7.4, and Appendices B, C and I.

h)    The Education budget as outlined in section 6.6 and Appendix N.

i)      The budget virement limits  ...  view the full minutes text for item 10b

1)    To receive reports from Committees on matters which require Council approval because the Committee does not have the delegated authority to act on the Council’s behalf.

2)    To receive reports from Council Committees on any other matters and to receive questions and answers on any of those reports.

There were no reports from Committees of the Council.

To receive reports from the Strategic Overview and Scrutiny Committee on any matters and to receive questions and answers on any of those reports.

There were no reports from Scrutiny.

To receive reports about and receive questions and answers on the business of any joint arrangements or external organisations.

A Member wishing to make a report should advise the Democratic Services Manager as soon as possible but in any event no later than noon on the working day immediately before the meeting.

Councillor R Ross presented his report on the Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Joint Health Scrutiny Committee, noting that since production of the report the proposed item on Dentistry had been deferred from the upcoming March meeting to a later date. 

Councillor K Payne presented her report on the Heidelburg Cement Liaison Meeting attended by herself and Councillor M Farina.

RESOLVED

That the reports be RECEIVED and NOTED.

To consider any Notices of Motion submitted by Members of the Council in accordance with Procedure Rule 31 in the order in which they are recorded as having been received.

No notices of motion had been received.

To receive items of urgent business which have been previously notified to the person presiding.

There were no items of urgent business.

Monday, 25 March 2024.

This was noted to be Tuesday, 25 March 2024.