Agenda and minutes

The Mayor welcomed fellow councillors, officers and members of the public to the meeting of North Lincolnshire Council and confirmed that his fund-raising events for his charity were progressing well.

 

Declarations of personal interests were indicated as follows –

 

Councillor M Ali

Taxi Licence Holder with schools’ transport contract; Crosby Community Association – Trustee; Member of Central Community Centre

 

Councillor M Armiger

Scunthorpe and Gainsborough Water Management Board; Bottesford Town Council

 

Councillor J Briggs

Humberside Fire Authority; Isle of Axholme and North Nottinghamshire Water Management Board

 

Councillor P Clark

North East Lindsey Internal Drainage Board

 

Councillor J Davison

Bottesford Town Council

 

Councillor J England

Messingham Parish Council

 

Councillor T Ellerby

Scunthorpe and Gainsborough Water Management Board

 

Councillor T Foster

Scunthorpe and Gainsborough Water Management Board; Messingham Parish Council

 

Councillor T Gosling

Gunness Parish Council

 

Councillor R Hannigan

North East Lindsey Drainage Board

 

Councillor J Lee

Broughton Town Council

 

Councillor J Longcake

Bottesford Town Council

 

Councillor E Marper

Winterton Town Council

 

Councillor T Mitchell

Isle of Axholme and North Nottinghamshire Water Management Board

 

Councillor R Ogg

Scunthorpe and Gainsborough Water Management Board

 

Councillor N Poole

Scunthorpe and Gainsborough Water Management Board; Messingham Parish Council

 

Councillor J Reed

Isle of Axholme and North Nottinghamshire Water Management Board; The Forge

 

Councillor D Robinson

Isle of Axholme and North Nottinghamshire Water Management Board

 

Councillor D Rose

Isle of Axholme and North Nottinghamshire Water Management Board; CPRE North Lincolnshire and Yorkshire and Humber CPRE

 

Councillor C Ross

Broughton Town Council

 

Councillor H Rowson

Scunthorpe and Gainsborough Water Management Board; Winterton Town Council

 

Councillor N Sherwood

Humberside Fire Authority; Ancholme Internal Drainage Board; Brigg Town Council

 

Councillor C Sherwood

Brigg Town Council; Ancholme Internal Drainage Board

 

Councillor K Vickers

Barton upon Humber Town Council; Friends of Baysgarth Park

 

Councillor P Vickers

Barton Town Council; Friends of Baysgarth Park

 

Councillor J Walshe

Gunness and Burringham CE Primary School Governing Body

 

Councillor R Waltham MBE

Humberside Fire Authority; Brigg Town Council

 

Councillor D Wells

North East Lindsey Internal Drainage Board

It was moved by Councillor N Poole and seconded by Councillor R Hannigan–

 

That in accordance with Procedure Rule D1.19(s) the Leader of the Council and the Leader of the Opposition be allowed up to 10 minutes to deliver their respective budget speeches.

 

Motion Carried

 

The Director: Governance and Communities submitted reports relating to: –

 

1.  Financial Strategy, Budget 2022/23 and Medium-Term Financial Plan 2022/25,

 

2.  Capital Investment Strategy 2022-25 and Revised Capital Programme 2021/2025,

 

3.  Treasury Management Strategy 2022/2023, and the Director: Economy and Environment submitted the following report –

 

4.  Implementation of the 2022/2023 Pay Policy Statement

 

Each of the above issues were addressed within separate reports. The first report set out the council’s financial strategy, and within that framework to seek approval for the budget 2022/23 and the Medium-Term Financial Plan 2022/25. The Financial Strategy supported the delivery of the Council Plan. The report provided assurance on the council’s financial resilience, confirmed that the estimates presented in the report were robust and that reserves were adequate. This met the requirements of section 25 of the Local Government Act 2003 and provided a basis for Council to set a balanced budget. The key decisions required in accordance with Section 31 to 52 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 (and subsequent modifying legislation) were:

 

·       To set the council’s revenue budget for 2022/23

·       To set the Council Tax for 2022/23

·       To approve an indicative medium term financial plan for 2022/25

 

The Director in her report addressed the above key issues with supporting appendices.

 

The Council also received a report from the Director of Governance and Communities seeking approval of the Council’s capital investment strategy 2022/25 which was attached as appendix 1, and the revised £137.7m capital investment for 2021/25 attached as appendix 2 The Capital Investment Strategy met the requirement of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy: Prudential Code for Capital Finance in Local Authorities. The report explained that the proposed plan for Capital Investment provided an affordable and agile approach to investment prioritisation that acted as a catalyst for investment in North Lincolnshire in support of the council plan, enhancing the quality of life for residents and ensures the safe and efficient operation of the council.

 

Also presented for Council’s consideration and approval by the Director was the council’s Treasury Management Strategy for 2022/23. The Treasury Management Strategy Statement was set out in appendix 2 of the report and reflected best practice and advice from the Council’s Treasury Advisors. The report also requested the Council to approvethe Treasury Management Policy Statement set out in appendix 1 of the report, proposed Prudential Indicators 2022-25, the policy on Minimum Revenue Provision, the Investment Counterparties and Limits and Maturity Structure of Borrowing Limits as referred to in the Strategy.

 

In addition, the implementation of the 2022/2023 Pay Policy Statement report submitted by the Director: Economy and Environment outlined and sought approval of the council’s Pay Policy Statement for 2021/22 in accordance with Section 38 of the Localism Act 2011. The statement must articulate a council’s own policy on a range of issues relating to the pay of its workforce, particularly its senior staff (or ‘chief officers’) and its lowest paid employees. Pay policy statements must be prepared for each financial year and must  ...  view the full minutes text for item 2833.

Report of the Monitoring Officer

The Monitoring Officer submitted a report requesting Council to consider approving consequential amendments to the Scheme of Delegations to Officers and Appointment of Proper Officers (‘Scheme’) following completion of phase 1 of the Chief Executive’s senior management review.  

 

The report explained that following the completion of phase 1 of the recent senior management review, it had been necessary to update the Scheme to reflect the new titles and roles of Directors.  As part of the updating process, the opportunity had also been taken to have the Scheme externally reviewed to ensure that it remained in tune     with legislative developments and best practice. The revised and updated Scheme was attached at Appendix 1. As the Scheme formed part of the Council’s Constitution, Council’s approval to the revised and updated Scheme was sought so that it could be incorporated into the Constitution.

           

Option 2 set out in the Monitoring Officers report stated that approval of the revised Scheme would ensure that the Scheme reflected the new titles and roles of Directors and following external review was in accordance with best practice.    

           

Resolved – That Option 2 set out in the report of the Monitoring Officer be approved and adopted and the revised Scheme as detailed in Appendix 1 be included in the Council’s Constitution.