Agenda item

Council Tax 2024/25

Meeting of Adur Council, Thursday, 22nd February, 2024 7.00 pm (Item C/57/23-24)

To consider and set the Council Tax for 2024/25.

A separate budget pack, produced by the Director for Digital, Sustainability and Resources, is attached as item 9, and the recommendations from the Cabinet, at item 6B and 6C, will also be considered as part of this item.

Minutes:

The Leader of the Council introduced the budget and setting of the council tax to members and delivered his budget speech (appended to these minutes as Appendix 1).

Cllr Angus Dunn seconded the budget proposals.

The Leader of the Labour group made a speech to the Council and proposed the Labour Group’s amendments. These were as follows:-

Labour amendments to the Adur Budget February 2024

It is important for the future stability of Adur District Council finances and services to residents that the opportunity is taken to transfer an element of this year’s surplus to the reserves general fund.

This amendments allow general fund reserves to be increased while the council also further supports the missions, described in Our Plan; thriving people, thriving places, thriving environment, thriving economy,

The amendments below total £43,800 and will be drawn from the £200,000 proposed to be added to general fund reserves. This investment would not affect existing reserves and still allowed an addition to reserves of more than £155,000.

It is anticipated that alongside the investment in our future outlined here that officers will seek additional funding from outside sources to extend and further develop a number of these proposals.

1. A clean up of our town and village centres. Undertake a big green clean-up where residents have the opportunity to help our district to be clean and green.

This will include:

Provision of cleaning materials, litter pickers, PPE, bags for community clean-ups
Staff cost in devising a schedule of clean-ups
Pavement and bollard deep clean at centre sites in Lancing, Shoreham, Southwick
Replacement of bins in Lancing, Shoreham and Southwick
Repainting street furniture as needed, with WSCC agreement where required

Cost: £11,000

2. Improve marketing, signposting and a visitor trail across Adur to encourage local shopping, access to heritage and our ecotourism destinations, working towards new, attractive direction and information boards at Lancing, Shoreham, Southwick, colourful lamppost banners to improve the street scene at Lancing (in conjunction with the Parish Council).

Officer time to establish options for trails and signage; design of boards, provision of four boards, seeking external funds for further boards, provision of trail direction posts: £17,000

3. Ensure the voices of local people are heard in updating Adur’s Local Plan. The

Adur Plan will frame how Adur develops in the coming years and will determine issues recognised as of importance by the local community including affordable housing provision, biodiversity and nature recovery. A consultation process more extensive than the Joint Statement of Community Involvement would ensure the perspectives and needs of different segments of the community are considered, including those of young people, women, those at work, with events across the district.

Information campaign to increase the size of the council’s consultee database, design and print run of summary document, communication team time (5 hours), officer support and costs for two meetings: £4,000

4. Identify further solar/air source heat pumps projects (with battery storage) on

council properties, storage and local use. A feasibility survey for consideration for

inclusion in the capital plan for 2025/26.

Cost: feasibility building survey, system design work, finance business case (3 hours strategic finance support), structural survey, business case development (3 hours operational support), decarbonisation team data collection and analysis (10 hours operational support), technical/legal advice contingency. £3,800

5. Plant wildflower and ecological corridors on verges and open spaces sites. A pilot site to be identified: Purchase of Bees and Butterflies seed mix, parks staff time for sowing on site (20 hours per site), officer time on land access rights, agreement to plant (2 hours per site): £1,500

6. Review of open spaces to identify greywater opportunities along with the

development of rain gardens and other sustainable urban drainage solutions

(SUDS) in council buildings, local parks and green spaces. A feasibility survey for

consideration for inclusion in the capital plan for 2025/26.

7. Review public spaces in terms of the safety of women and young people

Engage residents in the design of our green public spaces. Research to establish where lighting is needed in selected outdoor spaces to make them accessible to all throughout the year, the provision of disabled access and women-girls friendly equipment and seating at local parks. Staff time, research and technical advice: £1,200

8. Devise and deliver an action plan with key partners to provide support to our

most vulnerable residents during this cost of living crisis; further pop-up cost of

living information sessions in accessible venues in Sompting, Lancing, Shoreham,

Southwick, Fishergate, supporting the council’s Proactive programme.

Staff time in scoping, engaging with partners: £1,500

The proposed amendments from the Labour Group were seconded by Councillor Lee Cowen.

The Leader of the Green Group gave a speech on the proposed budget.

The Leader of the Shoreham Beach Residents Association (SBRA) gave a speech on the proposed budget.

The Council debated the budget and proposed amendments before it. Both the Leader of the Main Opposition Group and the Leader of the Council were given the right of reply.

The Council voted on the proposed amendments as follows (proposed amendments attached to these minutes as an appendix)

Amendment 1

For (11): Councillors: Arnold, Baine, Cowen, Crisp, Flower, Gardner, Harvey, O’Neal, Shinn, Sluman and Stainforth.

Agains(16)t: Councillors; Carol Albury, Carson Albury, Barton, Bellasis, Boram, Bridges, Buxton, Dunn, Evans, Funnell, Loader, McGregor, Neocleous, Pannell, Parkin and Watts.

Abstain: Nil