Agenda and minutes

The minutes of the meeting held on 7 December 2021 were agreed and signed as a true record.

(a)  Queen’s New Year Honours

The Deputy Lord Mayor referred to awards made to the following citizens associated with Coventry in the recent New Year's Honours List:

OBE toPauline Black for Services to Entertainment

OBE toProfessor John Robert Fyfe Bolton, former Director of Social Services in Coventry for Services to Social Care

OBE to Alpesh Chauhan for Services to the Arts

BEM toSiraj Ali for Services to the Community in Coventry, particularly during Covid-19

BEM toDonald Maynard Brown for voluntary service to Blind and Visually Impaired people

BEM toSgt Julie Godwin for services to policing

BEM toJanice Mathias, Custody Visitor, West Midlands Police for services to the Custody Visitor Scheme

The Lord Mayor, on behalf of the City Council, had sent a letter of congratulations all the recipients.

(b)  Death of Lonnie Downes

The Lord Mayor referred to the death of Lonnie Downes on 31^st December 2021.

Lonnie, a former recipient of the Coventry Good Citizen of the Month award, worked tirelessly for the benefit of local residents and as Welfare Officer for the Bedworth Branch of the Parachute Regiment Association, Lonnie was instrumental in setting up the Airborne Forces Memorial in the War Memorial Park.

Members paid tribute to Lonnie and it was noted that a letter conveying the City Council’s sincerest condolences had been sent to Lonnie’s family.

RESOLVED that the following petitions be referred to the appropriate City Council body or external organisation: -

a)  Parking problems for residents on Lythalls Lane due to businesses - 26 signatures presented by Councillor S Nazir

b)  Request for traffic calming measures on Allesley Old Road and Prince of Wales Road – 370 signatures presented by Councillor R Simpson

c)  Petition requesting the Council not to approve plans to open Upper Hill Street from the Ring Road – 950 signatures presented by Councillor R Simpson

d)  Petition requesting the Council to further improve road safety on Allesley Old Road and roads nearby and oppose Government plans for a charging zone on Coventry

e)  Petition requesting a review of the latest plans submitted in respect of West Coventry Academy, Nutbrook Avenue referring to tehlandscaping and buffer – 8 signatures presented by Councillor M Lapsa

f)  Request for a residents parking scheme for Broadmere Rise – 13 signatures presented by Councillor M Lapsa

g)  Objection to planning application OUT/2021/3538, land at Anderton Road – 18 signatures presented by Councillor L Bigham

h)  Request for traffic calming measures on Swan Lane – 57 signatures presented by Councillor D Welsh

i)  Request for the installation of surveillance cameras in Dorset Road and Somerset Road to stop fly-tipping – 21 signatures presented by Councillor M Ali

There were no disclosable pecuniary interests.

From Cabinet, 14 December 2021

Further to Minute 52 of the Cabinet, the Council considered a report of the Director of Finance which presented the Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) for adoption by the Council.

The previous strategy was approved as part of the 2021/22 Budget Report in February 2021. The Strategy set out the financial planning foundations that supported the Council’s vision and priorities and the financial and policy context for the Council’s current Budget process. Cabinet considered the proposals within the Pre-Budget Report in December 2021 and the final Budget Setting Report would be brought to Cabinet and Council in February 2022.

The national funding background to the MTFS was that the local government would be subject to a new settlement from Government within the financial parameters of the Autumn Budget and Spending Review 2021 (SR2021) announced in October. Although a major upheaval in the funding arrangements for all councils had been signalled at regular intervals this was once again postponed in SR2021 and there would be no structural changes to the system until 2023/24 at the earliest. In addition, SR2021 provided only indicative control totals for the sector and it would not be until the provisional local government settlement was released in December 2021 that firmer indications would be provided of the Council’s outline financial settlement for the next three years. The Pre-Budget report that would be considered by Cabinet alongside this one set out the best estimate of the Council’s three-year settlement financial position. Current medium-term estimates were still based on assumptions of local authorities continuing to face significant financial pressures.

Notwithstanding the approaches set out in the strategy, the Council would need to maintain dynamic financial models that took account of changes in its medium-term budget position and ongoing re-evaluation of its Capital Programme. These would be set out fully at the point of decision making.

RESOLVED that the Council approves the Strategy as the basis of its medium-term financial planning process.

From Cabinet, 11 January 2022

Further to Minute 62 of the Cabinet, the City Council considered a report of the Director of Finance, that set out the options for appointing the external auditor to the Council for the five years commencing 2023/24 as the current nationally regulated arrangements only covered audits up to and including 2022/23. The appointment of the Council’s auditors was a matter reserved for full Council.

The Council’s current auditors were Grant Thornton UK LLP working under a 5-year contract let by Public Sector Audit Appointments (PSAA) – a body set up principally to manage this process. The planned audit fees for 2020/21 were £211k.

The PSAA was inviting the Council to opt into the national arrangements for the next 5-year period along with all other authorities, so that the PSAA could enter into a number of contracts with appropriately qualified audit firms and appoint a suitable firm to be the Council’s auditor.

The report compared the options for appointing the external auditor to the Council and sought approval for its recommended approach.

The Cabinet agreed to recommend that Council approves Option 2, as described in the report, which was to accept Public Sector Audit Appointments’ invitation to ‘opt in’ to the sector led option for the appointment of external auditors for the five financial years commencing 1 April 2023.

RESOLVED that Council approves Option 2, as described in the report, which is to accept Public Sector Audit Appointments’ invitation to ‘opt in’ to the sector led option for the appointment of external auditors for the five financial years commencing 1 April 2023.

(a)  Written Question – Booklet 1

(b)  Oral Questions to Chairs of Scrutiny Boards/Chair of Scrutiny

Co-ordination Committee

(c)  Oral Questions to Chairs of other meetings

(d)  Oral Questions to Representatives on Outside Bodies

(e)  Oral Questions to Cabinet Members and Deputy Cabinet Members on any matter

Councillor AS Khan provided a written answer to the question set out in the Questions Booklet together with oral responses to supplementary questions put to him at the meeting.

The following Members answered oral questions put to them by other Members as set out below, together with supplementary questions on the same matters:

The Leader, Councillor G Duggins, made a Statement in respect of the siege in Earlsdon and the current bin strike.

Councillor G Ridley responded to the statement.

10.1 To be moved by Councillor J Blundell and seconded by Councillor M Heaven:

“Coventry City Council welcomes the additional funding of £24Million to level up education in Coventry.” 

10.2 To be moved by Councillor B Singh and seconded by Councillor K Maton:

“We note that Coventry is towards the bottom of the pile when it comes to core funding and therefore this council calls upon the government to rectify this with an immediate funding increase to create a level playing field with all other councils recognising the cost- of- living crisis facing ordinary working families in Coventry.”

The following Motion was moved by Councillor Blundell and seconded by Councillor Heaven:

“Coventry City Council welcomes the additional funding of £24Million to level up education in Coventry.” 

The following amendment was moved by Councillor Sandhu and seconded by Councillor Tucker and carried:

At the end of the Debate, delete the full stop, insert a comma and the following additional words:-

“but regrets that this is far less than the £32.3 Million in annual funding needed to return spending to 2010 levels.”

The amended Debate now to read:-

“Coventry City Council welcomes the additional funding of £24 Million to level up education in Coventry, but regrets that this is far less than the £32.3Million in annual funding needed to return spending to 2010 levels.”

RESOLVED that the amended Motion, as set out above, be adopted.

The following Motion was moved by Councillor B Singh and seconded by Councillor K Maton:

“We note that Coventry is towards the bottom of the pile when it comes to core funding and therefore this council calls upon the government to rectify this with an immediate funding increase to create a level playing field with all other councils recognising the cost- of- living crisis facing ordinary working families in Coventry.”

The following amendment was moved by Councillor Sawdon and seconded by Councillor Ridley and lost:

  After the words “ …when it comes to core funding” delete the rest of the Motion and insert the following words:-

“in receiving only 6.5% compared with the average of 6.9% but recognise that this is more than compensated for by the large increases in capital funding, the well organised grants to help with the Covid crisis and the more than generous funding received as the City of Culture.”

The amended Motion now to read :-

“We note that Coventry is towards the bottom of the pile when it comes to core funding in receiving only 6.5% compared with the average of 6.9% but recognise that this is more than compensated for by the large increases in capital funding, the well organised grants to help with the Covid crisis and the more than generous funding received as the City of Culture.”

RESOLVED that the substantive motion as set out above (in bold) be adopted.