This meeting of the Council included the proposed adoption of a new Street Trading Policy and considered several recommendations made by other committees, including recommendations about the appointment of the next Mayor, the adoption of a revised Audit & Regulatory Committee Terms of Reference, and the noting of an annual report from the Standards Committee.

Levelling Up Culture and Capital Projects Fund

Councillor Linda Grooby proposed a motion about the withdrawal of £5 million from the Levelling Up Culture and Capital Projects Fund. The motion notes that:

As part of the autumn budget the new Labour government announced that they were “minded to cancel this funding at the same time” as the budget increased annual government spending by £76billion.

The motion regrets this decision, noting the impact it would have on the Partington Theatre, Victoria Hall, and Buxton Opera House, and resolves to campaign on a cross-party basis to protect the funding.

Street Trading Policy

The Council was scheduled to consider the adoption of a new Street Trading Policy, covering the period 2024-2027. The proposed policy included a number of notable features.

The policy makes a point of ensuring that street traders operate sustainably. For example, it states that at first application – Vehicles must meet or exceed Euro 6 (Diesel) Euro 4 (Petrol) emissions standards and from 01/01/2025 Street trading licences will not be renewed in respect of any licensed vehicle that does not meet or exceed Euro 6 emissions standards (Diesel) Euro 4 (Petrol) emissions standards . The policy also encourages traders to reduce the amount of single-use plastic that they use.

The policy also includes a detailed set of conditions that apply to all traders, including requiring them to have public liability insurance, keep their trading location clean and tidy, and comply with any reasonable request of a police officer or authorised officer of the Council. There is a separate, and more comprehensive set of conditions that apply specifically to ice-cream vans, including a requirement that they comply with the Code of Guidance on Noise from Ice-Cream Van Chimes in England 2013.

The policy also includes guidance on how the council will take into account the criminal record of applicants. It makes clear that the Council will take relevant prior convictions into account when it decides whether to grant a street trading consent , and that each case will be decided on its own merits. The guidance outlines the council's general approach to dishonesty, violence, drugs and sexual offences.

The policy also includes a fee structure for street trading consents, with different fees for different types of consent. For example, there is a one-off fee for Christmas tree sellers, and no fee for charitable organisations.

Appointment of Mayor

The Audit and Regulatory Committee recommended that the Conservative Group be invited to make a nomination for the appointment of Mayor for 2025/26. This is because the Conservative group had the most points under the points system that is used to select the mayor.

Audit & Regulatory Committee 2023/24 - Review of Effectiveness and Terms of Reference

The Audit and Regulatory Committee recommended that its revised Terms of Reference (Appendix 3) be approved.

The Committee provided two documents to the Council to help it assess its effectiveness. The first, Appendix 1 is a self-assessment checklist produced by CIPFA, the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy. The checklist covers a wide range of topics, including the committee's purpose and governance, its functions, its membership and support, and its effectiveness.

The second document, Appendix 2, is a tool for evaluating the impact and effectiveness of the committee, also produced by CIPFA. It identifies a number of areas where the committee can have impact, such as promoting the principles of good governance, contributing to the development of an effective control environment, supporting the establishment of arrangements for the governance of risk, advising on the adequacy of the assurance framework, supporting effective external audit, supporting the quality of the internal audit activity, aiding the achievement of the authority's goals and objectives, supporting the development of robust arrangements for ensuring value for money, helping the authority to implement the values of good governance, and promoting effective public reporting.

Standards Committee Annual Report

The Standards Committee presented its annual report to the Council. The report provides an overview of the issues considered by the Committee during 2023/24. This included the Councillor Induction Programme, Code of Conduct - Dispensations, the Local Government Ombudsman Annual Letter, and the monitoring of complaints received regarding alleged breaches of the Code of Conduct.

The report notes that the Ombudsman upheld 2 complaints during 2022/23, and that the relatively small number of complaints that reach the Ombudsman compared to the total number of complaints received by the Authority illustrates the strength of the Council in ensuring complaints are dealt with promptly and appropriately.

Treasury Management Update

The Audit and Regulatory Committee recommended that the Council note its current treasury management position. The report notes that the Bank of England base rate has decreased from 5.25% at the start of the year to 4.75% in November. The report also notes that the Council's total level of debt at the end of the quarter was £69.3million, and that the average annual borrowing rate is forecast as 4.10%.