Apologies were received from Councillor Fidelis Gadzama.

No declarations were received

The minutes of the Council meeting held on the 19 November 2014 were approved as a correct record.

The Mayor provided the Council with an update on her recent Mayoral duties noting that between her and the Deputy Mayor, they had been to over 300 engagements.  She informed the Council that so far she had raised approximately £20,000 for her Mayoral charities.

The Leader announced that the Mayor–elect for the municipal year of 2015-2016 would be Councillor David Chung.

The Mayor invited Councillors Russell Makin and David Williams to say a few words on the death of Honorary Alderman and former Councillor John Cole.

The questions and written responses will be circulated at the meeting.

The responses to the written public questions were circulated prior to the meeting. The Mayor then invited each of the questioners in turn to ask (if they wished) a supplementary question to the appropriate Cabinet Member.

A copy of the supplementary questions and the responses would be included within the ‘Public questions to Cabinet Members’ published document.

The questions and written responses will be circulated at the meeting

The responses to the Members’ ordinary priority questions were circulated prior to the meeting. The Mayor then invited each of those Councillors in turn to ask (if they wished) a further supplementary question to the Cabinet Member.

A copy of the supplementary questions and the responses would be included within the ‘Councillors' ordinary priority questions’ to cabinet members published document.

The questions and written responses will be circulated at the meeting.

The responses to the Members’ strategic theme priority questions were circulated prior to the meeting. The Mayor then invited each of those Councillors in turn to ask (if they wished) a further supplementary question to the Cabinet Member.

A copy of the supplementary questions and the responses would be included within the ‘Strategic theme: Councillors' questions to Cabinet Members’ published document.

The report was moved by Councillor Stephen Alambritis and seconded by Councillor Mark Allison.

Councillor Charlie Chirico also spoke on this item

RESOLVED:

That the report is agreed

The motion was moved by Councillor Oonagh Moulton and seconded by Councillor James Holmes

The Labour amendment, as set out in item 18 was moved by Councillor Martin Whelton and seconded by Councillor Jeff Hanna.

The Labour amendment was then put to the vote and was carried – votes in favour 38, and 0 votes against with 21 abstentions.

RESOLVED:

That this Council notes the importance of its Strategic Partners in delivering both services to and enhanced life changing experiences for its residents in Merton. The Community Plan 2013 sets out a vision to meet the needs of the community and, in particular amongst its partners, enhancement is provided by:

·         the Clinical Commissioning Group (NHS)

·         the Merton Chamber of Commerce

·         Merton Voluntary Service Council

·         the Jobcentre Plus

·         South Thames College

·         The Community Engagement Network

Within the reduced funding available from central government and the resulting £32m of savings required over the next four years, the Council acknowledges its responsibility to equip residents - young and old - to:

·         take advantage of access to and understand the advice of healthcare professionals

·         enjoy enrichment by being able to participate fully in the life of the community

·         enable engagement with higher education

·         be eligible to find employment

Council is deeply concerned by the government’s cuts to the Skills Funding Agency (SFA) which have resulted in Merton’s funding for adult skills being cut by £436,865 since 2009/10. Furthermore, in the 2013/14 academic year the funding formula has changed impacting on the council’s costs. We were also advised by the SFA in December that our grant will be reduced by another £35,000 in year - this will be on top of the above figure. Further funding changes are expected to be made in March 2015. We expect this to signal a further reduction in the grant. This is due to the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) in which the Skills Funding Agency (SFA) sits being a non ring-fenced department and therefore being responsible for delivering a large amount of the reduction in Government spending announced in the 2014 budget and autumn statement. 

In this context it makes sense for the council to plan how we will continue to deliver adult learning in the context of much reduced central government funding.  As part of this council thanks the Sustainable Communities Scrutiny Panel for their comprehensive engagement with this process, including their recent pre-decision scrutiny of the options for achieving an affordable service. 

Council notes that the scrutiny panel particularly welcomed the proposed Commissioning Principles which Cabinet will consider on 16 February.  Council commends these principles to cabinet, as follows:

(i)              That commissioning should look to continue the same breadth of courses currently provided. This does not mean that the courses must be the exact same year to year as needs change but that the breadth and variety should be maintained.

(ii)             That courses should continue to be delivered within the borough

(iii)           That the economic development and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7c

Councillor David Dean presented the report, which was received by the Council.

Councillor James Holmes presented the report, which was received by the Council.

The motion was moved by Councillor Gilli Lewis-Lavender and seconded by Councillor Hamish Badenoch.

The Liberal Democrats amendment, as set out in item 17 was moved by Councillor Mary-Jane Jeanes.

The amendment was not seconded, and the amendment as a result falls.

The Labour amendment, as set out in item 19 was moved by Councillor Mark Allison and seconded by Councillor Ross Garrod.

The Labour amendment was then put to the vote and was carried – votes in favour 34, and votes against 24 with 1 abstention.

Councillors Peter Southgate and Suzanne Grocott also spoke on this item.

The substantive resolution was then agreed.

RESOLVED:

This Council notes that:

·         National government has reduced funding to local councils by 40% since 2010;

·         The Chancellor George Osborne announced further cuts in the autumn statement before Christmas, with the government’s cuts to local government funding now totalling 60%. The Office of Budget Responsibility (OBR), which is a government department, confirms that this would cut public services to their lowest level since the 1930’s;

·         The council needs to find a further £32m of savings a year by 2019;

·         The council’s ‘July principles’, agreed by the Labour, Merton Park Independent Residents and Liberal Democrat Groups in July 2011, included a commitment to continue to provide everything that is mandatory and to maintain services, within limits, to the vulnerable and elderly, which unfortunately the Conservative group did not support;

·         As a result, the Cabinet has agreed that adult social care and children’s services should take proportionately less of a share of the cuts than other services.  However, the scale of the government’s cuts means all services must find savings, and with adult social care the largest area of the council’s controllable spendit is inevitable that there will need to be cuts to these services.  The Cabinet has focused on using the remaining money we have on those who are in the most need and on ensuring the services that people are legally entitled to continue to be delivered in a safe way;

·         The cuts from central government have put huge pressure on council budgets and in adult social care it is very difficult to deliver savings without putting residents at risk. Among the replacement Adult Social Care savings that the Cabinet has been forced to bring forward this year because £400,000 of savings previously agreed for 2015-16 can no longer be safely delivered, are proposals to reduce by £200,000 the funding of day care services provided at the High Path and All Saints day centres for disabled adults and their carers, instead of closing day centres like the Conservatives Group tried to do when they proposed closing All Saints Day Centre in 2007/08. The proposal seeks keep all our day centres open, rather than closing day centres as some councils plan to do, by saving money and changing the way in which we deliver our services with reduced budgets, whilst ensuring our ability to deliver our statutory responsibilities.

·         Consultation has just closed on  ...  view the full minutes text for item 10.

The report was moved by Councillor Stephen Alambritis and seconded by Councillor Oonagh Moulton.

Councillors Peter Southgate and David Williams also spoke on this item.

The motion was put a vote and was passed unanimously.

RESOLVED

That Council:

1)     places on record its sincere thanks and appreciation to The Right Honourable Sir John Wheeler, JP DL for the dedicated manner in which he has served as Representative Deputy Lieutenant for the London Borough of Merton during the period 1997-2015

2)     agrees that formal presentation of a framed certificate to record the Council’s thanks be made to The Right Honourable Sir John Wheeler, JP DL will be made at the Council meeting on 15 April 2015.

The report was moved by Councillor Mark Allison and seconded by Councillor Stephen Alambritis.

Councillor Suzanne Grocott also spoke on this item

RESOLVED

That Council:

1)     approves publication of the Pay Policy Statement for 2015/16

2)     approves the Members’ Allowances Scheme with no change for 2015/16, with effect from 1 April 2015.

The report was moved by Councillor Mark Allison and seconded by Councillor Stephen Alambritis.

Councillor David Simpson also spoke on this item.

RESOLVED

That Council:

1)     approves the Calendar of meetings for 2015-16.

2)     approves the Calendar of Council meetings dates for 2016-17 and 2017.

The report was moved by Councillor Mark Allison and seconded by Councillor Stephen Alambritis.

Councillor David Simpson also spoke on this item.

RESOLVED

That the changes to the membership of Committees approved under delegated powers since the last meeting of the Council are noted.

A petition was presented by Councillor John Delaney. The petition was called ‘we would love a cinema in Mitcham’.

That the Strategic theme for the next ordinary meeting of the Council to be held on 16 April 2015 shall be Older People.