Voting record

That Council,

1) Approve the composition of each Area Board from May 2021 set out

below as recommended and detailed by the Electoral Review Committee

in the Final Recommendations:

i. Recommendation 1 – Amesbury

ii. Recommendation 2 – Bradford-on-Avon

iii. Recommendation 3 – Calne

iv. Recommendation 4 – Chippenham and Villages

v. Recommendation 5 – Corsham

vi. Recommendation 6 – Devizes

vii. Recommendation 7 – Malmesbury

viii. Recommendation 8 – Marlborough

ix. Recommendation 9 – Melksham

x. Recommendation 10 – Pewsey

xi. Recommendation 11 – Royal Wootton Bassett and Cricklade

xii. Recommendation 12 – Salisbury

xiii. Recommendation 13 – Southern Wiltshire

xiv. Recommendation 14 – South West Wiltshire

xv. Recommendation 15 – Tidworth

xvi. Recommendation 16 – Trowbridge

xvii. Recommendation 17 – Warminster

xviii. Recommendation 18 – Westbury

2) To authorise the Monitoring Officer to amend the Constitution accordingly for May 2021 when the proposed Area Boards come into effect.

Note: Recommendation 13 was amended from Southern Area Board to Southern Wiltshire Area Board.

To approve the draft response to the questions set out in the White Paper ‘Planning for the Future’ to provide guidance for the preparation of the Council’s response, to be prepared by the Director of Economic Development and Planning in consultation with the Leader of the Council, the Cabinet Member for Spatial Planning, Development Management and Investment, and Group Leaders.

1.1  That the area of the Netherhampton East Ward be transferred to the parish of Salisbury City as part of the Salisbury Harnham West Ward.

1.2  That the Salisbury Harnham West Ward be increased from two city councillors to three.

1.3  That the total number of councillors for Salisbury City Council be increased from 23 to 24.

1.4  That the parish of Netherhampton be comprised of five councillors, without wards.

Reasons: Paragraphs 73, 78, 80, 83, 84, 85 of the Guidance on Community Governance Reviews.

To merge the Salisbury City wards of Salisbury Milford and Salisbury St Mark’s and Bishopdown into a single ward of three councillors, coterminous with the Salisbury Milford Electoral Division. The city ward would also be called Salisbury Milford.

Reason: Paragraph 85 of the Guidance on Community Governance Reviews.

To replace recommendations 11.1-11.3 with the following:

To undertake a further Community Governance Review when practicable to include the wards of Trowbridge Drynham, Trowbridge Park and North Bradley Parish Council (White Horse Ward).

11.1 That the area of the White Horse ward of North Bradley Parish Council be transferred to Trowbridge Town Council as part of the Trowbridge Drynham ward, coterminous with the Unitary Division of the same name, and to be represented by three town councillors.

11.2 That the area of the Park ward of North Bradley Parish Council be transferred to Trowbridge Town Council as part of the Trowbridge Park ward, coterminous with the Unitary Division of the same           name, and to be represented by three town councillors.

11.3 That North Bradley Parish Council be comprised of eleven parish councillors, without warding arrangements.

Reasons: Paragraphs 54, 73, 78, 80, 83, 84, 85 and 170 of the Guidance on Community Governance Reviews.

Council Notes:

That there has been an unprecedented increase in walking & cycling among all sections of the population during the COVID 19 pandemic.

That a major deterrent to taking up cycling among many is the perception that sharing the roads with fast motor traffic is not safe.

Council believes:

That following the short term COVID 19 work to re-prioritise road space for cycling and walking. Wiltshire could become a truly cycle, walking, and horse riding friendly county, into the future, reducing road traffic and pollution while improving public health.

That policy, planning and policing should support initiatives for cyclists, pedestrians and horse riders to make these activities safer and more enjoyable for commuting, shopping, exercise and amenity. Thus, it will be possible to attract more Wiltshire citizens and visitors to choose cycling, walking and horse riding over driving, to reduce health costs and road maintenance, and to help the county reach its climate emergency commitments to reach carbon neutrality by 2030.

Council Resolves:

1)     That Wiltshire Council highways and planning departments should prioritize the requirements of cyclists, pedestrians and horse riders when planning works on Wiltshire’s roads, bridleways and footpaths. That all major planning applications (of 10 units or more) must show clear evidence of integration of safe cycling and pedestrian routes with those of the surrounding street layouts, and that any infrastructure planning by the Council should place safe cycling as a high investment priority and move it up from its current medium priority, as set in the current Local Transport Plan (LPT3) to sit alongside walking.

2)    That Wiltshire Council’s Cabinet further supports these principles by the appointment of two ‘Czars’ from among current portfolio holders, with one for cycling and horse riding, and one for walking, to promote and facilitate change to these activities, by listening to what area boards, town and parish councils and community cycling, walking, horse riding and environment groups have to say to them and by communicating and developing these ideas with cabinet members for health, transport and spatial planning.

3)     That Wiltshire Council will expand its ‘Bikeability’ programme to all age groups, from 8 to 80, or if this is not possible develop a parallel system for adults, seeking funding from related retail outlets and the involvement of local qualified trainers and cycling groups.

4)    Wiltshire Council will review with SUSTRANS and other cycling, walking and horse riding groups the digitally available footpath, bridleway and cycle route maps for the whole county.

5)    That Wiltshire Council will with parish and town councils consider:

a.     making widespread provision of theft-resistant cycle parking facilities sufficient for the demand.

b.     reducing traffic speeds in urban areas.

c.     the adoption of auto speed watch cameras

d.     dual-use cycle/footpaths in pedestrianized areas and between towns and villages.

Council is asked to:

1. Thank local communities, the voluntary sector, businesses, strategic partners and education settings for their support during these unprecedented

circumstances. (Vote 1)

2. Acknowledge the significant and exceptional effort of staff working

throughout the COVID-19 response. (Vote 1)

3. Approve the inclusion of slippage from the 2019/20 Capital Programme

(£35.535m) within the 2020/21 Capital Programme, subject to a

recommendation from Cabinet on 9 June. (Vote 2)

4. Note the two reports to Cabinet and that future reports will be received by Cabinet in the coming months. (Vote 1)

Council is asked to:

1. Thank local communities, the voluntary sector, businesses, strategic partners and education settings for their support during these unprecedented

circumstances. (Vote 1)

2. Acknowledge the significant and exceptional effort of staff working

throughout the COVID-19 response. (Vote 1)

3. Approve the inclusion of slippage from the 2019/20 Capital Programme

(£35.535m) within the 2020/21 Capital Programme, subject to a

recommendation from Cabinet on 9 June. (Vote 2)

4. Note the two reports to Cabinet and that future reports will be received by Cabinet in the coming months. (Vote 1)

That Council:

a)         Adopt the Minimum Revenue Provision Policy (paragraph 32 – 34)

b)         Adopt the Prudential and Treasury Indicators (paragraphs 24 – 31, 40 – 48 and Appendix A)

c)         Adopt the Annual Investment Strategy (paragraph 77 onwards).

d)         Delegate to the Director of Finance and Procurement 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 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 the authority to select such funds

h)         Adopt the Third Party Loans Policy (paragraph 93 and Appendix F)

That Council:

Vote 1

a. Agrees the budget for 2020/21;

b. Approves the growth and savings proposals summarised in the report to provide a net revenue budget for 2020/21 of £344.023 million;

c. Agrees to:

i. Set the Council’s total net expenditure budget for 2020/21 at £344.023 million;

ii. Set a Council Tax increase of 1.99% and Social Care Levy increase of 2%;

iii. Delegate changes in fees and charges as set out in Section 9;

d. Endorse the Medium Term Financial Strategy and receive regular updates on delivery against strategy to Cabinet; and

e. Notes the budget gap of £69.527 million for MTFS period 2021/22 – 2024/25.

Vote 2

iv. Set a 2.7% increase for social dwelling rents (CPI plus 1%);

v. Set the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) Budget for 2020/21 at £30.302 million expenditure; and

vi. All service charges related to the HRA being increased to recover costs, capped at increase of £5 per week for those not on housing benefits and garage rents increased by 1.7% (CPI).

That Council:

a) Adopts the Capital Strategy 2020/2021

b) Approves the Capital Programme 2020/2021-2029/2030

c) Adopts the non-financial investment indicators (paragraph 84)

That Council:

1.  It be noted that on 10 December 2019 the Council calculated:

(a)        the Council Tax Base 2020/2021 for the whole Wiltshire Council area as 187,935.69 [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 2020/2021 (excluding parish precepts) is £284,722,570.

3.         That the following amounts be calculated for the year 2020/2021 in accordance with Sections 31 to 36 of the Act:

(a) 872,749,230 (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) 564,126,764 (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) £308,622,465 (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) £1642.17 (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 basic amount of its Council Tax for the year (including Parish precepts), as shown below:

(e) £23,899,895.13 (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) £1,515.00 (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.

That Council:

(i)         Notes the content of the Inspector’s ‘Report on the Examination of the Wiltshire Site Allocations Plan’ (Appendix 1) and his conclusions regarding legal compliance and soundness.

(ii)        Accepts the Main Modifications set out in the Appendix to the Inspector’s Report, which the Inspector considers are necessary to make the plan sound in accordance with legislation.

(iii)       Agrees that additional minor modifications are made that arose during the examination or made in the interest of accuracy and consistency, as set out in Appendix 2.

(iv)       Adopts the ‘Wiltshire Housing Site Allocations Plan Submission draft Plan (July 2018)’, as amended by the Main Modifications as set out at (ii) above and attached in Appendix 1 and additional minor modifications as set out in (iii) above and attached in Appendix 2, be adopted as part of the development plan for Wiltshire.

(v)        Delegates authority to the Director of Economic Development and Planning in consultation with the Director of Legal, Electoral and Registration Services and the Cabinet Member for Spatial Planning, Development Management and Investment for: the Policies Map to be amended in line with the Main Modifications as identified in Appendix 1 and the settlement boundaries, as set out in Appendix A of the ‘Wiltshire Housing Site Allocations Plan Submission draft Plan (July 2018) and amended by the proposed changes made during the examination; and further minor textual changes to be made to the Wiltshire Housing Site Allocations Plan prior to publication in the interests of accuracy and consistency.

(vi) Agrees that the Director of Economic, Development and Planning in consultation with the Director for Legal, Electoral and Registration Services, and the Cabinet Member for Strategic Planning, Development Management and Investment, undertakes the final stages associated with the formal adoption and publication of the Wiltshire Site Allocations Plan.

That Council

(i) Notes the response to the consultation on the draft Trowbridge Bat Mitigation Strategy Supplementary Planning Document (the TBMS) set

out in the Consultation Statement at Appendix 1.

(ii) Endorses the amended TBMS as set out in Appendix 2.

(iii) Adopts the amended TBMS as a Supplementary Planning Document.

(iv) Agrees that the Director for Economic Development and Planning in consultation with the Director for Legal, Electoral and Registration

Services and the Cabinet Member for Spatial Planning, Development Management and Investment, undertakes the final stages associated

with the formal adoption and publication of the TBMS, including any minor textual changes in the interests of clarity and accuracy.

That Council:

a)             Approve the designation of statutory functions as follows:

i.                        Director of Children’s Services (DCS) to the newly created post of Director of Children’s Services

ii.                       Returning Officer (RO) and Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) to the Chief Executive Officer – People

b)             Note the appointment of an interim Director of Adult Social Services (DASS) pending further review of where this will sit in the structure by the Chief Executive Officers

c)             Note that other designated statutory roles are unchanged as a result of the restructure and remain with existing postholders namely:

i.                        Director of Public Health (DPH) with the post of Director of Public Health

ii.                       Head of Paid Service with the post of Director of Human Resources and Organisational Development

iii.                     Monitoring Officer with the post of Director of Legal, Electoral and Registration

iv.                     Section 151 with the post of Director of Finance and Procurement

d)             Authorise the Monitoring Officer to make any consequential changes to the Constitution arising from the designation of the statutory functions outlined above.