To approve as a correct record the Minutes of the Meeting of the Council held on 20 January 2016 for signature by the Mayor as Chairman.

That the Minutes of the Meeting of the Council held on 20 January 2016, be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

To receive any announcements from the Mayor, Leader of the Council, Members of the Executive, Chairmen of Scrutiny Committees and the Head of Paid Service.

Health Scrutiny Committee Update

Councillor Lloyd, Chairman of Health Scrutiny Committee provided an update on the Committee’s emphasis since the last meeting of Council which included:

-              Care Quality Commission inspection of the University Hospital of South Manchester NHS Foundation Trust (UHSM) in January 2016 and inspection of Greater Manchester West in March 2016.

-              Health Scrutiny Committee visit to the Trafford Care Coordination Centre (TCCC) in Sale on 22 January 2016. The Committee were given a short presentation on the vision behind the TCCC before being shown around and informed of the work that had already been conducted. In the week that it had been operational the TCCC had already made 35 interventions on patient’s behalf.

-              Downgrading of Trafford General. The Joint Health Scrutiny Committee between Trafford and Manchester met on 2 February 2016 and made its position clear regarding concerns about changes to the Urgent Care Centre at Trafford General before the new Emergency Department opened at UHSM.

-              Dignity in Care and Hospital Discharges. The Health Scrutiny Committee had recently conducted a follow up to its 2013 Dignity in Care report. The Committee’s Task and Finish Group had also completed its investigation into delays in discharges at Wythenshawe Hospital. The Chairman thanked Members for their work and indicated that reports on each area would be produced by the end of the municipal year.

This is an opportunity for Members of Council to ask the Mayor, Members of the Executive or the Chairman of any Committee or Sub-Committee a question on notice under Procedure Rule 10.2.

The Mayor reported that no questions had been received under Procedure Rule 10.2.

To consider a report of the Director of Legal and Democratic Services.

The Director of Legal and Democratic Services submitted a report on the designation of the Council’s Section 151 Officer.

RESOLVED:

(1)        That, with effect from 1 March 2016, the post of Chief Finance Officer be designated as the Council’s Statutory 151 Officer and that the scheme of delegation be amended so that the Chief Finance Officer be authorised to perform all financial duties previously the responsibility of the post of Director of Finance.

(2)        That the Director of Legal and Democratic Services be authorised to make the necessary amendments to the constitution.

To receive and consider the following joint reports of the Executive Member for Finance and the Director of Finance, presented to the Executive on 17 February 2016, and to adopt the resolutions therein:

(Note: PROCEDURAL ARRANGEMENTS - In respect of the main item of business on the agenda, the Mayor announced that the Leader of the Council (or his nominee) would have a maximum of 15 minutes to make the initial speech and a further maximum of 15 minutes to finish the debate. The Leaders of the Labour and Liberal Democrat Groups (or their respective nominees) would each have a maximum of 15 minutes to make their initial speeches and a further maximum of 5 minutes to wind up on behalf of their respective Groups. The Mayor also outlined the approach for dealing with amendments, should any be made to the main motion, and indicated that the mover of an amendment would have 5 minutes, whilst the time for all other speeches would be restricted to 3 minutes.)

The Executive Member for Finance presented a number of reports setting out the proposed budget for the forthcoming year, together with the recommendations from the Executive meeting held earlier that evening.

It was moved and seconded that the Executive’s recommendations for the budget, circulated to Members at the meeting, be approved.

Councillors Ross and Bowker responded to the Motion on behalf of the Labour and Liberal Democrat Groups respectively, after which the budget proposals were then debated by the Council.

In accordance with procedures agreed at the outset of the debate, the Political Group Leaders summarised the essential views of their respective group and responded to some of the issues that had arisen from the debate.

The Motion was then put to a recorded vote, in accordance with the Local Authorities (Standing Orders) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2014. The result was as follows:

Those in favour of the Motion: Councillors S.A. Anstee, S.K. Anstee, Dr. Barclay, Miss Blackburn, Bowker, Boyes, Mrs. Brophy, Mrs. Bruer-Morris, Bunting, Butt, Candish, Cawdrey, Chilton, Cornes, Coupe, Mrs. Dixon, Mrs. Evans,  N. Evans, Fishwick, Hopps, Hyman, Lally, Lamb, Mitchell, Myers, J.R. Reilly, Mrs. Reilly, Rigby, Sephton, Sharp, Shaw, Mrs. Ward, Whetton, Williams, M. Young and Mrs. Young.

Those against the Motion: Councillors Acton, Adshead, Baugh, Bennett, Brotherton, Carter, Cordingley, Duffield, Freeman, Gratrix, Harding, Hynes, Jarman, Lloyd, Malik, O’Sullivan, Procter, Ross, Stennett, A. Western and D. Western.

With the result of the vote being 36 in favour and 21 against, with 0 abstentions, the Motion was declared carried.

        RESOLVED –

(A)   That the Council approves:

(1)        The net Revenue Budget for 2016/17 at £147.320 million, a decrease of £(1.594) million, or (1.1)%, when compared to the 2015/16 base budget of £148.914 million.

(2)        The calculation of the Council Tax Requirement as detailed in Section 9 of the budget proposals report and summarised in the Appendix A of the Executive’s recommendations circulated at the meeting.

(3)        The formal Council Tax Resolution, as required under statute and set out in (D) below.

(4)        That the Council Tax level for Trafford related services in 2016/17 be increased by 2% in respect of the social care “precept” (valuation bands are detailed at Annex D  ...  view the full minutes text for item 72.

Note:        At the conclusion of the meeting it is intended to hold an informal meeting of the Council to consider issuing invitations to Members of Council to be the Mayor and Deputy Mayor of the Borough for 2016/2017.

(Note: At the conclusion of the formal meeting of the Council, an informal meeting was held to extend an invitation to:

Councillor Judith Lloyd to be the Mayor of the Borough of Trafford for 2016/17;

and

Councillor Jonathan Coupe to be the Deputy Mayor of the Borough of Trafford for 2016/17.

The informal meeting concluded at 9.15 p.m.)