The Reverend Prebendary Councillor Carl Attwood led the Council in prayer.

Apologies for absence were received from:

7. BUDGET 2014/15 AND MEDIUM TERM FINANCIAL STRATEGY.

Councillor ACR Chappell, Non-Pecuniary, Volunteer for Herefordshire Courtyard Theatre.

7. BUDGET 2014/15 AND MEDIUM TERM FINANCIAL STRATEGY.

Councillor BA Durkin, Non-Pecuniary, Member of Herefordshire Citizens Advice Bureau.

7. BUDGET 2014/15 AND MEDIUM TERM FINANCIAL STRATEGY.

Councillor DB Wilcox, Disclosable Pecuniary, Wife employee of Herefordshire Association of Local Councils.

7. BUDGET 2014/15 AND MEDIUM TERM FINANCIAL STRATEGY.

Councillor DB Wilcox, Non-Pecuniary, Wife Chairman of Herefordshire Voluntary Organisation Support Service.

7. BUDGET 2014/15 AND MEDIUM TERM FINANCIAL STRATEGY.

Councillor FM Norman, Non-Pecuniary, Supporter for a variety of voluntary organisations.

7. BUDGET 2014/15 AND MEDIUM TERM FINANCIAL STRATEGY.

Councillor KS Guthrie, Non-Pecuniary, Member of Herefordshire Vision Link.

7. BUDGET 2014/15 AND MEDIUM TERM FINANCIAL STRATEGY.

Councillor MAF Hubbard, Non-Pecuniary, Member of various voluntary organisations in county.

7. BUDGET 2014/15 AND MEDIUM TERM FINANCIAL STRATEGY.

Councillor MD Lloyd-Hayes, Non-Pecuniary, Member of Herefordshire Courtyard Theatre.

7. BUDGET 2014/15 AND MEDIUM TERM FINANCIAL STRATEGY.

Councillor NP Nenadich, Non-Pecuniary, Trustee for Herefordshire Courtyard Theatre.

7. BUDGET 2014/15 AND MEDIUM TERM FINANCIAL STRATEGY.

Councillor RJ Phillips, Non-Disclosable Pecuniary, School Governor and involved with various voluntary organisations.

7. BUDGET 2014/15 AND MEDIUM TERM FINANCIAL STRATEGY.

Councillor SJ Robertson, Non-Pecuniary, Supporter for a variety of voluntary organisations.

7. BUDGET 2014/15 AND MEDIUM TERM FINANCIAL STRATEGY.

Councillor WLS Bowen, Non-Pecuniary, Member of Equity.

8. PAY POLICY STATEMENT 2014.

Councillor RJ Phillips, Non-Pecuniary, Member of LGA Workforce Board and NJC Employers.

To approve and sign the Minutes of the meeting held on 17 January 2014.

A copy of the Public questions and written answers, together with the supplementary questions and answers asked at the meeting is attached to the Minutes at Appendix 1. 

A copy of the Member questions and written answers, together with the supplementary questions and answers asked at the meeting is attached to the Minutes at Appendix 2.

To approve the medium term financial strategy for 2014/15 to 2016/17, the 2014/15 revenue budget, capital programme and Treasury Management Strategy.

Full details of the views put forward during the consultation and the response to those views is available at the following page on the council’s website:

https://www.herefordshire.gov.uk/budget2014

The possible cumulative impacts of budget reductions have been assessed and were included in the papers for the Cabinet meeting on 23 January available at the following webpage:

http://go.m-gov.eu/064M5010

Prior to the commencement of the debate The Solicitor to the Council summarised the order of debate and informed Members of the Government requirement, coming into being on 25 February 2014, to have a named vote for the budget report, and that good practice indicated that councils should fulfil this requirement if meeting prior to that date.

The Solicitor to the Council reminded Members that there were three amendments for Council to debate and a time frame of 15 minutes would be allocated for each amendment.  This would be followed by the final debate on the substantive motion.

The Leader of the Council moved the Budget report.  Councillor Morgan, Deputy Leader, seconded the budget report and made the following points.

·         The Council had gone through a rigorous process to provide a sound budget, delivering the priorities and services for Herefordshire for the present and the future.

·         The budget supported the economy by investing in projects for improving roads, creating jobs and building new homes.

·         Consultation on the budget had been carried out and provided broad agreement on the direction of travel and the requirement for the Council to be more efficient.

·         This was a priority led budget based on the needs of the County.

The Leader of the Council made the following points:

·         Government funding for Herefordshire was well below the national average.

·         A programme of public consultation had been carried out and a cross party working group had looked at the public responses.  Members on the working group were thanked for their hard work.

·         Each Cabinet Member and director had gone through the details of the budget with the Leader and Chief Finance Officer to ensure they were deliverable.

·         The priority was to support the vulnerable and invest in homes and jobs for the future of the County.

·         Herefordshire had a new retail centre and successful cattle market.

·         New link road proposal would provide new homes.

·         New businesses looking to sign up for available space at Rotherwas.

·         This was a sound budget that would build reserves and set out a capital programme and investment plan. No alternative budget had been proposed.

·         He recommended the budget to Council.

Copies of the three proposed budget amendments were circulated to Council prior to the commencement of the meeting.

AMENDMENT ONE

Councillor Bowen, Independent Group Leader, rose to move the first amendment, to:

Re-prioritise the transport modelling work on the further section of the outer relief road to the west of the city and use the one-off saving of £112k to re-instate the element of the budget for providing free home to school transport based upon nearest in county or catchment school planned for the academic year September 2014 and to re-instate the element of the budget for free transport for post 16 year olds with SEN planned for the academic year September 2014.

To continue to work for integrated commissioning of all public transport and create a transition fund to enable schools to develop responses to the changes.

Councillor Bowen stated  ...  view the full minutes text for item 68.

To approve the annual pay policy statement for publication.

Council approved the Pay Policy Statement 2014.

RESOLVED That:     the pay policy statement summarising existing Council policies at Appendix A to the report be approved for publishing by 31 March 2014.