Agenda and draft minutes

To appoint a relief Chair.

1.1          Motion moved by the Lord Mayor and seconded by Councillor Ellie Ormsby, that Councillor Patricia McAllister be elected as Relief Chair.

 

1.2      Motion put, and on a show of hands, declared CARRIED.

 

To sign the Minutes of the Meeting of the Council meeting held on 22 January 2025.

 

2.1      The minutes of the proceedings at the Council meeting held on Wednesday 22 January 2025 were, with the assent of the Members present, signed by the Lord Mayor as a true record of the proceedings.

 

3.1      There were no declarations of interest.

 

To receive and consider the following Cabinet report: 17 February 2025

 

Appendix 1:

Business and Financial Planning 2025/26 to 2027/28

 

Report

 

Appendix 1 – Council Tax Resolution

 

Appendix 2 – BSTG Summary Report – February 2025

 

Appendix 3 – Summary of Gross Income and Net Budgets

 

Appendix 4 – List of New Savings

 

Appendix 5 – Service Pressures and Investments

 

Appendix 6 – Previously Agreed Savings

 

Appendix 7 – EIA Summary Update

 

Appendix 8 – S25 Report

 

Appendix 9 – CIPFA Financial Management Code 2025-26

 

Appendix 10 – Net Budget Trail

 

 

Appendix 2:

Capital Strategy 2025-26 to 2029-2030, Forecast Position for 2024-25 and

Future Years Forecast to 2038-39

 

Report

 

Appendix A – Capital Programme Schedule

 

 

Appendix B – Fairer Westminster Capital Investment Plans

 

 

Appendix 3:

Housing Revenue Account Business Plan

 

Report

 

Appendix 1 - HRA Business Plan Key Assumptions

Appendix 2 – HRA Business Plan Risks, Impacts and Mitigations

 

Appendix 3 – 5-Year HRA Revenue Budget

 

Appendix 4 – 30 Year HRA Business Plan

 

Appendix 5 – HRA 30-Year Capital Programme

 

 

Appendix 4:

Integrated Investment Framework 2025/2026

 

Report

 

Appendix A – Due Diligence Framework

 

Appendix B – Option Appraisal

 

Appendix C – Prime Yields for Commercial Property

 

 

Appendix 5:

Treasury Management Strategy 2025/26 to 2029/30

 

Report

 

Appendix 1 – Annual Investment Strategy

 

Appendix 2 – Minimum Revenue Provision (MRP) Policy

 

Appendix 3 – CIPFA Requirements

 

Appendix 4 – Prospects for Interest Rates

 

 

Appendix 6:

Pay Policy 2025-2026

 

Report

Appendix A – WCC Draft Pay Policy 2025-26

 

4.1      The report of the Cabinet on 17 February 2025 was submitted.

 

Following disruption, the meeting was adjourned at 7.16pm. The meeting resumed at 7.22pm.

 

4.2      Following debate, to which Councillor Hug replied, the Lord Mayor then put the following amendment to the recommendations in part 1 of the Cabinet report, moved by Councillor Paul Swaddle and seconded by Councillor Alan Mendoza, to a vote. A recorded vote was then taken:

 

Amendment – moved by Councillor Paul Swaddle and seconded by Councillor Alan Mendoza:

 

The Conservative Group propose the following to amend the budget as detailed below to reduce council tax rise to 3.99%:

 

Savings:

860k Efficiency in temp staffing as a cost saving

350k Efficiencies across current staffing as a cost saving

 

Additional spend:

250k Dockless Bike Enforcement Task Force as a revenue cost, to ensure bikes blocking pavements are removed swiftly.

250k provision for a Judicial Review if needed on Mayor’s Oxford St project as no provision has been made to date.

 

This Council instruct officers to rework rules on Ward budgets to prevent its abuse so that it does not allow direct distribution to residents by any group or individual.

 

That this Council instructs officers to bill Mayor of London for works done on Oxford Street to recover wasted funds.

 

Additionally, to add in 26/27 budget:

Add additional £2.4M cost for National Insurance pressures in 26/27 onwards to reflect lack of confirmation that the national Government will fund this short fall.

 

Vote 1 – Amendment

 

For the amendment: Councillors Barbara Arzymanow, Tim Barnes, Melvyn Caplan, Laila Cunningham, Loraine Dean, Anthony Devenish, Hannah Galley, Jim Glen, David Harvey, Martin Hayes, Elizabeth Hitchcock, Alan Mendoza, Tim Mitchell, Ralu Oteh-Osoka, Ed Pitt Ford, Rachael Robathan, Ian Rowley, Caroline Sargent, Karen Scarborough, Mark Shearer, Selina Short, Paul Swaddle OBE and Jacqui Wilkinson.

 

Against the amendment: Councillors Concia Albert, Geoff Barraclough, Liza Begum, David Boothroyd, Nafsika Butler-Thalassis, Maggie Carmen, Md Shamsed Chowdhury, Paul Dimoldenberg, Robert Eagleton, Paul Fisher, Sara Hassan, Regan Hook, Adam Hug, Ryan Jude, Aicha Less, Iman Less, Patrick Lilley, Patricia McAllister, Matt Noble, Ellie Ormsby, Angela Piddock, Cara Sanquest, James Small-Edwards, Judith Southern, Max Sullivan, Hamza Taouzzale, Aziz Toki and Jason Williams.

 

Absent or not voting: The Lord Mayor, Ruth Bush and Louise Hyams.

 

4.3      The Lord Mayor declared the amendment to be LOST.

 

4.4      The Lord Mayor then put the recommendations in part 1 of the Cabinet report as unamended to a vote. A recorded vote was then taken:

 

For the recommendations: Councillors Concia Albert, Geoff Barraclough, Liza Begum, David Boothroyd, Nafsika Butler-Thalassis, Maggie Carmen, Md Shamsed Chowdhury, Paul Dimoldenberg, Robert Eagleton, Paul Fisher, Sara Hassan, Regan Hook, Adam Hug, Ryan Jude, Aicha Less, Iman Less, Patrick Lilley, Patricia McAllister, Matt Noble, Ellie Ormsby, Angela Piddock, Cara Sanquest, James Small-Edwards, Judith Southern, Max Sullivan, Hamza Taouzzale, Aziz Toki and Jason Williams.

 

Against the recommendations: Councillors Barbara Arzymanow, Tim Barnes, Melvyn Caplan, Laila Cunningham, Loraine Dean, Anthony Devenish, Hannah Galley, Jim Glen, David Harvey, Martin Hayes, Elizabeth Hitchcock,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

To receive, consider and debate, if chosen, the following report which contains recommendations to the Council for approval and adoption.

 

5.1      The Lord Mayor put the recommendations of the General Purposes Committee report to the vote and on a show of hands declared the recommendations adopted.

 

RESOLVED:

 

1)              That the Members’ Allowances Scheme for 2025-2026, attached as Appendix A to the report, be approved with effect from 1 April 2025.

 

2)        That it was agreed to increase the Members’ Allowances (Basic and SRA) attached in Appendix A of the report for 2025-2026 in line with any salary increase for Council staff that may be agreed by the National Joint Council for Local Government Services.

 

To receive, consider and debate, if chosen, the following report which contains a recommendation to the Council for approval and adoption.

 

6.1      The Lord Mayor put the recommendation of the General Purposes Committee report to the vote and on a show of hands declared the recommendation adopted.

 

RESOLVED:

 

That the proposed amendments to the terms of reference to the Audit and Performance Committee as set out in Appendix A of the report be approved.

 

To receive, consider and debate, if chosen, the following report which contains recommendations to the Council for approval and adoption.

 

7.1      The Lord Mayor put the recommendations of the General Purposes Committee report to the vote and on a show of hands declared the recommendations adopted.

 

RESOLVED:

 

1)        That the changes to the Procurement Code set out in the body of the report and at Appendix A be adopted.

 

2)              That the changes to the Cabinet Member Terms of Reference set out in Appendix D of the report be adopted.

 

3)              That it was agreed that the Monitoring Officer be authorised to update the Constitution and make any consequential changes.

 

4)              That the Monitoring Officer be authorised to make amendments to the Procurement Code in relation to changes in legislation or other minor amendments.

 

To receive and consider the following report which contains a recommendation to the Council for approval.

 

8.1      The Lord Mayor put the recommendation of the General Purposes Committee report to the vote and on a show of hands declared the recommendations adopted.

 

RESOLVED:

 

That a dispensation for Councillor Ruth Bush from the statutory requirement to attend a meeting of the Council until the 24 October 2025 on the grounds of ill health be approved.