Agenda and draft minutes

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting held on 21 January 2025 be signed by the Mayor as a correct record.

Please note that, in accordance with the Members' Code of Conduct, when declaring interests members must disclose the existence and nature of the interest, and whether it is a disclosable pecuniary interest (DPI) or personal and/or pecuniary.

No declarations of interest were received.

The Mayor was pleased to report on some of the activities he had undertaken since the last meeting of the Council, which included his attendance at the following:

·       the funeral of former Councillor Sue Burke;

·       the opening of the Lincoln Community Diagnostic Centre;

·       visits to the Guildhall;

·       an array of concerts and plays;

·       school visits;

·       the 106^th birthday celebration for a resident of Stones Place, Lincoln; and

·       the City of Lincoln Council’s Apprenticeship Awards Ceremony.

The Mayor also thanked the Civic Team for all their hard work in either arranging the above events or enabling the Mayor to attend.

There were no questions received.

Councillor Natasha Chapman to Councillor Donald Nannestad

Question

“Given the regularity of lift breakdowns in Shuttleworth House and the difficulties this causes in particular for residents with mobility issues, could the portfolio holder share the usual lifespan of lifts and therefore when lifts in large social housing buildings might be due for replacement?”

Answer

It was highlighted that there was no recognised life span on lifts, it was when it became past its economic service life in terms of failures and available parts.

However, in terms of replacements, it was advised that with respect of Shuttleworth House, a replacement was currently in the design process. The Council was in the process of engaging with a lift consultant, which was a delicate process due to the complexity of the building.

With regards to Trent View / Jarvis House, replacements were within the 30-year business plan and would be evaluated in the coming years. 

Supplementary Question

It was queried whether it could be ensured that any lift replacement would stop at each floor within buildings, rather than one lift going to odd numbers and the other within the building going to even numbers.  It was highlighted that this caused significant issues when a lift was out of action, as not all floors were accessible by lift.

Answer

It was highlighted that having both lifts stop at each floor within a building would require considerable investment as it would be changing how they currently operated.  However, all options would be explored and considered as part of the replacement programme.

Councillor Clare Smalley to Councillor Naomi Tweddle

Question

“What does the Leader think has improved for the residents of Lincoln, following a Labour government?”

Answer

The Leader of the Council recognised that the new Labour government was only a few months into its tenure.  However, the Leader was pleased to see multi-year funding settlements for local government, which had been lacking in recent years and considered an improvement, as provided a level of certainty.

The Leader also highlighted the investment made to the NHS and the reversal of the decision relating to the former RAF Scampton airbase, which would have great impact on Lincoln.

Supplementary Question

“Could the Leader provide an insight into what she feels residents of Lincoln could look forward to next?”

Answer

The Leader highlighted that it was hoped sick pay would be improved for lowest earners and it was anticipated that the Employment Rights Bill would bring other positive changes.

Councillor Martin Christopher to Councillor Naomi Tweddle

Question

“What does the Leader think about the government funding only 1/3 of the increase in NI for local councils like Lincoln?”

Answer

The Leader expressed her disappointment in the national insurance changes not being fully funded for local government, as it had put pressure on the budgets of local authorities.  However, in defence of the Government, the Leader highlighted that this was owing to the challenging situation with the economy.

Supplementary Question

“Would you include the changes in national insurance contributions on  ...  view the full minutes text for item 57.

It was moved, seconded and

RESOLVED that Council Procedure Rule 17.4 regarding the content and length of speeches be suspended to allow the Leader of the Council and the Opposition Group Leaders unlimited time to speak on Minute 58a.

Councillor Naomi Tweddle, Leader of the Council, presented the report and proposed the recommendations as detailed on pages 17 and 200 of the agenda pack, in relation to the Medium-Term Financial Strategy 2025-2030.  Councillor Donald Nannestad seconded the recommendations and reserved his right to speak.

The Mayor, having received notice a number of amendments, permitted that more than one amendment may be discussed and debated at once to facilitate the proper and efficient conduct of the Council’s business in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 17.6(b). The Mayor reported, however, that each amendment would be voted upon separately.

Councillor Clare Smalley, Leader of the Liberal Democrats Group and Leader of the Opposition, proposed the following amendments to the Medium-Term Financial Strategy, which were seconded by Councillor Martin Christopher, Deputy Leader of the Opposition, who reserved his right to speak:

One off allocation from the Vision 2030 earmarked reserve to fund the following proposals on a trial basis to assess the impact:

• £50k into fly tipping enforcement (to issue more fines and take on the perpetrators). (Amendment 1)
• £40k on CCTV (additional cameras to tackle hotspots where fly tipping, ASB and graffiti are worst). (Amendment 2)
• £10k on community skips (so everyone can dispose of bulky goods for free multiple times a year). (Amendment 3)
• £15k Christmas Market restoration fund (to develop a full proposal to bring back the Christmas Market). (Amendment 4)
• £33k Ward funding (£1000 per councillor) for improvements. (Amendment 5)

It was noted that the figures contained in the above amendments had been verified by Financial Services and were in accordance with the budget estimates included in the proposed MTFS 2025-2030.

During the discussion on the proposed amendments, the following points were

noted:

·       A councillor stated that he was happy to support the proposed amendments and highlighted that the City of Lincoln had received one of the lowest financial settlements across the country.  It was also commented that the street cleaning department had a budget underspend of circa £50k and therefore this could be used to help fund the proposed amendments.  It was highlighted that there were a significant number of councils which had a councillor fund in place to enable ward councillors to fund small projects within their ward.  He therefore strongly supported the proposed introduction of a councillor fund.

·       Several councillors indicated they would be voting against the proposed amendments. 

·       It was highlighted that ward budgets had previously been allocated at the Council but these had ceased for a variety of reasons. A councillor commented that he had raised funds within his own ward without the need of a ward budget and encouraged councillors to raise funds for their areas.

·       As part of Vision 2030, officers would be resourced to educate on fly tipping.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 58a

The recommendations to the Council, as set out in the report, were moved and seconded and in accordance with the Council Procedure Rule 19.7, a recorded vote was taken, the result of which was as follows:

RESOLVED

It was moved, seconded and

RESOLVED that:

1.    The Treasury Management Strategy 2025/26 including the Prudential Indicators be approved.

2.    The Minimum Revenue Provision Policy 2025/26 be approved.

3.    The Treasury Management Practices be approved.

It was moved, seconded and

RESOLVED that the Pay Policy Statement 2025/26 be approved.

The recommendation on the report to the Council was duly moved and seconded.

Each Portfolio Holder presented their respective section of Vision 2030, highlighting key elements.

RESOLVED that the Vision 2030 Strategic Plan and the Vision 2030 Delivery Plan be approved.

It was moved, seconded and

RESOLVED

(1)  That the new Procurement Act be noted.

(2)  That the revised Contract Procedure Rules, as set out in the report, be approved.

(3)  That the Council’s Constitution be amended accordingly.

Councillor Naomi Tweddle, Leader of the Council, presented a report on Local Government Reorganisation (LGR), which provided an opportunity to contribute to the debate on LGR in response to the Government’s invitation to submit details of proposed unitary authorities, as per section 2 of the Local Government Public Involvement in Health Act 2007.  The Leader invited views from Council so a submission could be formulated by 21 March 2025.

During discussion, the following points were noted:

·       It was recognised that it was unlikely to be a consensus across Lincolnshire on the future of local government in the county and it was therefore likely multiple options would be put forward. Furthermore, a councillor felt that Lincoln was not large enough in size to warrant its own unitary authority.

·       A councillor expressed disappointment that the Government was looking to reorganise local government, which would come at a significant cost to the tax payer, when there were other more pressing priorities such as addressing the overspend within the NHS.

·       Several councillors expressed concern over any potential suggestion of a ‘mega-council’ for Greater Lincolnshire, as Lincoln would get lost amongst it.  It was therefore felt that an option should be developed for Lincoln.

·       It was suggested that the Leader and other colleagues liaised with councils who had already gone through local government reorganisation, if they had not done so already, to gain an understanding of what to expect and any challenges, as these could help develop a proposal for Lincoln.

·       It was recognised that LGR would not disappear and therefore it was important to develop an option best for Lincoln.  Furthermore, it was commented that the Government was beginning to soften its approach of 500k residents and therefore an option for Lincoln was viable.

·       A councillor commented that LGR had been successful in other areas, and it would work in Lincolnshire.

·       A councillor spoke against any option for Lincoln and felt that two unitary authorities for Greater Lincolnshire would be the best option, and this would not disadvantage Lincoln.  The councillor requested regular member briefings on this topic.

·       It was confirmed that key information would be shared amongst councils to ensure each proposal was using the same and accurate data sets when developing proposals.  Regular meetings were also taking place with Leaders and Chief Executives across Lincolnshire on the topic of LGR. It was confirmed that there was no intention to defer the elections in May 2025 and at present, these were going ahead as scheduled. It was also confirmed that proposals could cut across district council boundary lines.

·       It was commented that a number of villages on the outskirts of Lincoln identified as living in Lincoln and it was likely these areas could be included in a proposal for Lincoln.

·       It was reiterated that the future of LGR would involve unitary councils, as the current system was confusing to most residents.  Work would continue to develop a proposal for Lincoln, which would involve expanding its boundary into other areas.  It was emphasised  ...  view the full minutes text for item 59.

It was moved, seconded and

RESOLVED

1.    That the Chief Executive and Town Clerk be appointed as local Returning Officer for the Greater Lincolnshire Combined County Authority Mayoral elections.

2.    That the Council’s Constitution be amended accordingly.

It was moved, seconded and

RESOLVED that a six month dispensation for Councillor Aiden Wells from attending meetings of the Council until 9 December 2025, in order to avoid Councillor Aiden Wells potentially ceasing to be a member of the authority under Section 85 of the Local Government Act 1972, be approved.

It was moved, seconded and

RESOLVED that the decision taken by the Executive as a matter of urgency on 20 January 2025 under Rule 15 of the Scrutiny Procedure Rules be noted.

It was moved, seconded and

RESOLVED that the amendment to the membership of the Shared Revenues and Benefits Joint Committee, in accordance with paragraph 2.2 of the report, be approved.