Voting record

That Full Council note that the contents of the report are in line with the Treasury Management Strategy 2023/24.

1)    That the Gypsies and Travellers Plan - Pre-submission Draft Development Plan Document at Appendix 1 (subject to modification in (2) be approved for publication in line with Regulation 19 of the Town and Country Planning (Local Planning) (England) Regulations 2012 (as amended), for a period of at least six weeks public consultation.

2)    To authorise the Director for Planning in consultation with the Director for Legal and Governance and Cabinet Member for Finance, Development Management and Strategic Planning: to make any necessary minor changes to the Pre-submission Draft Development Plan Document before it is published; to finalise the associated evidence documents for publication alongside the Plan; and to make arrangement for and undertake statutory consultation.

That Council

1)    Adopt the Cultural Strategy.

2)    Include the Cultural Strategy at Part 3B Paragraph 1.2 of the Constitution as a Policy Framework item.

3)    Delegate authority to the Leader to make a decision to, if appropriate, amend the strategy in response to the resolutions of Environment Select Committee on 18 July 2024.

This Council expects Housing Associations which own homes in Wiltshire to be putting their social purpose first and foremost, as is the case with those homes owned by Wiltshire Council. There is a desperate need for social and affordable properties for rent in Wiltshire and we are concerned by the recent reports of future property sales, poor maintenance, and excessive charges by Green Square Accord as well as a number of cases where Aster tenants have been removed from their homes so that demolition can take place before properties are rebuilt for sale on the open market.

Selling social and affordable homes in our towns and villages will undermine the social fabric of the area. We therefore call on these Housing Associations to invest in their older stock in Wiltshire and not be disposing of it on the housing market in the anticipation of buying cheaper replacements in our towns or in other local authority areas.

We request the Leader of the Council write to all relevant Housing Associations in Wiltshire. Should no acceptable response be received, to write to the Secretary of State, all six Wiltshire MPs, and the Social Housing Regulator setting out this motion.

That Council approve the following updated sections of the Constitution:

1)    Part 10 - Contract and Procurement Rules

2)    Protocol 11 - Arrangements for dealing with Code of Conduct Complaints.

To adjust the schedule of committee places allocated to political groups as follows:

For the Ungrouped Member, Cllr Edward Kirk, to retain a committee place on the Western Area Planning Committee in place of a Member of the Conservative Group.

Whilst not opposed to the principle of the development of solar farms in line with the National Planning Policy Framework this Council is increasingly concerned at the concentration of solar farms, battery storage and associated infrastructure in Wiltshire. Some villages are now completely surrounded by solar farms and their continued concentration represents a significant cumulative impact and industrialisation of the countryside.

Wiltshire Council therefore calls on the Secretary of State for the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities to define more closely what is meant by ‘cumulative impact’ regarding solar farms battery storage and associated infrastructure and to take clear steps to ensure that solar developments are more evenly spread across the UK and not concentrated in specific areas effectively industrialising the countryside.

We would also ask for clarity of the priority given to ensuring that food production and farming are not destroyed as industries in specific areas through an excessive concentration of solar farms given the massive impact that would have on the rural way of life in villages that have been farmed for time immemorial.

That Council:

1)    Approve the changes to community governance arrangements as set out below as recommended and detailed by the Electoral Review Committee in the Final Recommendations:

Recommendation 1 – Mere/Zeals
Recommendation 2 – North Bradley/Trowbridge
Recommendation 3 – Salisbury (St Francis & Stratford/Milford Divisions)
Recommendation 4 – Royal Wootton Bassett/Brinkworth
Recommendation 5 – Chippenham (Pewsham/Hardens & Central Divisions)
Recommendation 6 – Trowbridge (Grove/Lambrok Divisions)
Recommendation 7 – Calne/Calne Without
Recommendation 8 – Bradford-on-Avon
Recommendation 9 – Melksham (Forest and South Divisions)
Recommendation 10 – Westbury/Dilton Marsh
Recommendation 11 – Southwick/North Bradley

2)    To authorise the Solicitor of the Council to take all necessary measures to make and approve the Community Governance Order(s) to bring into effect for 1 April 2025 all of the changes detailed under resolution 1, subject to any required consents by the Local Government Boundary Commission for England;

3)    To authorise the Electoral Registration Officer to make any necessary changes to polling districts to bring them into line with the agreed governance changes at the appropriate time, to be reported to the Electoral Review Committee.

That Council approve the following updated sections of the Constitution:

1)    Part 11A – Corporate Parenting Panel (Appendix A)

2)     Part 5 – Access to Information Procedure Rules (Appendix B)

3)    Part 7 – Cabinet Procedure Rules (Appendix C)

4)    Part 8 – Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rules (Appendix D)

That Council:

a)         Adopt the Minimum Revenue Provision Policy (paragraph 26 – 28)

b)        Adopt the Prudential and Treasury Indicators (paragraphs 17 – 25, 41 – 47 and Appendix A)

c)         Adopt the Annual Investment Strategy (paragraph 65 onwards).

d)        Delegate to the Director of Finance and Procurement (S151 Officer) the authority to vary the amount of borrowing and other long-term liabilities within the Treasury Indicators for the            Authorised Limit and the Operational Boundary

e)         Authorise the Director of Finance and Procurement (S151 Officer) to agree the restructuring           of existing long-term loans where savings are achievable or to enhance the long-term portfolio

f)          Agree that short term cash surpluses and deficits continue to be managed through             temporary loans, deposits and money market funds

g)        Agree that any surplus cash balances not required to cover borrowing are placed in the             most appropriate specified or non-specified investments, particularly where this is more cost effective than short term deposits; and delegate to the Director of Finance and Procurement (S151 Officer) the authority to select such funds

h)        Agree the Investment Policy (paragraph 69)

i)          Agree the Creditworthiness Policy (paragraph 73)

A £0.003m increase in social welfare funding to each of the 18 Area Boards, and the establishment of a central fund of £0.036m that Area Boards can bid for extra social welfare funding.

Provision of funding of £0.075m to enable partnership working with Visit Wiltshire or an equivalent body in both 2024/25 and 2025/26.

To remove the income budget introduced in 2022/23 as a result of the saving included in the budget to introduce parking charges for Blue Badge holders of £0.040m.

That a net general fund budget of 2024/25 of £490.298m is approved;

b)        That the Council Tax requirement for the council be set at £351.077m for 2024/25 with a Band D charge of £1,805.73, an increase of £1.65 per week;

c)         That the Wiltshire Council element of the Council Tax be increased in 2024/25 by the following:

                        i.   A 2.99% general increase;

                        ii.  Plus a levy of 2% to be spent solely on Adult Social Care;

d)        That the Extended Leadership Team be required to meet the revenue budget targets for each service area as set out in Appendix 1 to this report, for the delivery of council services in 2024/25;

e)         That the Extended Leadership Team be required to deliver the revenue savings plans for each service area as set out in Appendix 1 to this report, over the MTFS period 2024/25 to 2026/27;

f)          That the changes in the fees and charges as set out in Appendix 4 are approved;

g)        That the Capital Programme 2024/25 to 2030/31 is approved;

h)        That the Capital Strategy set out in Appendix 2 is approved;

i)          That the DSG budget as approved by Schools Forum is ratified;

j)          That the Medium Term Financial Strategy, the forecast balanced budget over the 2024/25 and 2025/26 financial years and the MTFS 2024/25 to 2026/27 is endorsed.

That Council:

a)         Approve the HRA Annual Revenue Budget for 2024/25 as described in the report and Appendix 1.

b)        Approve the increase of 7.7% (CPI+1%) to Dwelling Rents and Garage Rents for 2024/25

c)         Approve the HRA Capital Programme for 2024/25 as described in the report and Appendix 2. 

d)        Note the reviewed and updated assumptions in the HRA 30-Year Business Plan as detailed in the report.

That Council approve the updated pay policy statement set out in Appendix 1.

That Council:

a) Notes the response to the consultation on the draft Wiltshire Design Guide Supplementary Planning Document (the WDG) set out in the Consultation Statement at Appendix 1.

b) Endorses the amended WDG as set out in Appendix 2.

c) Approves the final version of the WDG (Appendix 2) for adoption as a supplementary planning document.

d) Delegates to the Corporate Director Place, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Finance, Development and Strategic Planning, the power to undertake the final stages associated with the formal adoption and publication of the WDG, including any minor textual changes in the interests of clarity and accuracy.

Wiltshire Council is committed to supporting local farmers and food producers across our county. Britain has some of the highest animal welfare standards in the world and Wiltshire Council should engage and work in partnership with our poultry, arable and livestock farmers to ensure they can continue to enhance our countryside, and contribute to our nation's food security.

The Council must work to support them by being sympathetic to diversification opportunities and by promoting local produce through our new Wiltshire Marque labelling programme.

As a Council, we will be vocal in opposing attempts to diminish the role our meat, dairy, and arable farmers play in our rural way of life.

In line with our environmental commitments, Wiltshire Council should, where practical, provide food at council events sourced from local suppliers. This includes meat, fish, dairy, fruit, and vegetables.

Wiltshire Council should also work to raise awareness of the importance of shopping locally, wherever possible, taking advantage of home-grown, affordable, and nutritious food, especially through our farm shops, reducing the “food miles” on our plates and supporting our producers.

This Council requires the completion of a community sporting use management plan involving relevant stakeholders as appropriate as part of future section 106 agreements involving the delivering of facilities that involve community sporting use.