Transcript

Before we proceed with the items on the agenda, I need to remind you the usual housekeeping messages. There are no fire alarm test planned for this evening, so if the alarm sounds, please leave the chamber by the nearest door and follow the illuminated fire exit. Again, an assembly in the car park at the rear of the building. You have the right to film this meeting if you so wish, but I would like to know now before we begin whether anyone in the room plans to do this. If you intend to film the meeting apart of it, would you please indicate now? Okay, the first item on this evening's agenda is apologies for absence. At the moment the apologies for absence I've received from Councillor Iks, Lee, C Stevenson, Remmer, Fellworth and Rayner. Is there any more apologies? Yes, sorry Councillor Blythe, Councillor Blythe and Councillor Blythe. The next item is a confirmation of minutes of the last meeting. Before I formally introduce this item, the draft minutes has been amended at minute 46. Yes, 46. This will now refer to the correct date 30th of November 2023. Can I please have a proposal that the minutes of the council meeting held on the 25th of January or 2024 be approved as a correct record? Madam Chair, I'd like to thank you. Is there a seconder for the proposal? Yes, thank you Madam Mayor. I'd like to second that. Okay, thank you. Does anyone want to comment on the factual accuracy of the minutes or propose any amendments? Councillor FAIL? Yeah, just a slight amendment as well on page 7, please. 51C, right at the thought of page 7. I did refer to the 2021-2021-2024, but the question was actually about the 2022-23 monitoring report, so if that could be amended, please. Yes, my proposal is we just note that in the minutes of today's meeting, is that okay? Would those members present at the meeting of the 25th of January who favour have confirmed the minutes has a correct record, please indicate? This is fine. Yes, that's fine. So obviously, on the 25th of January, who was all in favour and confirmed the minutes as a correct record, please indicate. So the minutes are confirmed on the 25th of January. The next item on the agenda is the declaration of interest. As this is the budget meeting, I need to remind you that on the 6th of September 2012, the Council passed a resolution granted a dispensation under section 33 of the Local Eyes Act 2011, enabling all Councillors to speak and vote on issues relating to the setting of the council tax. Unless any member is disqualified from voting, under the provisions of section 106 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, because there are two or more payments in arrears with the council tax, Councillors do not therefore need to individually declare an interest in agenda item 11, just because they are council tax payers. On that basis, do any members or officers have any interest to declare on any items included on the agenda for this meeting? Okay, the next item is item 4 announcement. I'd just like to and please to announce that the mere selection panel has nominated Councillor Jane Preston as the Mayor-Elect for 24/25. Okay, just be agreed. Yes, you're not your right then, Michael. Be agreed. Yeah, to be agreed at the Annual Council meeting, so would you like to come in there then, Michael, please? Thank you. I just wanted to say, on behalf of the Conservative Group and Council as a whole, I wish to pass on my Divas condolences to Councillor Vivas and her family for the loss of former Councillor Ronnie Schuen. It was well liked on all sides of the chain, but I'll always remember Ronnie's Meryl Ball and he came out to you won't get me and part of the union. And he came over to the Tory table to apologise in case you caused any offence. He obviously hadn't. He then spent a good period of time talking to us all about his family with a beaming smile on his face and told the stories about taking his grandkids out and his larder. He'll be sadly missed. Thank you. There are a couple of more announcements for this evening. I'd just like to thank everybody who is is a owner of a racehorse on this 6th of April and them that have sponsored. There is obviously, it's my dinner, obviously a night at the races. The tickets are on sale, so it will be a good evening. So we're good luck to support. Very much appreciated. I'm just going to do one last fun race in April, which is probably for the men or ladies. It's actually Derek Spence, who's and Terry Pashley. They're both leaving Hamilton, but Derek Spence will have an Irish international footballer and so Terry Pashley. So it should be a good evening and that's going to be in April. So dates will be announced. Okay, thank you. So that's that one for the announcements. The next item is item five, the public questions or statements. However, there are no questions from members of the public this evening. So the next item is questions of notice from Councillors. Again, there are no such questions this evening. We'll now move on to the next item, which is the pay policy statement. A polite reminder for members to indicate by clearly raising your hand if you wish to speak and to speak clearly into the microphone in front of you. So Councillor Vincent, would you please introduce the report and propose the recommendation? Thank you, Madam Mayor. I feel there's going to be plenty of discussion about plenty of things in action. Keep it nice and brief. Members have got the report. Thank you to all of the officers who've got a lot of hard work into it. I don't have a suit, we propose the recommendation. Is there a seconder for the proposal? I'll second Madam Mayor. Are there any comments, questions or amendments? So Councillor Vincent, would you, as I propose of the motion, will you please? Well, there's not going to be a debate, so that's as well. Don't you? May? Go for the vote then. All those in favour? That's a unanimous decision. So the recommendation is approved. Thank you. The next item is item eight, the review of the staff pay line. Again, Madam Vincent, would you please five members with an update regarding this report? Yes, Madam. The report's not before members tonight. Chief Executive organised listening sessions with staff following her appointment in April 2023. Primary complaint amongst our officers was that they felt they were underpaid. Benchmarking against other district councils confirmed this to be correct. We were amongst the worst paying districts in the county. Our financial position means that we are able to offer our staff above grade three a significant pay rise. We had hoped the Council would be able to approve this tonight, but the unions rejected the offer and refused to enter into negotiations. However, they have now suggested they are willing to discuss the matter, and the meeting will hopefully take place soon, so we'll be able to bring this forward in the injured course. So thank you. To confirm the report, it is deferred until a later meeting of the Council. The next item is item nine, the Treasury Management Policy and Annual Investment Strategy. Minimum revenue provision, policy statement and capital strategy for 2024-25. Thank you Madam Mayor. The reports before members, I'm happy to take any questions or comments, and I put forward the recommendation of three people. Is there a seconder for? Thanks, great. Thank you. There are any comments, questions or amendments? Thank you, Madam Mayor. Perhaps more in hope than expectation, Councillor. It's a few of you remember me chipping on about ethical policy investment policies. Is there any chance you've had a discussion with any of the officers concerned on moving that forward at all? It seems any outcome. Thank you. I did have the conversation, as I said, it would. It would be a matter for the overview and scrutiny committee, not audit, which I found a bit strange, but that's not the case. The issue basically is, I think it's something I alluded to in the last meeting, when it was raised, is like with Moody's have got a risk register, there is no ethical register. One person's view of what ethical is and what another person's view of what ethical is may change, so being able to sort of pin down a policy on that would be quite difficult. But if it were to happen, it would be something for the overview and scrutiny committee to discuss and if they want to discuss it, that's up to them. So, any more questions? No? Well, that concludes the debate, so would members please now vote on the recommendation? That was both. Those in favor please, sure? And any abstentions? The recommendation is approved. The next item is item 10, the revenue budget, council tax and capital program for 2024-25. Please note that the setting of the budget and council tax has been revised and the council will consider these items separately. As usual, at the budget meeting, we need first to deal with two procedural issues. Firstly, I intend in line with the normal convention and in accordance with the discretion under procedure rule 16.4 to allow the leader of the council when proposing the budget and the leaders of the opposition groups, when commenting on and on or proposing any amendments to it. To speak without being restricted by a time limit. All other speakers in the debate will, as usual, be limited to a maximum of five minutes each. Secondly, I also propose that the procedure rule 16.6(b) be suspended to allow a single debate to be held on the budget, including any amendments proposed to it. Would you please indicate whether or not you agreed to the suspension of 16.6(b) to enable us to have a single debate on this item? Those for? Thank you, that's a unanimous decision, so thank you. Before the council, Vincent introduced the report in Council Mackay, would you like to make a verbal correction to the report? Thank you, Madam Mayor. Please kind of just draw your attention to the note 3.4(c). The figure at 3.4(c), it should read 9,860,830. This is 3,000 less than the current stated. It's all into the change to a parish precept. The figure at 3.8 should now read 251 pounds 95, but no other figures are affected. Thank you. So, Council Vincent, would you please introduce your report and formally propose a budget recommendation the cabinet has recommended on pages 113, 114, 115 of the agenda, so you have a lot unlimited time to do so. Thank you, Madam Mayor. I will not need unlimited time. The funding we received from Government for the coming year assumes that we will raise Council tax by the maximum. As such, not to do so would be to self-inflate self-harm on our finances. While we propose increasing the Council tax by any amount with a heavy heart, the people of wire trust us with their money. They trust that we will do the right things with it on their behalf and we must not betray that trust. Since 2010-11, we have had our funding cut by nearly 76%. This has not been easy to manage, but Madam Mayor, we've not only got by, we've excelled. While Labour authorities have lumbered their residence with huge debts and interest payments, we have navigated these difficult times shrewdly and are debt-free. The latest life in wire survey confirms that 78% of our residents are satisfied with where they live. That Madam Mayor is thanks to sensible, stable local government delivered by this administration and those who have preceded it since 1999. It is also thanks to Claire James and her finance team who work all year round to ensure that we receive as much and spend as little as we can. I'm grateful to Claire and all of her team, to Councillor McKay and also to the Audit and Standards Committee. They all do vital work and do it very well. But we must not be naive and cannot rest on our laurels. If we did not increase the Council tax by the amount that the Government expects us to, we will leave the Council underfunded in future years as the compound effect is huge. Not taking the difficult decision to raise the Council tax today may mean we have to make cuts in the future that we do not want to. Labour controlled Birmingham City Council have announced this week that they will increase their residence Council tax by 21% and inflict £300 million in cuts to public services. The Labour Councillors who control Birmingham have tried to blame cuts for their failings, but those cuts have affected all authorities. It is the residents and taxpayers of Birmingham who will pay for what unison call the Council's financial mismanagement. We will never allow this Council's finances to fall into such a perilous state. Instead, we will continue to spend within our means while delivering on the priorities of the people of wire. The Government have extended the Household Support Fund for a further six months and so, if the same model for calculating funding is applied, we expect to receive around £400,000 to distribute to our residents who need it the most and the charities and organisations who help and support them. Our offices are excellent at delivering and distributing such funding and I am grateful to them for their hard work and dedication. We will continue to work hard to try and help our residents improve their home health. The wire moving more strategy will launch after Easter and aims to encourage people to leave healthier, more active lifestyles. We have secured £142,000 with revenue funding for the Boroughs' swimming pools and £141,000 capital grant to employ energy and carbon saving improvements to Fleetwood Leisure Centre. Our partnership with Slimming World will continue with fully funded 12-week programmes available to our residents. I wish to take this opportunity to congratulate Catrol, Churchtown, Poulton, Gastang and Hamilton, who each won gold at the Britain and Bloom Northweds Judging and I am delighted that Churchtown and Bloom were the joint winners of the best village in Great Britain. The In Bloom teams are made up entirely of volunteers who love where they live and are grateful to them and all of the volunteers in Alberta for their hard work and dedication. The units of Project Neptune have been finalised and will soon be passed to new tenants. The investment in Fleetwood will help protect the fish processing industry in Fleetwood for years to come. We continue to deliver our plans for the UK Share Prosperity Fund monies and the project to support and invest in events, festivals and arts, support businesses, upgrade CCTV, develop community facilities and improve our town centres. We are expanding our programme of events and will be announcing more on this soon. We aim to drive up business and numbers and with it boost our local economies. There has been a 3.9 million pound investment in Fleetwood market. I acknowledge that the market and its storeholders face challenges and a difficult economic environment and I am working closely with Councillor Maranell and the corporate management team to find a permanent solution that benefits all involved and ensures the market has a varied, vibrant and high quality offering of stalls for years to come. To maintain our status as a well run, well respected and debt free Council, we must look at the current and future challenges we face. We must modernise and transform the way we work and the way we deliver services. This will improve productivity and the services we provide to our residents. That is why the Council has approved the appointment of a Director of Transformation and I look forward to working with the members of the Senior Officer Appointment Committee, even Councillor Fail, to find the best person for wire. Wire is a great place to work and we have already received a high number of quality applications from people who have private and public sector experience. I am confident we will have another great team member of our corporate management team in place very soon. Members are aware that we have agreed to lease Thornton Little Theatre to a provider to deliver that service on our behalf and that we are beginning a tender process to see if anybody would be interested in operating the Marine Hall and our behalf also. For decades, the YMCA have run our leisure centres. More recently, Veolia provided an excellent service for collecting and recycling our residents waste and the success and popularity of these partners should demonstrate that if we get it right, our residents care about the service being there and not whether the Council provides it directly or through a partner. The lease for Thornton Little Theatre will contain guarantees that it will be offered for community use. The call-in is delayed, that's the thing somewhat, and so a provider has not yet been formally agreed. However, of the five bids, there are two that are very high quality and it's going to be very difficult to choose between them. After the Marine Hall, we can now appoint the consultant to work with us to make immediate improvements and put a plan in place for the theatre. We can also start the tender process. There have been untruth told about our plan for the Marine Hall, it is not under threat, quite the opposite. We're a district council and our officers excel at providing public services. Just as we do not excel at collecting bins or providing leisure centres in comparison to specialist charities and private sector companies, we do not excel at providing a theatre service. That is clear from the evidence. We want to invest time and money into the Marine Hall. We hope that we can find a provider who shares our vision. We want to apply for funding to regenerate the site and the leisure centre and make the Marine Hall and Gardens the destination it once was. We want a partner who will help make that ambition a reality, but ensuring the theatre has more, more popular events and we expect that after a period of initial investment, the cost of the council will be much lower. Madam Mayor, the people of wire trust us with their money and we have shown them time after time that their trust is well placed with the wire conservative group. We are a well-run debt-free council who deliver excellent public services. We make difficult decisions and doing so early gives the maximum benefit. I cannot thank Claire James and her team enough for the work they do and it is with great pleasure that I propose the budget to the council. Thank you. Is there a seconder for the proposal? Our second Madam Mayor, reserve the right to speak. Thank you. Council fail. Now you have the opportunity to comment on the budget and it is if you wish to propose any amendments to it and again you have an unlimited time to do so. Thank you Madam Mayor. In previous years at this budget meeting, Councillors have voted on a business plan and the proposed budget. The Labor Group supported the move last November to bring forward the approval of the business plan or council plan, as it is now called. Setting the council's strategy in that plan is key as it informs future decision making including how the council spend its budget. After amendments in November, which should have been supported, were disappointingly rejected, we see the new council plan as work in progress. Had they been accepted, there would have been a commitment to ensure the railway instatement reached the centre of Fleetwood and even more importantly a commitment to improve the quality of life for individuals by tackling employment and income deprivation. The big picture is therefore that this authority is not spending its budget as effectively as it could. It cannot continue to close its eyes and just hope for the best. It must begin to tackle employment and income deprivation. Otherwise the gap between the house and the house not will continue to widen. Investment is key to turn around the fortunes of Wires Peninsula and the lives of its residents. Wires has had an overall cutting funding since 2010 of over 75% or 6.7 million per year. One of the complaints of residents over many years is that Wires' new homes bonus income is being used to plug a hole in its finances rather than being used for what it's intended improving infrastructure. By the end of 24/25, Wires will have received over £17.2 million in new homes bonus or more than £1 million a year. The last 14 years have probably been one of the best examples of carrot and stick in UK government history. It's not a good carrot and stick though. The stick has been to take away £6.7 million per year and the carrot has been for the government to say to Wires, build thousands of homes and will give you back £1 million of that lost £6.7 million. What a come. It has resulted in what could be described as a managed decline in both infrastructure and services in Wires and across the UK. Unlike some cash strapped to authorities, Wires has the option of taking another tack given it expects to have £33.8 million in reserves and balances at the end of 24/25. Yes, these monies could be stashed away for a rainy day but for many it's already pouring down. So this council needs to consider using its funds for the long-term benefit of Wires residents. Before those balances are gone for good. If the managed decline policy continues, the reserves and balances will dwindle away without improving or even maintaining service levels and in terms of infrastructure allowing thousands of houses to be built without the needs of residents being considered at all, never mind addressed. We have now had 14 years of the current government destroying virtually all aspects of a civilised society from health to social care, to education, to policing, to infrastructure, to defence, to arts, to climate action, to local government funding. It's been a complete disaster and why are selling off or outsourcing of our theatres is an admission that this council buys into the Conservative government's failed austerity agenda. Well, on this side of the chamber, we don't buy it. Estivity has been a scam and outsourcing is, and forever will be, a privatising and asset stripping scam that ultimately delivers nothing other than a poorer service at a greater cost. Wires 2.99% increase or £6.57 for a bandy home is not the key issue. The key issue is the bigger problem of what this authority does with new homes bonus, what it does with its reserves and balances, and what it does or doesn't do with its assets. Our theatres have been run down year on year with no investment and people wonder why this council is subsidising the theatres. You can't rip out a very successful while lounge and hope for the best, but that's seemingly what happened. It's now time this council took a different path using its resources whilst it still can to secure the very future of our theatres, helping them to get to a position where they are successful in helping to fund future improvements and other services. With the required investment in mind, we could of course put forward amendments to the budget that would provide a guarantee that the required maintenance on Marine Hall and Thornton Middle Theatre as per the latest condition survey reports is specifically allocated. A guarantee that an e-mart reserve is in place ensuring significant investment funding for theatre improvements. We know the outcome of such an amendment, so we will refrain from doing so, but we do need to get across the Labour Group's expectations as to what should be happening, supporting the theatres and our staff, rather than blindly going down the rather large outsourcing rabbit hole that the council seems intent on exploring. Part of that support to our theatres is a need to urgently review fees and charges after some whopping increases. 44% for weddings over the previous two years. These stealth taxes should be readjusted at the earliest opportunity to help with theatre bookings. This budget includes money allocated to consultants to progress the privatisation of our theatres. We can't support that with no answers to the calling concerns and no answers to, or should I say a refusal to answer, the committee's important questions about theatre bookings and staffing levels. With confirmation that the theatre targets were met last year, even despite the bookings and staffing level concerns, it is conceivable that the theatres finally turned a corner after the pandemic. Yet we have the Conservative Council trying its best to throw taxpayer's money at consultants and the money pit that outsourcing is. The scrutiny box might have been ticked but scratched beneath the surface and what the box ticking shows is an out of touch, Conservative Council relinquish responsibility of council services seems to be ongoing dogma without a care for the long-term consequences or the impact of their decisions on staff. Whilst many government departments are bringing work back in-house, this Conservative Council seems stuck in the past. Unconcerned by what lies ahead, profit-motivated outsourcing companies, in control of our assets, increased hiring fees, community groups priced out of hiring facilities, staff transfer without a thought for them, and it might look rosy at the outset, but when the being counters look for increased profit margins, the ones to suffer will be the residents, the users of our theatres and the people staffing those theatres. Once the outsourcing company fails to deliver, they'll throw the towel in and it will come back in-house. We've got a suggestion, take responsibility for our assets and for go the pain of the outsourcing merry-go-round. Is there a seconder that the amendment proposed by council? Good evening everybody, please forgive me if I've got a little bit of an overlap for speaking last between both council of incense and indeed council affair. So why a borough council is indeed a debt-free council, and those involved in bringing this about should be duly congratulated. We, although there's just me here tonight, as a group are aware that the council tax is now the largest source of revenue funding and is critical to setting out a balance budget. An increasing council tax of 2.99% is in line with central government steer. It seems reasonable and does seem to be in accordance with other councils. Although I say reasonable, this increase will still have a negative impact on households at this difficult financial time. Council should, therefore, be mindful to try and avoid any more pressure on households if there are any financial shortfalls arising in the coming year. It is stated that the council's financial plans support the delivery of strategic plans for assets either through investment, disposal, rationalisation or more efficient asset use. I hope then we can all agree that the little theatre in Thornton and the Marine Hall in Fleetwood are indeed vital assets that must not be lost and the utmost shall be done to preserve and indeed retain them. It can clearly be seen that the new homes bonus results in a significant bonus to why a borough council, specifically 657 and 90,091 pounds this year. A drop in the amount from last year but still a very significant bonus. So this is quite a strong incentive to why a borough council to encourage housing growth. However, there is a most definite and strong feeling amongst many residents that the amount of building is quite honestly getting out of hand and building is being carried out where there is insufficient infrastructure present and there are well-known flooding issues within an area. With regards to developing and delivery of Wires' climate change strategy, it is highly commendable that the council is changing to hydro-treated vegetable oil which will reduce 90% of CO2 emissions and also nitrous oxide emissions. Although a more costly fuel, approximately 10% more than diesel, most definitely a feather in the cap of Wires' carbon footprint and in our opinion, well-worth expenditure. Not forgetting on the same theme, the improvement in decarbonisation works of Fleetwood market. The seawall and why beach management schemes are still the biggest expenditures by the council but we feel it's totally necessary to protect us from flooding and indeed to increase tourism in the area. So at this point I would like to say that the Wires independence group do indeed support the budget. Thank you. Are there any other amendments but please be aware that as we have agreed to have a single debate on the budget, if you wish to propose any amendments, this is the last opportunity to do so. So would members who wish to speak on the budget are the recommendation proposed by the leader of the council, please indicate and you have five minutes. Councilor Bolschall, please. Thank you Madam Mayor. I, originally, was going to ask a question regarding using reserves to help receive funding from the government as a match funding. After hearing the UK SPF successful funding bid that we've got, congratulations to our team. I've decided to withdraw that statement and instead comment on the fact that the Conservatives are getting more and more money. They are taking it from us all, from our pockets, to rent central government and when they're about to lose an election, they dump a massive debt on the next people coming up. This seems to be a habit of the Conservative government and I just hope that the Conservative way, it doesn't do the same. Was anybody else indicated to speak? No? Yes, Councillor SRI, please. I'm just very disappointed that this has to be a party political match at all. Whoever is in power ultimately will always create the issues for councils to just deal with accordingly and I just think that it should be the Council just have to work together and consider that whatever is facing them, they just have to somehow find a way forward without making this a party political issue. I was interested in Michael Vincent's statement about 78% of but people living in wire are happy here. I'd like to know how the Council operate forms any part of that decision. I'd also like to say I don't see how we can expect residents to pay an increased sum before this Council gets its own creative and commercial branding gear. There's a small fortune being lost and has been for decades and it just doesn't seem to be the aptitude or the ability within this Council and I am aware that there's somebody that's due to coming which is a director of transformation but this Council has lost an absolute fortune on behalf of residents for decades. If the people aren't capable of doing the best for the people of wire, they should leave and that's all I have to say at present. Thank you. If there's no more questions like Councillor Bury, would you like to come in, you'd like to speak please? Thank you Madam Mayor. I will be brief. I think our residents will recognise the need for an increase in our proportion of the Council tax. We do have to face increased wages and salaries and also most importantly we have to face the increase in costs of goods and services that we have to pay for. I think residents want us to continue to provide first-class services and I think that they rate that so highly and they want us to deliver the regeneration of our high streets and just picking up on the point that Councillor FAIL. Yes, we do want more industry. We would like to get it but one of the things that I think we can do as a Council is to promote our town centres and I'm so pleased that we're not, we're doing it in Fleetwood, in Cleveland, in Portland and Gaston because this can provide us with jobs I feel. I feel that we need to encourage our visitor economy and hopefully we can get some jobs out of that. So I think we are trying in our little way to promote employment because that is so, I agree, this is what we want. I want people to have work to go to. It's so important for not only financially but living your life in a fair fashion. So this is our effort to do that. I think it's also important that we do what we can to promote the green economy. I think there is some savings to be made on that and I think that it's important that we do have these reserves. It means that we can afford to do the sort of things. We can afford to buy vehicles. We can afford to improve our properties and quite frankly we don't know what's coming down the track. What ever government comes in later this year or next year, it's going to be tough I think. I think it's going to be very tough and I think we've got to, I think we've got to be in a very strong position and I should think that we should be celebrating that position. We can go forward. We can deliver those services and for me I think that's most important and it gives the reassurance to our residents that this council can deliver for them. So I very much support these proposals. Thank you Madam Mayor. Councillor MACKAY, you wanted to come in please. Thank you Madam Mayor. Just to come back to Councillor FAIL's points regarding the theatre, the benefit of members who weren't here at the call in last night, we spoke at length and it was at length about the theatres and I find the comments disingenuous at best. We are on the same page, Councillor FAIL. We want the theatre to succeed and that is what we're doing. If we don't look for other opportunities and give the theatres a chance to flourish, they have a better chance in the future at the moment the subsidy levels as you know are so high something isn't working and we have as a council we've got a duty to the theatres on our residents to give the theatres the best chance we can. That is all we're doing looking down the tender process. Councillor VINCE, would you please respond now to the comments that's due in the debate please. Thank you Madam Mayor. Miss wants to cast the rush with. Couldn't agree with you more. There's too much building, there's too much development. That isn't going to change. It's not this council that wants to approve those houses. I would quite happily go through the local plan with the red patterns across all those sites out. There wouldn't be building very many houses at all. It's soon developments that's sustainable and maintainable. I'd be happy to allow but most of them I wouldn't. That's not how planning works and as councilors we've got a duty I think to make sure that we go aware of the fact that our planning committees hands are tied, our officers hands are tied by national policy. I don't want to build houses in why or whether the infrastructure can't sustain it but it's not reality when people say if they were in power they would stop it because they wouldn't. They just wouldn't. It doesn't matter what call the government we have. They're all saying more houses. It's just the feel. Sorry it's no. As the council fails speech. I can't wait. I'd say what's Labor's policy on local government finance but what's Labor's policy on anything? He seems to have forgotten about those five missions that nobody knows what they were and just said lots of nasty things about the Conservatives and nothing positive. They get in. There's not going to be any more money. That's the point. They're not saying there's going to be any more money. It's not a debate Madam Mayor. Council fail says that we are out of touch. The consultation over 60% of the people who actually use the theatres think that we are doing the right thing by looking at a different ownership model. He can shout fraud or he wants to, fraud fraud at the same time. The Arts carry on cards a bit please. Madam Mayor what we're doing with the theatres is making sure they fit for purpose. I don't know who he thinks is going to be taking them over but it's not going to be some evil capitalist organisation. It's probably going to be a charity or a community interest company. Certainly for Thought and Little Theatre that's the only people who are interested. Nobody's looking at Thought and Little Theatre, rubbing their hands and going 'ooh, privatisation'. It's not the water companies. It's a theatre in Thornton. The chances is that that will go to somebody already involved in it who wants to offer it for community use, who wants to use it themselves and wants more people to use it more often. It's just delusional as to what your suggesting is going to happen. The Wild Lounge was not a thriving successful bar. It was to fortune. It was to fortune. There weren't people in there who didn't spend any money. The Marine Hall has hit its target. That is technically true but it wasn't a target in the sense of the business hitting its target and performing. It was that it was doing so badly that we dropped expectations to a more reasonable amount and they have exceeded those significantly lower expectations because of how badly it was doing. That is not hitting a target. Far from it. That's not something to be proud of. Madam Mayor, Councillor FAIL actually said that what Labor think we should do is spend all of our reserves now so that when we need them in the future, they're not there anymore and that we're in the same financial mess that all of the district authorities are that are owned by Labor. Maybe we can get a book shortly on the risk register. There's a lot of shouting going on, Madam Mayor. Councillor FAIL's policy that he announced before us tonight, Madam Mayor, had the effect of saying you need to spend all your reserves before you spend them on providing services. I think we can all agree that Councillor FAIL doesn't understand what he said. That's fine. So, Madam Mayor, the budget is before members, Madam Mayor, I'm pleased that they haven't brought forward an amendment that's not costed. I thank them for that. I think it is sensible. I note their views on the Marine Hall. The disposal of the Marine Hall, if it happens, because Madam Mayor, the consultant has not been brought in to get it ready for privatisation. They've come in to make it fit for purpose. As I said to Councillor Duffy, very clearly at the Council meeting, very clearly, if we do not find an appropriate tender partner, it's not in threat, it's not going to be closed, we will carry on running the Marine Hall. We are not getting it ready for privatisation, we're getting it fit for purpose and we are looking at a tender process at the same time. That has not been determined. Madam Mayor, it will come to this Council to decide if we dispose of the Marine Hall so they will have every opportunity to be involved in that decision at that meeting. Madam Mayor, thank you very much and move the recommendations. Thank you. Now we need to vote on the recommendation proposed by the Leader of the Council as set out in paragraphs 3.1 to 3.5 of the report published in the agenda. The local authorities, standing orders England amendments regulation 2014, would require that a recorded vote to be taken on any decisions relating to the setting of the budget. So Ms Holson, would you please read out members' names for a recorded vote. Thank you, Madam Mayor. Yes, I'll read out the name of each Councillor in turn in alphabetical order. When your name is called, would you please state how you wish to vote on the proposed motion either for against or abstain. So Councillor Amos, Councillor Lady Atkins, Councillor Saraba Atkins, Councillor Baxter, Councillor Beavers, Councillor Belshaw, Councillor Berry, Councillor Burch, Councillor Bolton, Councillor Bowen, Councillor Bridge, Councillor Cartridge, Councillor Catterall, Councillor Collinson, Councillor Duffy, Councillor Ellison, Councillor Fail, Councillor Fielding, Councillor Higginson, Councillor Ibison, Councillor Jackson, Councillor Kay, Councillor LaMaurinelle, Councillor Libsy, Councillor Martin, Councillor McKai, Councillor Meekins, Councillor Minto, Councillor Molina, Councillor Nichols, Councillor Preston, Councillor Rendell, Councillor Robinson, or Councillor Rushworth, Councillor Smith, Councillor Sorenson, Councillor Swatting, Councillor Swift, Councillor Vincent, Councillor A Walker, Councillor C Walker, and Councillor Wells. Okay. Okay, it's about the 28th floor and 12th against. So, 14 against, sorry, just to clarify there. So, the recommendations are approved. So, thank you. So, the next item is item 11, the Council tax 24, 25. So, Councillor Vincent, would you please introduce the report and propose a recommendation? Thank you, Madam Mayor. We've just voted through a budget that relies on this Council tax motion going through. So, I'll propose it and ask you please to vote for it. Seconder, please. I'll second Madam Mayor. We are again required to have recorded vote. So, back a bit, Huddleson, would you please read out members' names for a recorded vote? Thank you, Madam Mayor. So, again, I'll read out the name of each Councillor in turn in alphabetical order. When your name is called, please reduce state how you wish to vote on the proposed motion either for against or abstain. So, Councillor Amos, Councillor Ladiak-Kins, Councillor Sarabah-Kins, Councillor Baxter, Councillor Beavers, Councillor Bealshaw, Councillor Berry, Councillor Bitch, Councillor Bolton, Councillor Bowen, Councillor Bridge, Councillor Cartridge, Councillor Cattrowell, Councillor Collinson, Councillor Duffy, Councillor Ellinson, Councillor Fail, Councillor Fielding, Councillor Higginson, Councillor Ibison, Councillor Jackson, Councillor Kaye, Councillor LaMara-Nell, Councillor Livsey, Councillor Martin, Councillor McKaye, Councillor Meekins, Councillor Minn-Toe, Councillor Molina, Councillor Nichols, Councillor Preston, Councillor Rendell, Councillor Robinson, Councillor Rushforth, Councillor Smith, Councillor Sorensen, Councillor Swatham, Councillor Swift, Councillor Vincent, Councillor A Walker, Councillor Zewalker, Councillor Wells. Thank you. Councillor interjecting. Okay, that the quoted vote is 28-4, '1 against and 13 abstentions'. So the recommendations are approved. The next item is item 12, Notice of Motion. There are no mention of motion this evening, so that concludes the formal business for this meeting. So thank you all very much for attending in a safe journey home. [No audio] [No audio] [No audio] [No audio] [No audio] [No audio] [No audio] [No audio] [No audio] [No audio] [No audio] [ Silence ]