Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Attawar and Irons.

There were no declarations of interest.

RESOLVED: That the minutes of the meeting held on 3 February 2021 are agreed as an accurate record subject to the correction of the name of the late Mayor’s Consort.

Part 4A, paragraph 3.3 of the Constitution states that the business at the Budget Council meeting shall include the following:

·         receive a presentation of the Budget/Council Tax report from the relevant officers

·         officers to respond to questions from members via the Mayor

·         receive remarks from the Cabinet on the report

·         Council to debate the report and take any motions or Amendments

In accordance with Part 4A, paragraph 10.4 of the Constitution, all decisions relating to either the substantive budget motion/proposal or any amendments to it, will be taken via a recorded vote (roll call).

The Mayor outlined the procedure for the Budget Council meeting. She also reminded the Council that all budget related decisions, including proposed amendments, were required to be recorded within the minutes with a list of the names of those who voted for or against the decision or who abstained from voting.  To accommodate that, a roll call vote would be taken for the substantive budget motion and any amendments to it.

At the invitation of the Mayor, the Director of Corporate Services presented the Business Plan 2021-2025.  The Director then responded to questions from Councillors Ward, Crowe, Makin, Simpson, Bailey, Dehaney, Southgate, Butler, Benbow, Chung, Kohler and Braund.

The Leader of the Council presented the Business Plan 2021-2025 and formally moved the recommendations in the report whilst making his budget speech to Council, a copy of which is appended to the minutes as Appendix A.  Councillor Stringer formally seconded the recommendations, and reserved her right to speak.  The Mayor then invited the opposition Group Leaders in turn to respond to the Budget proposal and the Business Plan.  The Leader of the Conservative Group, Councillor McLean addressed the meeting and his speech is attached to the minutes, as Appendix B.  The Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group, Councillor Fairclough, addressed the meeting, and his speech is attached to the minutes, as Appendix C.  The Leader of the Merton Park Ward Independent Residents Group, Councillor Southgate, addressed the meeting and his speech is attached to the minutes, as Appendix D.

The following members of the Cabinet addressed the meeting: Councillors Byers and Skeete.

The Mayor then invited members to move proposed amendments to the Business Plan. Councillor Adam Bush formally moved the Conservative amendment which was formally seconded by Councillor Gretton.  Councillor Fairclough formally moved the Liberal Democrat amendments 1 to 5, in turn, which were formally seconded by Councillor Bailey, in turn. 

The Mayor then opened up the general debate on the proposed amendments and on the proposed substantive Business Plan. The following members spoke in the debate: Councillors Alambritis, Gretton, Lanning, Moulton, Pearce, McGrath, Brunt, Omar Bush, Fraser, Holden, Gould, Draper, Janice Howard, Henry, Southgate, McCabe, Dean, Cowper, Ormrod, Bokhari, Quilliam, Andrew Howard, Curtin, Adam Bush, Mundy, Williams, Whelton, Barlow, Akyigyina, Holmes, Pritchard, Kohler and Stringer.

At the conclusion of the debate, the Mayor called for a roll-call vote on the Conservative amendment to the Business Plan 2021-2025. Voting was as follows:

Votes in favour: Councillors Bailey, Barlow, Benbow, Bokhari, Adam Bush, Omar Bush, Crowe, Dean, Fairclough, Gould, Gretton, Holden, Holmes, Andrew Howard, Janice Howard, Kohler, Latif, McGrath, McLean, Moulton, Ormrod, Simpson and Williams (23)

Votes against: Councillors Akyigyina, Alambritis, Allison, Anderson, Braund, Brunt, Butler, Byers, Christie, Chung, Cooper-Marbiah, Cowper, Curtin, Draper, Fraser, Henry, Kirby, Lanning, Macauley, Makin, McCabe, Mundy, Pearce, Pritchard, Quilliam, Skeete, Stanford, Stringer, Ward, Whelton and the Deputy Mayor, Councillor Dehaney (31)

Not voting: Councillors Foley, Southgate, Wilkinson and the Mayor, Councillor Kenny (4)

The Mayor declared the amendment to be lost.

The Mayor then called for  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.