To approve and sign as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 30 January 2012.  

Agreed that the minutes of the meeting held on 30 January 2012 are confirmed as a correct record.

Councillors will be asked to make declarations of interest in respect of items on this agenda.

There were no declarations of interest in accordance with the code of conduct from councillors in relation to items under consideration at this meeting.

(a)        To receive announcements from the Lord Mayor or the Chief Executive;

(b)        To receive announcements from the Leader, Cabinet Members or Committee Chairs.

The Lord Mayor advised the Council that David Mockett, a British expat from Plympton, had been killed by a suspected terrorist bomb as he drove through the city of Aden in Yemen in July 2011.

MrMockett had worked as a marine surveyor for the Arab Company for Inspection and Marine Consulting and his car exploded after he left the hotel where he was staying.

The Lord Mayor indicated that the Council’s thoughts were with his family and the Council stood in silence, for one minute, as a mark of respect. 

The Lord Mayor reported that Major General Clive Chapman had been awarded one of the top military awards in the New Year Honour’s list and had been made a Companion of the Order of the Bath. He was a platoon commander during the Falkland’s War in 1982.  Major General Chapman went to school at St Budeaux Foundation School and the former Southway School and was now senior British adviser to US Central Command in Tampa, Florida.

The Lord Mayor paid tribute to his achievement and undertook to send the Council’s congratulations to him.

The Leader (Councillor Mrs Pengelly) congratulated Councillors Wendy and Ken Foster on their 30^th wedding anniversary today.

Before the commencement of the debate, the Leader sought approval in accordance with Part B, Council Procedure Rule 14.6 of the Constitution, to suspend Rule of Debate 4.2 (in Appendix One) (which limits speeches to five minutes) for the following item in relation to speeches by the Leader and Leader of the Opposition.

The proposal was seconded and following a vote it was agreed.

Cabinet Members: The Leader (Councillor Mrs Pengelly) and Councillor Bowyer

The City Council will be asked –

·        to consider the report of the Chief Executive and the Director for Corporate Services on the corporate plan 2012-15, the revenue and capital budget  2012/13 and the proposed Council tax levels;

·        to adopt the corporate plan 2012 -15

·        to approve the proposed net revenue budget requirement;

·        to approve the capital programme;

·        to approve the Treasury Management Policy Statement, the Treasury Management Strategy Statement 2012/13 and the Investment Strategy 2012/13;

·        to approve the Council tax for 2012/13.

The following Cabinet minutes of the meeting held on 7 February 2012 refer –

·        minute 115  - Budget and Corporate Plan Scrutiny Report 2012/13);

·        minute 116 – Corporate Plan 2012 -15

·        minute 117a - New Capital Schemes for Investment;

·        minute 118a - Treasury Management Strategy Statement and Annual Investment Strategy 2012/13;

·        minute 119 – 2012/13 Updated Draft Budget (Revenue and Capital) allocated to corporate priorities.

The Chief Executive and the Director for Corporate Services submitted written reports on the Corporate Plan 2012 -15, the revenue and capital budget 2012/13, the treasury management strategy statement and annual investment strategy and the proposed Council tax levels.

The City Council considered -

The Leader (CouncillorMrs Pengelly) moved, and Councillor Bowyer (Cabinet Member for Finance, Property and People) seconded, the recommendations in the updated written report of the Chief Executive and the Director for Corporate Services circulated today and commended to the City Council, for approval, the 2012/13 Council Tax levels.    

In presenting the proposals, Councillor Mrs Pengelly referred to –