Agenda and minutes

a)  The Lord Mayor reminded those present that the meeting was to be webcast.

b)  The Lord Mayor congratulated Councillor Graham Latty on his nomination as Lord Mayor elect for 2018/19.

c)  The Lord Mayor reported the recent death of former Lady Mayoress Mrs Celine North.

  Council stood in silent tribute.

To approve the minutes of the Council Meeting held on 10^th January 2018.

It was moved by Councillor Ogilvie, seconded by Councillor G Latty and

RESOLVED – That the minutes of the meeting held on 10^th January 2018 be approved.

Councillor Mark Dobson reported that he was the manager of a Neighbourhood Network.

To receive such communications as the Lord Mayor, the Leader,  Members of the Executive Board or the Chief Executive consider appropriate.

The Chief Executive informed Council that a response to a Council resolution has been received from Dominic Raab MP, Minister of State for Housing in respect of the White Paper on the Housing Revenue Borrowing Cap considered by Council in Novembe and that the response had previously been circulated to all Members of Council.

The Chief Executive also informed Council that at the Annual Leeds LGBT  awards (the ‘owlies’) , the LGBT Community Hub had won the Community Award.

It was moved by Councillor Ogilvie, seconded by Councillor G Latty and

RESOLVED –

a)  That Council Procedure Rules 21.4 (b) and 14.6(b) be suspended in respect of the Budget item to allow Councillor Blake to move amendment 1 as part of her budget motion speech and Councillor J Lewis to second Amendment 1 as part of his budget motion speech, Councillor Andrew Carter to move and Councillor J Procter to second amendments 2 to 17 en bloc, to allow Councillor Golton to move and Councillor J Bentley to second amendments 18 to 22 en bloc, and to allow Councillor D Blackburn to move and Councillor Wilford to second amendments 24 to 27 en bloc and to allow Councillor M Dobson to move and Councillor C Dobson to second amendments 28 to 30 en bloc

b)  That Council Procedure Rule 14.1 be suspended in respect of the Budget item and to agree;

(i)  that time limits will not be imposed on budget speeches of Group Leaders or their nominees in the budget debate.

(ii)  that a member contributing to the budget debate can do so for up to 5 minutes.

(iii)  that a member seconding the budget motion or budget amendments can do so for up to 5 minutes.

(iv)  that when summing up on the budget  motion the Leader of Council can do so for up to 15 minutes.

c)  That Council Procedure Rule 3.3 be suspended in respect of the Minutes and to agree that consideration of the Executive Board minutes will continue up to 4.45pm at which point the Leader of Council or the relevant Executive Member will sum up for up to 10 minutes. 

To consider the report of the Director of Resources and Housing presenting the Best Council Plan 2018/19 to 2020/21 for Council’s consideration and approval following the Executive Board’s recommendation on 7^th February 2018, the Plan provides the strategic framework for the authority’s 2018/19 Revenue Budget and Council Tax proposals.

It was moved by Councillor J Lewis, seconded by Councillor Ogilvie and

RESOLVED – That the Best Council Plan 2018/19 to 2020/21 appended to the report be adopted and that Scrutiny Boards and others who have provided comments throughout the consultation period be thanked. Council also noted that further development and graphic design work would take place prior to the publication of the Plan in March 2018.

To consider the report of the City Solicitor in respect of attendance at meetings.

It was moved by Councillor Ogilvie, seconded by Councillor Harland and

RESOLVED – That approval be given to the absence of Councillor Neil Dawson from meetings of the authority for a period of six months from the date of this meeting.

To note the report of the City Solicitor presenting to Council an amendment to the Leader’s executive arrangements for the 2017/18 Municipal year.

It was moved by Councillor Ogilvie seconded by Councillor Harland and

RESOLVED – That the report of the City Solicitor presenting to Council an amendment to the Leader’s executive arrangements for the 2017/18 Municipal year be noted.

i)  Revenue Budget

a) To agree that the revenue budget for 2018/19 totalling £510.9m be approved. This means that the Leeds element of the council tax for 2018/19 will increase by 2.99% plus the Adult Social Care precept of 2%. This excludes the police and fire precepts which will be incorporated into the report to be submitted to Council on the 21^st February 2018.

b)  To agree grants totalling £70k be allocated to parishes.

c)  To approve the strategy at Appendix 9 in respect of the flexible use of capital receipts.

d)  To agree with respect to the Housing Revenue Account that the following be approved:

i)  a reduction of 1% in dwelling rents in non-Private Finance Initiative areas.

ii)  an increase of 3% in dwelling rents in PFI areas.

iii)  an increase of 3.9% in district heating charges.

iv)  that service charges for multi-story flats are increased by £2 per week.

v)  that service charges for low/medium rise properties are increased by 3.9%.

vi)  that the charge for tenants who benefit from the sheltered support service currently paying £4 a week be increased to £6 per week.

vii)That any overall increase to tenants in respect of rents, service and sheltered support charges will be no more than £5 per week.

ii)  Council Tax

  1  That it be noted that at the meeting on 10^th January 2018, Council agreed the following amounts for the year 2018/19, in accordance with regulations made under Sections 31B(3) and 34(4) of the Local Government Finance Act 1992:-

a)  225,055.2 being the amount calculated by the Council, in accordance with Regulation 3 of the Local Authorities (Calculation of Council Tax Base) Regulations 1992 (as amended) as its council tax base for the year.

b)  Table 4: Taxbase Numbers 2018/19

being the amounts calculated by the Council in accordance with Regulation 6 of the Regulations, as the amounts of its Council Tax base for the year for dwellings in those parts of its area to which one or more special items relate.

2  That the following amounts be now calculated by the Council for the year 2018/19 in accordance with Sections 31A to 36 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992:-

a) £2,143,997,734  being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 31A(2)(a) to (f) of the Act.

b) £1,840,528,831  being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 31A(3)(a) to (d) of the Act.

c) £303,468,903  being the amount by which the aggregate at 2(a) above exceeds the aggregate at 2(b) above, calculated by the Council, in accordance with Section 31A(4) of the Act, as its council tax requirement for the year.

d) £1,348.419868  being the amount at 2(c) above, divided by the amount at 1(a) above, calculated by the Council, in accordance with Section 31B(1) of the Act, as the basic amount of its council tax for the year.

e)  £1,919,686.00  being the aggregate  ...  view the full agenda text for item 91.

Under the provisions of Council Procedure Rule 14.9 leave of Council was given for Councillor Blake to alter the motion in her name having now received the precepts from West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Authority, Rawdon Parish Council and Ledston Parish Council by altering 7(ii) Council Tax by ; (ii) Council Tax by altering figures at (ii) 2 a to f, the alteration of tabulations at (ii) 2 g (table 5) and h (table 6), (ii) 3 (table 7) and (ii) 4 (table 8), the alteration of paragraph (ii) 3 by the deletion of the words ‘are expected to issue’ and replace with ‘have issued’, by altering paragraph (ii) 4 by the deletion of the words ‘subject to’ and replace with ‘having received’ and by the inclusion of any amendments to the Budget Motion that are agreed by Full Council . 

The altered paragraph(s)/table(s) are contained in the resolution below.

i)  Revenue Budget

a) To agree that the revenue budget for 2018/19 totalling £510.9m be approved. This means that the Leeds element of the council tax for 2018/19 will increase by 2.99% plus the Adult Social Care precept of 2%. This excludes the police and fire precepts which will be incorporated into the report to be submitted to Council on the 21^st February 2018.

b)  To agree grants totalling £70k be allocated to parishes.

c)  To approve the strategy at Appendix 9 in respect of the flexible use of capital receipts.

d)  To agree with respect to the Housing Revenue Account that the following be approved:

i)  a reduction of 1% in dwelling rents in non-Private Finance Initiative areas.

ii)  an increase of 3% in dwelling rents in PFI areas.

iii)  an increase of 3.9% in district heating charges.

iv)  that service charges for multi-story flats are increased by £2 per week.

v)  that service charges for low/medium rise properties are increased by 3.9%.

vi)  that the charge for tenants who benefit from the sheltered support service currently paying £4 a week be increased to £6 per week.

vii)That any overall increase to tenants in respect of rents, service and sheltered support charges will be no more than £5 per week.

ii)  Council Tax 

1  That it be noted that at the meeting on 10^th January 2018, Council agreed the following amounts for the year 2018/19, in accordance with regulations made under Sections 31B(3) and 34(4) of the Local Government Finance Act 1992:-

a)  225,055.2 being the amount calculated by the Council, in accordance with Regulation 3 of the Local Authorities (Calculation of Council Tax Base) Regulations 1992 (as amended) as its council tax base for the year.

b)  Table 4: Taxbase Numbers 2018/19

being the amounts calculated by the Council in accordance with Regulation 6 of the Regulations, as the amounts of its Council Tax base for the year for dwellings in those parts of its area to which one or more special items relate.

2  That the following amounts be now calculated by the Council for  ...  view the full minutes text for item 91.

To receive the minutes in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 2.2(i).

The Lord Mayor informed Council that there was no time available to debate the Executive Board minutes.

Councillor Blake moved that the minutes be received in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 2.2(i), seconded by Councillor Ogilvie.

An amendment was moved by Councillor J Bentley, seconded by Councillor Campbell

To add the following at the end of item 8:

‘To ask the Executive Board to reconsider the decision in relation to ‘Improving standards in the private rented sector – consideration for selective licensing’, contained in minute 141 of the Executive Board minutes of 7^th February 2018’

A second amendment was moved by Councillor Andrew Carter, seconded by Councillor Robinson

 To add the following at the end of item 8:

To ask the Executive Board to reconsider the decision in relation to the ‘Financial Health Monitoring 2017/18 – Month 9’ Report contained at minute 148 of the Executive Board minutes of 7 February 2018. Council is concerned that debt levels, at £2.4bn including PFI, in both the medium term and beyond are becoming unsustainable. Therefore Council asks Executive Board to consider additional measures to monitor the Council’s debt levels as part of the regular financial health monitoring reports that come to Executive Board.

Council also calls for a wider formal dialogue with appropriate scrutiny boards into the implications of the current debt levels held by Leeds City Council.

Upon being put to the vote both amendments (reference back x 2) were declared lost and upon being put to the vote it was

RESOLVED - That the minutes be received in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 2.2(i).

On the requisition of Councillor Campbell, seconded by Councillor G Latty the voting on both amendments (reference back x 2) were recorded as follows;

Reference back in name of Cllr J Bentley

Yes -18

J Bentley, S Bentley, A Blackburn, D Blackburn, Campbell,  Chapman, Cleasby, C Dobson, M Dobson, Downes, Elliott, Finnigan, Gettings, Golton, Leadley, Lay, Varley and Wilford,

No- 54

Akhtar, Arif, Blake, Bruce, Charlwood, Congreve, Coulson, Coupar, Davey, Gabriel, Garthwaite, P Grahame, R Grahame, Groves, C Gruen,  P Gruen, Hamilton, Harland, Harper, Hayden, Heselwood, A Hussain, G Hussain, Hyde, Illingworth, Iqbal, Jarosz, Khan, J Lewis, R Lewis, Lowe, Macniven, Maqsood, J McKenna, S McKenna, Mulherin, Nagle, Nash, Ogilvie, Pryor, Rafique, Ragan, Renshaw, Ritchie, Selby, Smart,  E Taylor, Towler, Truswell, Tunnicliffe, Venner, Wakefield, Walshaw, and Yeadon.

ABSTAIN – 19

B Anderson, C Anderson, Buckley, Amanda Carter, Andrew Carter, Cohen, Collins, Dunn, Flynn, Harrand, Lamb, G Latty, P Latty, J Procter , Robinson, Stephenson Wadsworth, Wilkinson and Wood

Reference back in name of Cllr Andrew Carter

Yes -36

B Anderson, C Anderson, J Bentley, S Bentley, A Blackburn, D Blackburn, Buckley, Campbell,  Amanda Carter, Andrew Carter, Chapman, Cleasby, Cohen, Collins, C Dobson, M Dobson, Downes, Elliott, Finnigan, Flynn, Gettings, Golton, Harrand, Lamb, G Latty, P Latty, Lay, Leadley, J Procter, Robinson, Stephenson, Varley, Wadsworth, Wilford, Wilkinson and Wood

No – 54

Akhtar, Arif, Blake, Bruce, Charlwood, Congreve, Coulson, Coupar,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 92.