Winchester City Borough Council Council Meeting

RESOLVED:

That the minutes of the Ordinary meeting of the Council held on 15 January 2025 be approved and adopted.

Councillors Porter, Tod, Wallace, Warwick and Williams each declared disclosable pecuniary interests in respect of agenda items due to their role as Hampshire County Councillors. However, as there was no material conflict of interest, they remained in the room, spoke and voted under the dispensation granted on behalf of the Audit and Governance Committee to participate and vote in all matters which might have a County Council involvement.

Councillor Becker declared a disclosable pecuniary interest in respect of agenda item 5, Housing Revenue Account (HRA) Budget 2025/26 (CAB3490) as a property owner with a connection to a council sewage treatment works. Councillor Becker left the room during consideration of this item and took no part in the discussion or decision.

Councillor Scott declared a disclosable pecuniary interest in respect of agenda item 5, Housing Revenue Account Budget (HRA) 2025/26 (CAB3490) as a Winchester City Council housing tenant. However, because the contents of the report did not relate specifically to his tenancy, there was no material conflict of interest and he had been granted a dispensation by the Monitoring Officer that enables him to participate and vote on these matters.

The Mayor referred to his recent and forthcoming events and also those arranged in aid of his charities. He reminded Council of the annual Mayor of Winchester’s Community Awards presentations in the Guildhall on 13 March 2025.

The Leader then provided an update to Council on plans for local government reorganisation and regarding Hampshire County Council, Portsmouth and Southampton City Councils and the Isle of Wight having been accepted into the Devolution priority programme.  He urged everyone to respond to the consultation regarding the creation of a Mayoral combined authority. 

With regards to local government reorganisation, a deadline of 26 September 2025 had been set for a formal deadline for proposals, and for an interim plan to be submitted on or before 21 March 2025.   This interim plan would set out a direction and highlighting issues to be addressed in advance of the final plan and would be taken to a special Cabinet (20 March 2025) and Extraordinary Council meeting (19 March 2025).  

The Leader then referred to the existing financial pressures on most upper tier councils and that despite the challenges presented by reorganisation, there should continue to be good local services provided and opportunities for the city and district to continue to thrive

The Chief Executive announced apologies for the meeting.

Three written questions had been received from members of the public, who attended the meeting to present them.  Supplementary questions were also asked. The questions and responses are set out on the council’s website.

Councillor Becker left the meeting before consideration of this item and took no part in the discussion or decision.

Councillor Westwood (Cabinet Member for Housing) moved that the recommended minute of Cabinet be approved and adopted (seconded by Councillor Learney, Cabinet Member for Climate Emergency).

Council proceeded to ask questions and then debate the matters in the recommended minute and report.

RESOLVED:

That the recommended minute of Cabinet held 12 February 2025 (as follows) be approved and adopted:

That Council:

1.                  Note the HRA Financial Plan operating account, including annual working balances, as detailed in Appendix 6 of report CAB3490.

2.                  Approve the 2025/26 Housing Revenue Account budget as detailed in Appendices 1 and 2 to the report. 

3.                  Approve the proposed capital programme for maintenance, improvements and renewals totalling £167.868m.

4.                  Approve capital expenditure and delegate to the Strategic Director with responsibility for housing authority to enter into necessary contracts for the 2025/26 capital programme of £21.134m, as detailed in Appendix 3 of the report in accordance with Financial Procedure Rule 7.4.

5.                  To approve the award of a contract, by direct award, for technology-based retrofit works of £4.3m per year in 2025/26, 2026/27 and 2027/28 (totalling £12.8m), contingent on funding secured from the Department of Energy Security and NetZero Social Housing Fund Wave 3 Grant, equivalent to 190 properties over 3 years. (See Para 11.62 to 11.65 of the report).

6.                  Approve the proposed 10 year capital programme for new homes totalling £237.7m, and expenditure of £5.255m in 2025/26, as detailed in appendix 4 of the report in accordance with Financial Procedure Rule 7.4, 

7.                  Approve the financing of the HRA Capital Programme as detailed in Appendix 5 of the report, (noting the planned repayment of borrowing following the 1000 homes programme).

8.                  Approve the revenue savings target of £2m outlined to Cabinet in the November options paper and subsequently consulted upon and summarised at appendix 7 of the report.

9.                  Authorise the Section 151 Officer, in consultation with the Strategic Director with responsibility for Housing to approve the buy-back, during 2025/26, of individual former HRA properties sold under the Right to Buy, following positive financial appraisal, utilising the unallocated New Homes budget (see para 11.26 of the report).

10.              Subject to the acceptance of the expression of interest to the Local Authority Housing Fund (LAHF) round 3:

a.                  Authorise the Strategic Director with responsibility for Housing to enter into a revised Memorandum of Understanding with Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government to secure additional LAHF funding estimated at £2.841m

b.                  Delegate authority to the Section 151 Officer to approve capital expenditure (subject to financial appraisal, in accordance with Financial Procedure Rule 7.4) of up to £6.0m to purchase up to 12 properties using the approved HRA unallocated new build budget, to be part-financed by LAHF grant with any balance via prudential borrowing.

c.                  Authorise the Corporate Head – Asset Management and the Strategic Director with responsibility for Housing to purchase up to 12 properties. (Para 11.70-11.72 of the report) 

11.              Approve the average rent increase for 2025/26 for all affordable, Shared Ownership and social housing of 2.7% based on the September 2024 CPI figure of 1.7% +1% (see para 11.6-11.7 of the report).

12.              Approve amendments to HRA tenant service charges in 2025/26 to reflect cost recovery based on 2023/24 actual costs, subject to capping at 5% or £5, whichever is greater, and noting that capped charges will be subject to gradual increases in future years (see para 11.41 to 11.45 of the report). 

13.              Note that the previously approved consultation on the move to full cost recovery for both private and tenant connections of the council’s sewage treatment works will now take place in 2025/26 (see para 11.46-11.51 of the report).

14.              Note that the draft HRA Business 30-year Plan is viable and sustainable and has the capacity to support the delivery of 1,000 new affordable homes.

Councillor Cutler (Cabinet Member for Finance and Performance) moved that the recommended minute of Cabinet be approved and adopted (seconded by Councillor Tod, Leader and Cabinet Member for Asset Management).

Council proceeded to ask questions and then debate the matters in the recommended minute and report.

In accordance with legislative requirements on recorded votes at Budget meetings, a recorded vote was first taken regarding Recommendations 1 – 8 of the Recommended Minute of Cabinet.

The following Members voted in favour of Recommendations 1 – 8:

1. Councillor Sudhakar Achwal
2. Councillor Vivian Achwal
3. Councillor Rachel Aron
4. Councillor Kathleen Becker
5. Councillor Michael Bennett
6. Councillor Adrian Brophy
7. Councillor Angela Clear
8. Councillor Susan Cook
9. Councillor Steve Cramoysan
10. Councillor Neil Cutler
11. Councillor Nathan Eve
12. Councillor Russell Gordon-Smith
13. Councillor Brian Laming
14. Councillor Ritchie Latham
15. Councillor Kelsie Learney
16. Councillor Danny Lee
17. Councillor Jonny Morris
18. Councillor Jerry Pett
19. Councillor Clare Pinniger
20. Councillor Jackie Porter
21. Councillor Margot Power
22. Councillor Jane Rutter
23. Councillor Jamie Scott
24. Councillor Lucille Thompson
25. Councillor John Tippet-Cooper
26. Councillor Martin Tod
27. Councillor Malcolm Wallace
28. Councillor Chris Westwood
29. Councillor Suzanne White
30. Councillor Jonathan Williams
31. Councillor Charlie Wise

The following Members voted against Recommendations 1 – 8:

1. Councillor Neil Bolton
2. Councillor Caroline Brook
3. Councillor Stephen Godfrey
4. Councillor Caroline Horrill
5. Councillor Paula Langford-Smith
6. Councillor Jan Warwick

No Members abstained from voting.

RESOLVED:

That the recommended minute of Cabinet held 12 February 2025 (Recommendations 1 – 8, as follows) be approved and adopted:

1.             That the level of General Fund Budget for 2025/26 be agreed and Council endorse the summary as shown in Appendix A of report CAB3494.

2.             That the Greener Faster and carbon investment proposals be approved, used as the basis of this budget and as set out in the CAB3483 including:

a.    £135,000 additional budget per annum for the ongoing costs of providing the food waste collection service.

b.    £460,000 one-off budget to fund the phased roll out of the food waste service from October 2025, without government funding.

3.             That in relation to the Healthy Communities priority of the new Council Plan:

a.    the revised income bands for the Council Tax Reduction scheme for working age applicants (set out in appendix E of the report) that ensure claimants continue to receive the appropriate level of support after the DWPs increase in Universal Credit rates be approved with effect from 1 April 2025.

b.    That the amendment of the Council Tax Reduction scheme for working age applicants to include all additional support and new disregards with effect from 1 April 2025 be approved, as set out in the report.

c.     That £15,000 from the Cost of Living Reserve be used to extend the Council Tax Exceptional Hardship Fund into 2025/26.

4.             That in relation to the Good Homes for All priority, additional investment of £300,000 per annum to fund increased demand for temporary accommodation to prevent homelessness be approved.

5.             That an additional £50,000 per annum be included to fund additional pressures on council contracts.

6.             That service income annual budgets be amended as follows, in response to revised estimates:

a.    Garden Waste income increased by £30,000 (to reflect increases subscriptions, although partly off-set by increased contract costs of delivering the service to more households).

b.    Planning fee income reduction of £200,000 (to reflect the current reduced levels of applications received)

7.             That following a review of earmarked reserves they be amended as follows:

a.    £200,000 of the Transitional Reserve be re-allocated to the Thriving Places Reserve to invest one-off resources into planning enforcement.

b.    £2m of the Transitional Reserve be re-allocated to the Property Reserve to fund maintenance requirements of corporate properties.

c.     £902,000 of the Exceptional Inflation Reserve be re-allocated to the Car Parks Property Reserve to fund maintenance of and investment in parking. 

d.    £425,000 from the Major Investment Reserve be re-allocated to the Local Development Framework Reserve to fund Local Plan requirements.

e.    An additional £250,000 per annum be set aside into the Property Reserve, for the maintenance of and investment in operational assets.

f.      An additional £100,000 per annum be set aside into the Car Parks Reserve to fund maintenance of and investment in parking.

8.             That the sum of £1,364,045 be treated as Special Expenses under Section 35 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 in respect of the Winchester Town area as set out in section 16 and Appendix D of the report.

In accordance with legislative requirements on recorded votes at Budget meetings, a recorded vote was then taken regarding Recommendations 9 – 12 of the Recommended Minute of Cabinet.

The following Members voted in favour of Recommendations 9 – 12:

1. Councillor Sudhakar Achwal
2. Councillor Vivian Achwal
3. Councillor Rachel Aron
4. Councillor Kathleen Becker
5. Councillor Michael Bennett
6. Councillor Neil Bolton
7. Councillor Caroline Brook
8. Councillor Adrian Brophy
9. Councillor Angela Clear
10. Councillor Susan Cook
11. Councillor Steve Cramoysan
12. Councillor Neil Cutler
13. Councillor Nathan Eve
14. Councillor Stephen Godfrey
15. Councillor Russell Gordon-Smith
16. Councillor Caroline Horrill
17. Councillor Brian Laming
18. Councillor Paula Langford-Smith
19. Councillor Ritchie Latham
20. Councillor Kelsie Learney
21. Councillor Danny Lee
22. Councillor Jonny Morris
23. Councillor Jerry Pett
24. Councillor Clare Pinniger
25. Councillor Jackie Porter
26. Councillor Margot Power
27. Councillor Jane Rutter
28. Councillor Jamie Scott
29. Councillor Lucille Thompson
30. Councillor John Tippet-Cooper
31. Councillor Martin Tod
32. Councillor Malcolm Wallace
33. Councillor Jan Warwick
34. Councillor Chris Westwood
35. Councillor Suzanne White
36. Councillor Jonathan Williams
37. Councillor Charlie Wise

No Members voted against the recommendations or abstained from voting.

RESOLVED:

That the recommended minute of Cabinet held 12 February 2025 (Recommendations 9 – 12, as follows) be approved and adopted

9.              That the Council Tax for the Special Expenses in the Winchester Town area at Band D for 2025/26 be increased by the maximum allowed under the referendum limit of 2.99% combined between the town and district.

10.          That the deficit balance on the Council Tax Collection Fund for distribution to this Council, calculated in January 2025 of £142,787, be approved.

11.          That the level of Council Tax at Band D for City Council services for 2025/26 be increased to £163.66, an increase of £4.30 reflecting an average Council tax increase of 2.7%.

12.          That a Second Home premium for Council Tax which will take effect from 1 April 2026 (12 months’ notice is required to implement this premium), and the adoption of exceptions (listed at Appendix F) in respect of properties included in the Council Tax Premium schemes be approved.

Council Tax for the City of Winchester for the year commencing 1 April 2025.

In accordance with legislative requirements on recorded votes at Budget Meetings, a recorded vote was then taken regarding the Council Tax Resolutions (1 – 7), as set out on pages 97 – 100 of the agenda pack.

The following Members voted in favour of the Council Tax Resolutions (1 – 7):

1. Councillor Sudhakar Achwal
2. Councillor Vivian Achwal
3. Councillor Rachel Aron
4. Councillor Kathleen Becker
5. Councillor Michael Bennett
6. Councillor Neil Bolton
7. Councillor Caroline Brook
8. Councillor Adrian Brophy
9. Councillor Angela Clear
10. Councillor Susan Cook
11. Councillor Steve Cramoysan
12. Councillor Neil Cutler
13. Councillor Nathan Eve
14. Councillor Stephen Godfrey
15. Councillor Russell Gordon-Smith
16. Councillor Caroline Horrill
17. Councillor Brian Laming
18. Councillor Paula Langford-Smith
19. Councillor Ritchie Latham
20. Councillor Kelsie Learney
21. Councillor Danny Lee
22. Councillor Jonny Morris
23. Councillor Jerry Pett
24. Councillor Clare Pinniger
25. Councillor Jackie Porter
26. Councillor Margot Power
27. Councillor Jane Rutter
28. Councillor Jamie Scott
29. Councillor Lucille Thompson
30. Councillor John Tippet-Cooper
31. Councillor Martin Tod
32. Councillor Malcolm Wallace
33. Councillor Jan Warwick
34. Councillor Chris Westwood
35. Councillor Suzanne White
36. Councillor Jonathan Williams
37. Councillor Charlie Wise

RESOLVED:

That the Council Tax for the City of Winchester for the year commencing 1 April 2025 (as follows) be approved and adopted:

1.  That any expenses incurred by the Council in performing in a part of its area a function performed elsewhere in its area by a Parish Council/Town Council/Parish Meeting shall not be treated as special expenses for the purposes of Section 35 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, except in the case of the following special items relating to the non-parished area the aggregate amount of which is £1,364,045 and which is shown within the total of special items at paragraph 4(e) below:-

 (a)   Magdalen Hill and West Hill Cemeteries;

       (b)   Allotments;

       (c)   Town centre Christmas lighting;

       (d)   Footway lighting;

       (e)   Bus shelter maintenance;

       (f)   Grants and Vision Delivery (“parish” element);

(g)    Recreation Grounds & Open Spaces (except Abbey Gardens, Riverside Walks, the Weirs and St Giles Hill);

(h)    Neighbourhood Services;

(i)      Public Conveniences

(j)      Maintenance work to Council Owned Bridges

(k)     Night Bus Contribution

(l)      Neighbourhood Plans

(m)   Community Infrastructure

 (n)   Administration of the Town Forum

2.    That it be noted that the Head of Revenues, in consultation with the Corporate Head of Finance calculated the Council Tax Base for 2025/26 at

(a)           54,886.50

being the amount calculated by the Council for the whole Council area, in accordance with Section 31B(1) (Item T) of the Local Government Act 1992, as amended (the “Act”), as its Council Tax base for the year.

(b)      for dwellings in those parts of its area to which a Parish/Town precept relates as in the attached Annex 1 as set out on page 101 of the agenda pack.

3      Calculate that the Council Tax requirement for the Council’s own purposes for 2025/26 (excluding Parish Precepts) is £10,346,770.

4           That the following amounts be now calculated by the Council for the year 2025/26 in accordance with Sections 31 to 36 of the Act:

(a)    £138,753,451

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)    £123,490,060

being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 31A(3) of the Act.

(c)    £15,263,391

being the amount by which the aggregate at 4(a) above exceeds the aggregate at 4(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 31B of the Act).

(d)    £278.09

being the amount at 4(c) above (Item R), all divided by Item T (2(a) 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).

(e)    £6,280,666

being the aggregate amount of all special items referred to in Section 34(1) of the Act (as per the attached Annex 2)

(f)     £163.66

being the amount at 4(d) above less the result given by dividing the amount at 4(e) above by Item T (2(a) 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 special item relates.

5   That it be noted for the year 2025/26, Hampshire County Council and the Police and Crime Commissioner - Hampshire have stated, and the Hampshire Fire and Rescue Authority has recommended the following amounts in precepts issued to the Council, in accordance with Section 40 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, for each of the categories of dwellings shown below:

Precepting                                    Precept

Authority                                       Amount

Hampshire County         

Council (HCC)                              £88,357,934

Police and Crime Commissioner 

– Hampshire (PCCH)                    £15,119,035

Hampshire Fire and                       £4,821,230

Rescue Authority (HFRA)

          Valuation            HCC             PCCH            HFRA

         Bands

6.    That the Council, in accordance with Sections 30 and 36 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, hereby sets the aggregate amounts shown in columns 2-9 of Annex 2 as the amounts of Council Tax for 2025/26 for each part of its area and for each of the categories of dwellings shown.

7.   That the Council determines that the Council’s basic amount of Council Tax for 2025/26 is not excessive in accordance with principles approved under Section 52ZB of the Local Government Finance Act 1992.

Councillor Cutler (Cabinet Member for Finance and Performance) moved that the recommended minute of Cabinet be approved and adopted (seconded by Councillor Tod, Leader and Cabinet Member for Asset Management).

Council proceeded to ask questions regarding the matters in the recommended minute and report.  There was then no debate before Council then considered the recommendations before it.

RESOLVED:

That the recommended minute of Cabinet held 12 February 2025 (as follows) be approved and adopted:

1.           That the Capital Investment Strategy is approved including:

a)                 the Capital Programme and Capital Programme Financing (Appendices A and B to the report);

b)                 the Minimum Revenue Provision (MRP) Policy Statement (Appendix E of the report);

c)                 the Flexible Use of Capital Receipts Strategy (Appendix G of the report); and

d)                 the prudential indicators detailed in the report and Appendix F.

Councillor Cutler (Cabinet Member for Finance and Performance) moved that the recommended minute of Cabinet be approved and adopted (seconded by Councillor Tod, Leader and Cabinet Member for Asset Management).

Council proceeded to ask questions and then debate the matters in the recommended minute and report.

RESOLVED:

That the recommended minute of Cabinet held 12 February 2025 (as follows) be approved and adopted:

1.                That the Treasury Management Strategy Statement which includes the Annual Treasury Investment Strategy for 2025/26 (and the remainder of 2024/25) is approved;

2.                That authority is delegated to the Section 151 Officer to manage the council’s pooled property investment and long-term borrowing according to the Treasury Management Strategy Statement as appropriate; and

3.              That authority is delegated to the Section 151 Officer, who in turn discharges this function to Hampshire County Council’s Director of Corporate Operations, as agreed in the Service Level Agreement, to manage all council investments (other than the high yield portfolio) and short-term borrowing according to the Treasury Management Strategy Statement as appropriate.

The Monitoring Officer introduced the report and then responded to questions.

RESOLVED:

That Council note the updates and amendments made by the Monitoring Officer.

In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 10, a motion had been submitted by Councillor Wallace which was as set out on the agenda.   With the leave of the Mayor and the agreement of the proposer, the motion had been altered prior to the meeting and the altered motion was as presented to Council in a supplementary agenda.

The motion (as altered) was seconded by Councillor White.

Councillor Wallace introduced his motion (as altered) and Council then debated the matters therein. In summary the following points were raised:

1. The Council has a long track record of delivering energy efficient homes across the district, incorporating solar PV. 

2. The retrofit programme includes solar PV and the Council has also applied for grant from Social Housing Fund to further expand the programme. 

3. Energy prices continue to rise, whilst solar panel costs were in decline.  It was therefore perhaps timely to reassess options regarding installing solar PV more broadly across the Council’s housing stock.

4. A business model would need to demonstrate appropriate average payback period to the Council.  There were options to consider working in partnership with energy providers.

5. Cabinet would consider a decarbonisation of Council homes policy paper to support the Council Plan climate change objectives for 2030.

6. There should be evidence of tenants receiving benefit from solar PV on their homes, when there would be upheaval from the installation works.

7. Solar PV provides increased financial security for tenants, reducing reliance on the expensive grid electricity and from unpredictable price fluctuations.  Dynamic sharing technology can share solar energy generated to all tenants, including those unable to have panels on their roofs.

8. Tenant engagement is important, i.e. explaining the benefits and allowing tenants to make the choice to engage with the programme.

9. Rather than as a separate project, the proposals in the motion would be dovetailed with existing programmes of work and into budget setting for 2026/27 and the Council Plan.

10. A feasibility study for installing solar PV on council homes would answer many detailed questions that have arisen.

11. The Council should ensure that it looked at the approach taken to solar PV in the context of the broader retrofit strategy.

Having reserved her right to speak, the seconder of the motion (Councillor White) then addressed Council, followed by the proposer of the motion (Councillor Wallace) who exercised his right to respond to debate. The Council then voted on the motion (as altered) as set out on the supplementary agenda.

RESOLVED:

That the motion (as altered) proposed by Councillor Wallce (seconded by Councillor White) be supported, and that this Council resolves to:

1. Use existing resources and experience of solar PV installation on HRA communal blocks and individual homes, along with analysis of current market models, to undertake a feasibility study for installing solar PV on Council Homes.

     ii.         Results from the study to be taken to Economy & Housing Policy Committee for review and comment, then reported to Cabinet prior to budget setting for 26/27.

There were no changes to committees to announce.

8 written questions had been received which were heard at the meeting along with associated supplementary questions. The questions received and their response were subsequently set out on the council’s website.