Those present stood in silence in memory of Jack Holden, refuse & recycling operative at Brookvale, who had sadly passed away.

Apologies for absence were received from Cllrs Gurjit Bains, Baljit Hayre, Alan Ridgers, Benjamin Sizer and Ektaveen Thandi. 

The Minutes of the meeting of Council held on Tuesday, 03 December 2024 were signed by the Mayor.

The Chief Executive advised that, in accordance with advice received from the Council’s Monitoring Officer, Members only needed to declare interests which had not already been listed within their Disclosable Pecuniary Interests form.

Cllr Lyn Milner declared an interest during the consideration of agenda item 9 (Council Tax and Budget Setting Report 2025-26) as she was a recipient of Kent County Council adult social care which had been referred to within the debate.

No questions had been received.

To receive and adopt the proceedings, reports and recommendations of the following committees, except those items reserved under Council procedure Rule 5.2 (6) and to ratify and confirm the orders made by them.

Motions that proceedings, reports and recommendations of Committees, except those reserved under Council Procedure 5.2(6) as referred to below be received and adopted and where applicable the Orders made by them be ratified and confirmed were duly proposed, seconded and resolved in each case.

• Minutes of the meeting of the Finance and Audit Committee held on Tuesday, 10 December 2024;
• Minutes of the meeting of the Cabinet held on Monday, 16 December 2024;
• Minutes of the meeting of the Overview Scrutiny Committee held on Thursday, 2 January 2025;
• Minutes of the meeting of the Planning Committee held on Wednesday, 8 January 2025;
• Minutes of the meeting of the Standards Committee held on Tuesday, 28 January 2025;
• Minutes of the meeting of the Cabinet held on Monday, 3 February 2025
• Minutes of the meeting of the Planning Committee held on Wednesday, 05 February 2025
• Minutes of the meeting of the Finance and Audit Committee held on Tuesday, 11 February 2025

To receive and adopt the proceedings, reports and recommendations of committees contained in the list of items reserved under Council Procedure Rule 5.2(6) and to ratify the orders made by them. They will be dealt with in the following order:-

Cabinet

Finance & Audit Committee

Licensing Committee

Overview Scrutiny Committee

Planning Committee

It was moved by Cllr John Burden and seconded by Cllr Shane Mochrie-Cox that:-

• the reserved Minute of Cabinet (Council Achievements) held on Monday, 16 December 2024 be ratified and confirmed;
• the reserved Minute of Cabinet (Kent County Council – Council Tax Incentive Funding) held on Monday, 16 December 2024 be ratified and confirmed;
• the reserved Minute of Cabinet (Tenancy Management Policy) held on Monday, 03 February 2024 be ratified and confirmed; and
• the reserved Minute of Cabinet (Brownfield Land Release Fund) held on Monday, 03 February 2024 be ratified and confirmed.

The Council was presented with and considered : 

• the Treasury Management Strategy and associated Annual Investment Strategy;
• the revised Minimum Revenue Provision Policy for 2024/25;
• the Minimum Revenue Provision Policy for 2025/26; and
• the Capital Strategy for 2025/26-2029/30.

Resolved that Council approved:

• the Treasury Management Strategy for 2025/26 as set out in Appendix 1;
• the revised Minimum Revenue Provision (MRP) calculation on all new capital expenditure as set out in Section 5 of the Treasury Management Strategy Statement for 2024/25 with delegated authority given to the Director (Corporate Services) to amend as required;
• the Minimum Revenue Provision (MRP) calculation on all new capital expenditure as set out in Section 5 of the Treasury Management Strategy Statement for 2025/26 and beyond in accordance with the Authority’s Capital Programme with delegated authority given to the Director (Corporate Services) to amend as required;
• the Annual Investment Strategy for 2025/26 as set out in Section 16 of the Treasury Management Strategy Statement;
• the Capital Strategy for 2025/26-2029/30 set out in Appendix 2;
• delegated authority be given to the Director (Corporate Services), in consultation with the Chair of the Finance and Audit Committee, to amend the prudential and treasury indicators as necessary as a result of the budget approved by Full Council on 25 February 2025; and
• delegated authority be given to the Director (Corporate Services), in consultation with the Chair of the Finance and Audit Committee, to amend the Treasury Management Strategy for 2024/25 and the Capital Strategy for 2025/26 to 2029/30 as required following successful completion of the 2023/24 statement of accounts.

In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 17.3.3, an extension of time was given to Councillor John Burden and an equal amount of time to Cllr Jordan Meade.

The Chief Executive reminded Members that all individual votes in relation to the budget and any amendments thereto would be recorded as required by legislation.

It was moved by Cllr John Burden and seconded by Cllr Shane Mochrie-Cox that:-

the motion before Council as set out in the order paper be approved.

The motion was put to the meeting and declared to be carried unanimously: 

It was therefore resolved that:-

1.         It be noted that on 27 January 2025 the Director (Corporate Services) calculated;

a)    the Council Tax Base 2025-26 for the whole Council area as 35,442.89 Band D equivalent properties, in accordance with Regulation 3 of the Local Authorities (Calculation of Council Tax Base) Regulations 1992 made under Section 31B of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 as amended by Section 74 of the Localism Act 2011.

b)    for dwellings in those parts of its area to which a Parish precept relates as set out below;

            Part of the Council's area:                         Units

            Cobham                                                   671.11

            Higham                                                 1,582.31

            Luddesdown                                             102.50

            Meopham                                              3,064.01

            Shorne                                                  1,157.46

            Vigo                                                          715.75

            Gravesham & Northfleet                     28,149.75

            Total                                                   35,442.89

2.         Calculate that the Council Tax requirement for the Council's own purposes for       2025-26 (excluding Parish precepts) is £8,433,990 (£237.96 per Band D Property).

3.         That the following amounts be calculated by the Council for the year 2025-26 in    accordance with Sections 31 to 36 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 as    amended by Section 74 of the Localism Act 2011:

a)    £89,989,730 - 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)    £80,885,760 - being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 31A(3) of the Act.

c)    £9,103,970 - 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.

d)    £256.86  - being the amount at 3(c) above , all divided by Item 1a 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)    £669,980 - being the aggregate amount of all special items (Parish precepts) referred to in Section 34(1) of the Act.

f)     £237.96 - being the amount at 3(d) above  ...  view the full minutes text for item 63.

No questions had been received.

The Mayor invited all Members to several events:

• Coffee morning in aid of the Mayors three chosen charities on 06 March 2025 in the Kent Room at 10:00am;

• the Mayor’s book launch, written during the Mayor’s mayoral year, was being held at Eastgate on Park Road on 22 March 2025 from 14:00pm to 16:00pm; the first 100 books would be signed by the Mayor with all books sold by other venues being unsigned. A portion of the proceeds from the book sales would be distributed to the Mayor’s charities; and

• Dinner with the Mayor being held on 25 April 2025 at The Woodville.

The Mayor thanked Members for their attendance at successful events that had been held so far such as Twin Dynasty and Cobham Hall and invited them to attend the above events in order to keep on raising money for the Mayor’s charities.

The Mayor invited all Members to the Mayors Parlour for refreshments.