Agenda and minutes

Council - Thursday, 29th February, 2024 7.00 pm

Venue: Council Chamber - Ashford Borough Council. View directions

Contact: Member Services Telephone (01233) 330349  Email:  membersservices@ashford.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

328.

To consider whether any items should be dealt with in private because of the likely disclosure of Exempt or Confidential Information

329.

Declarations of Interest pdf icon PDF 63 KB

To declare any interests which fall under the following categories, as explained on the attached document:

a)    Disclosable Pecuniary Interests (DPI)

b)    Other Significant Interests (OSI)

c)    Voluntary Announcements of Other Interests

 

See agenda item 3 for further details

 

 

Minutes:

Councillor

Interest

 

Minute No.

Bartlett

 

Made a ‘Voluntary Announcement’ as a Trustee of the Central Ashford Community Forum.

 

335

 

Mrs Bell

Informed the Council that as a proposed Member of Rolvenden Parish Council they would take no part in the debate or vote on this item.

340

 

 

Bell

Informed the Council that as a proposed Member of Rolvenden Parish Council they would take no part in the debate or vote on this item.

 

340

Feacey

Made a ‘Voluntary Announcement’ as Chairman of the Ashford Volunteer Centre.

 

335

Pickering

Informed the Council that as a proposed Member of Rolvenden Parish Council they would take no part in the debate or vote on this item.

 

340

Shilton

Informed the Council that as a proposed Member of Rolvenden Parish Council they would take no part in the debate or vote on this item.

 

340

Wright

Made a ‘Voluntary Announcement’ as a Trustee of the Repton Connect Community Centre.

 

335

 

330.

To confirm the Minutes of the Council Meeting held on the 14th December 2023 pdf icon PDF 158 KB

Minutes:

Resolved:

 

That the Minutes of the Meeting of the Council held on the 14th December 2023 be approved and confirmed as a correct record.

 

331.

To receive any announcements from the Mayor, Leader or other Members of the Cabinet

332.

To receive, consider and adopt the Minutes of the Meeting of the Licensing Committee held on 16th January 2024 pdf icon PDF 91 KB

Minutes:

Resolved:

 

That the Minutes of the Meeting of the Licensing Committee held on the 16th January 2024 be approved and adopted.

 

333.

To receive, consider and adopt the Minutes of the Meeting of the Regulatory Committee held on the 16th January 2024 pdf icon PDF 115 KB

Minutes:

Resolved:

 

That the Minutes of the Meeting of the Regulatory Committee held on the 16th January 2024 be approved and adopted.

 

334.

To receive, consider and adopt the recommendations set out in the Minutes of the Meetings of the Cabinet held on the 25th January 2024 and the 22nd February 2024 (to follow) - with the following exception - The recommendations regarding the item 'Budget 2024/25' be deferred for consideration with Agenda Item No.11 pdf icon PDF 106 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

(a)       Cabinet – 25th January 2024

 

Resolved:

 

That the Minutes of the Meeting of the Cabinet held on the 25th January 2024 be received and noted.

 

(b)       Cabinet – 22nd February 2024

 

Resolved:

 

That subject to the expiry of the period by which decisions arising from the Meeting of the Cabinet held on the 22nd February may be called in, i.e. 6th March 2024:-       

 

           (i)        the Minutes of the Meeting of the Cabinet held on the 23rd February 2024 be received and noted with the exception of Minute No. 318.

 

            (ii)        the recommendations in Minute No. 318 be deferred for consideration as part of the agenda item dealing with the Budget and Council Tax Resolutions 2024/25.

 

335.

To consider the recommendations of the Cabinet regarding the item 'Budget 2024/25' (which includes the adoption of the budget) and the report 'Council Tax 2024/25 Resolutions' and to determine the Borough Council's precept on the Collection Fund. pdf icon PDF 166 KB

Minutes:

Resolved:

 

That   (i)         the Budget for 2024/25 as recommended by the Cabinet in Minute No. 318, and as amended by the tabled papers with revised fees and charges, and the amendments passed at this Meeting, be approved (the table below contains details of those amended fees and charges).

 

 

            (ii)        the formal Council Tax resolutions set out below be approved.

 

1.            It be noted that on 26 October 2023 the Cabinet calculated:

a.    The Council Tax Base for 2024/25 for the whole Council area as 49,832 (Item T in the formula in Section 31B(3) of the Local Government Act 1992, as amended (the “Act”)) and,

b.    For dwellings in those parts of its area to which a Parish precept relates as in the attached Table A.

2.            Calculation that the Council Tax requirement for the Council’s own purposes for 2024/25 (excluding Parish precepts) is £9,366,420 (Tables D and E).

3.            That the following amounts be calculated for the year 2024/25 in accordance with Sections 31 to 36 of the Act:

 

108,645,885

being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 31A(2) of the Act taking into account all precepts issued to it by Parish Councils.

94,422,190

being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 31A(3) of the Act.

12.223,695

being the amount by which the aggregate at 3(a) above exceeds the aggregate at 3(b) above, calculated by the Council in accordance with Section 31A(4) of the Act as its Council Tax requirement for the year. (Item R in the formula in Section 31A(4) of the Act).

245.30

being the amount at 3(c) above (Item R), all divided by Item T (2 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 (including Parish precepts).(Annex C)

2,857,275

being the aggregate amount of all special items (Parish precepts) referred to in Section 34(1) of the Act (as per the attached Annex B).

 

336.

To receive the Minutes of the Meeting of the Standards Committee held on the 30th January 2024 pdf icon PDF 79 KB

Minutes:

Resolved:

 

That the Minutes of the Meeting of the Standards Committee held on the 30th January 2024 be received and noted.

 

337.

Annual Report of the Council's Monitoring Officer 2023 pdf icon PDF 448 KB

Minutes:

Resolved:

 

That the Annual Report of the Council’s Monitoring Officer 2023 be received and noted.

 

338.

Programme of Meetings 2024/25 and 2025/26 pdf icon PDF 220 KB

Minutes:

Resolved:

 

That the Programme of Meetings for 2024/25 and 2025/26 as appended to these Minutes be adopted.

 

339.

Freedom of the Borough pdf icon PDF 125 KB

Minutes:

Resolved:

 

That (i)           in accordance with the provisions of Section 249(5) of the          Local Government Act 1972, the Council of the Borough of        Ashford do confer Mrs Jo James OBE with the Freedom of the Borough of Ashford in recognition of her achievements and significant and eminent services rendered to the Borough; that the Common Seal of the Council be affixed to the Scroll recording such admission; and their name be entered in the Honorary Roll.

 

(ii)        in accordance with the provisions of Section 249(5) of the Local Government Act 1972, the Council of the Borough of Ashford do confer Mr Gerry Clarkson CBE with the Freedom of the Borough of Ashford in recognition of his achievements and significant and eminent services rendered to the Borough; that the Common Seal of the Council be affixed to the Scroll recording such admission; and their name be entered in the Honorary Roll.

 

(iii)      the arrangements for the ceremony as set out within the report be noted.

 

(iv)      it be noted that the Borough Council, in consultation with His Worshipful the Mayor, and the proposed recipients, have agreed that the formal ceremony be held in St Mary’s Church, Ashford on 24th April 2024.

 

340.

Report of the Solicitor to the Council and Monitoring Officer - Rolvenden Parish Council pdf icon PDF 37 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Resolved:

 

That

 

(i)           the Order, substantially in the form attached at Appendix 1 to the report, be made with effect from 1st March 2024.

 

(ii)        in order to ensure that similar decisions in future can be made without delay, the authority to make s.91 Orders be delegated to the Solicitor to the Council and Monitoring Officer, in accordance with the Procedure Note for Appointing Persons to Inquorate Local Councils, at Appendix 2 to the report.

 

341.

Questions by Members of which Notice have been given pursuant to Procedure Rule 10

NOTE: - If debate on any item included within this Agenda gives rise to the need to exclude the press and public due to the likelihood of Exempt or Confidential information being disclosed the following resolution may be proposed and seconded and if carried, the press and public will be requested to leave the meeting for the duration of the debate.

That pursuant to Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, as amended, the public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of this item as it is likely that in view of the nature of the business to be transacted or the nature of the proceedings that if members of the public were present there would be disclosure of exempt information hereinafter specified by reference to the appropriate paragraphs of Schedule 12A to the Act, where in the circumstances the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

 

Minutes of this Meeting pdf icon PDF 257 KB