Voting record

That Council agree:

a)    That a net general fund budget of 2025/26 of £527.420m is approved;

b)    That the Council Tax requirement for the council be set at £368.818m for 2025/26 with a Band D charge of £1,886.99, an increase of £1.56 per week;

c)    That the Wiltshire Council element of the Council Tax be increased in 2025/26 by the following:

i.               A 2.5% 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 2025/26;

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 2025/26 to 2027/28;

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

g)    That the Capital Programme 2025/26 to 2031/32 is approved;

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

i)      That the Schools Capital Programme 2025/26 to 2030/31 in Appendix 3 is approved, including the proposal recommendations included and set out in that appendix;

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

k)    That the Medium Term Financial Strategy, the forecast balanced budget for 2025/26 financial year and the MTFS 2025/26 to 2027/28 is endorsed.

That Council:

a)    Note the draft budget estimates and proposals.

b)    Approve the HRA Annual Revenue Budget for 2025/26 as described in the report and Appendix 1, subject to an in year review.

c)    Approve the increase of 2.7% (CPI+1%) to Dwelling Rents and Garage Rents for 2025/26

d)    Approve the HRA Capital Programme for 2025/26 as described in thereport and Appendix 2, including the allocation of an additional £99m for the Council House Build Programme.

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

f)     Approve authority to receive bespoke or targeted grants (if awarded) during the year.

1.    It be noted that on 12 December 2024 a Record of Officer Decision was made to approve:

a)    the Council Tax Base 2025/26 for the whole Wiltshire Council area as 195,453.54 [Item T in the formula in Section 31B(3) of the Local Government Finance 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 Appendix.

2.    Calculate that the Council Tax requirement for the Council’s own purposes for 2025/26 (excluding parish precepts) is £ 368,818,875.44

3.    That the following amounts be calculated for the year 2025/26 in accordance with Sections 31 to 36 of the Act:

a)    £1,226,625,772.64 (Gross Revenue Expenditure including transfers to reserves, parish precepts and any collection fund deficit) 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).

b)    £663,791,900.00 (Gross Revenue Income including transfers from reserves, General Government Grants and any collection fund surplus) being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 31A(3) of the Act.

c)    £562,833,872.64 (Net Revenue Expenditure including parish precepts) 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).

d)    £2,068.18 (Wiltshire Council band D tax plus average Town & Parish Councils Band D Council Tax) 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 amount of its Council Tax for the year (including Parish precepts), as shown below:

e)    35,413,785.64 (Aggregate of Town & Parish Council Precepts) being the aggregate amount of all special items (Parish Precepts) referred to in Section 34(1) of the Act (as per the attached Appendix C).

f)     £1,886.99 (band D Council Tax for Wiltshire Council purposes only) being the amount at 3(d) above less the result given by dividing the amount at 3(e) above by Item T (2 above), calculated by the Council, in accordance with Section 34(2) of the Act, as the basic amount of its Council Tax for the year for dwellings in those parts of its area to which no Parish precept relates, as shown below:

That Council approve the updated pay policy statement set out in Appendix 1 ready for publication on the Wiltshire Council website.

1.    That Richard Clewer, the Leader of Wiltshire Council, writes to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and our Wiltshire MPs, in order to outline Wiltshire Council’s dismay at the decision in the Budget to restrict Agricultural Property Relief, and to request the Government puts an immediate stop to the Family Farm Tax.

2.    That the council undertakes an analysis of how many of Wiltshire's farms would be affected by the changes in national policy announced in the recent budget and reports this back to members.

Wiltshire Council hereby wishes to express its strong support for the retention of viable and sustainable businesses in rural settlements, recognising the vital contribution that these businesses make to residents’ lives and to the Wiltshire economy, as required by Policy 65 (Existing Employment Land) of the emerging Wiltshire Local Plan, which has been submitted to the Planning Inspectorate for examination this year, and existing National Planning Policy Framework paragraphs 88 and 98.

That Full Council supports the intention of the Leader to write to the relevant Minister seeking inclusion in the Devolution Priority Programme on the basis of the attached single Member decision report.

That Full Council, having considered the response from the formal consultation:

1)    Approves the submission of the Wiltshire Local Plan Review, Pre-submission Draft Plan at Appendix 1 to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government for independent examination together with relevant associated documentation;

2)    Directs that submission is accompanied by a request that the Inspector appointed to carry out the examination recommends any modifications necessary to make the Plan sound and legally compliant in accordance with Section 20(7C) of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 (as amended); and

3)    Authorises the Director of Planning to take or authorise such steps as may be necessary for the independent examination of the Plan to be completed, including:

(a)  Make appropriate arrangements for submission of the Plan and the completion and submission of all documents relating to the Plan;

(b)  Make all necessary arrangements for examination including - the

(c)  appointment of a Programme Officer; the undertaking and/or

(d)  commissioning of other work necessary to prepare for and participate at examination; proposing main and/or minor modifications to the Plan and/or modifications to the Policies Map; entering into Memorandums of Understanding and Statements of Common Ground; and the delegation to officers and other commissioned experts to prepare and submit evidence, representations and submissions to the examination and, where necessary, appear at any hearing sessions and represent the council; and

(e)  Implement any consequential actions relating to the examination,

(f)   including undertaking any consultation that may be necessary, and publishing the recommendations and reasons of the person appointed to carry out the examination.

That Full Council adopt the Enforcement Policy as set out at Appendix 1.

That Full Council approved the Statement of Licensing Policy (2024-2029) (Appendix 1) under the Licensing Act 2003 which will come into effect from 1 November 2024.

That Full Council approves the Gambling Statement of Principles (2025-2027) (Appendix 1) under the Gambling Act 2005 which will come into effect from 1 January 2025.

We therefore request that the Leader of the Council write to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves MP, urging a review of Labour's decision to end the Winter Fuel Payment. We also encourage officers to coordinate a social media and press campaign to show Wiltshire residents how to check their eligibility and register for pension credits.

We ask that this Council refuses to support any scheme that seeks to force people out of their private vehicles without a high quality, efficient, reliable and cost-effective alternative. Until every person who stands to be affected by such schemes has a viable alternative means of travel for education, employment, healthcare, and leisure, we request that this Council refuses to incorporate such controls over our residents.

(Proposed Amendment)This Council will pursue all means to increase accessible and affordable walking and cycling opportunities, as well as public transport services, across the county to provide sustainable alternatives to car travel.

That this Council refuses to support any scheme that seeks to force people out of their private vehicles without a high quality, efficient, reliable and cost-effective alternative. Until every person who stands to be affected by such schemes has a viable alternative means of travel for education, employment, healthcare, and leisure, we request that this Council refuses to incorporate such controls over our residents.

This Council calls on the Leader of the Council to write to the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, the Shadow Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government and the MPs representing Wiltshire to make them aware of the manifest flaws in the Housing Land Supply measure as currently applied and as proposed as part of the government’s planning reform consultation.

(Proposed Amendment) Council also calls on the Leader of the Council to write to the Secretary of State to introduce legislation to compel developers to build consented plots within a set timescale.

This Council calls on the Leader of the Council to write to the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, the Shadow Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government and the MPs representing Wiltshire to make them aware of the manifest flaws in the Housing Land Supply measure as currently applied and as proposed as part of the government’s planning reform consultation.

1.    Council is disappointed by the water industry’s failure to prevent sewage being discharged into Wiltshire's Rivers. We call on water companies operating in Wiltshire; Wessex Water, Thames Water, and Southern Water to make the required investment to protect our Rivers as a priority.

2.    Council requests a meeting with executives of Wessex Water, Thames Water and Southern Water to receive greater clarity on future investment in the overdue upgrades to our sewage systems in Wiltshire.

3.    Council calls on Wessex Water, Thames Water and Southern Water to join the Council in engaging with the government and Oftwat to discuss how the burden of the necessary investment in Wiltshire is addressed.

That Council approve the following updated sections of the Constitution:

1.    Protocol 2A – Terms of Reference of the Wiltshire Pension Fund Committee

2.    Protocol 6 – Complaints Procedure