Agenda and minutes

Members are reminded that this meeting will be audio-recorded.

Members were reminded that the meeting would be audio-recorded.

Apologies for absence were received from John Bird, David Brown, Margaret Simon and Geoff Smith. Dan Price (Police and Crime Commissioner) also sent his apologies.

To receive any announcements that the Chair wishes to make prior to the commencement of the formal business of the meeting.

The Chair asked Members to note the content of the Chair’s announcements which included details of Authority achievements and events Members had attended since the last meeting of the Fire Authority.

Members are reminded to disclose any interests that are relevant to any item on the Agenda.

All Members declared a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest in the recommendations relating to the Members’ Allowance Scheme.

Members from Cheshire West and Chester Council, Councillors Sherin Akhtar, Steve Collings, Razia Daniels, Gina Lewis, Phil Marshall, Phil Rimmer and Peter Wheeler, declared an ‘Other Registerable Interest’ in Item 5.

To receive any questions submitted, in accordance with procedure rules 4.47 to 4.54 by members of the public within the area covered by the Fire Authority.

There were no questions submitted.

To confirm as a correct record the minutes of the Fire Authority Meeting held on 25th September 2024.

RESOLVED:

That the minutes of the Fire Authority meeting held on 25^th September 2024 be approved as a correct record.

To receive, for information, the minutes of the Audit Committee meetings held on 18^th September and 20^th November 2024.

RESOLVED:

That the minutes of the Audit Committee meetings held on 18^th September and 20^th November 2024 be noted.

To receive, for information, the minutes of the Governance and Constitution Committee meeting held on 6^th November 2024.

Item 2 – Conclusion of the 2024 Review of the Members’ Allowances Scheme

The Committee was satisfied with the Report of the Independent Reviewer and took her Report into account in agreeing its recommendation to the Fire Authority about the Members’ Allowances Scheme for 2025-26 and beyond.

The Report of the Independent Reviewer was shared with Members of the Fire Authority shortly after the Committee met.  It can be accessed using this LINK

No decision is required about the Review, but it does provide context for the decisions being sought below.

Item 3 – Members’ Allowances Scheme: Annual Increase to be Applied to 2024-25 Scheme; and Draft 2025-26 Scheme

The Report considered by the Committee is attached as Annex 1.  The Appendix to the Report, as slightly amended by the Committee, is attached as Annex 2.

Two decisions are required. 

Recommended that: the Fire Authority

[1]      agrees that an annual increase of 3.83% should be applied to the Members’ Allowances Scheme 2024-25; and

[2]      approves the Members’ Allowances Scheme for 2025-26 at Appendix 1 to the report (accepting the minor change noted during the meeting and highlighted in these minutes).

PLEASE NOTE: Annex 2 on pages 37 to 41 is the Members’ Allowance Scheme 2025-26 that is recommended by the Committee. It assures that the 3.83% increase for 2024-25 is agreed and has been adjusted accordingly.

The Director of Governance advised that there were two recommendations that needed to be considered; both contained in the minute from Item 3 - Members’ Allowances Scheme: Annual Increase to be Applied to 2024-25 Scheme; and Draft 2025-26 Scheme.

Annual Increase

On being put to the vote Members decided to agree that the annual increase of 3.83% should be applied to the Members’ Allowance Scheme 2024-25 with 13 votes in favour, 4 votes against and 1 abstention.

Members’ Allowance Scheme 2025-26

Members approved the Scheme found at Annex 2 to the Agenda Pack (pages 37 to 41).

The Chair took the opportunity to thank the Independent Reviewer for the work undertaken on the Review of the Members’ Allowance Scheme.

RESOLVED: That

[1]      the minutes of the Governance and Constitution Committee held on 6^th November 2024 be noted;

[2]      the annual increase of 3.83% be applied to the Members’ Allowances Scheme 2024-25; and

[3]      the Members’ Allowance Scheme for 2025-26 be approved (attached to these minutes).

To receive, for information, the minutes of the Brigade Managers’ Pay and Performance Committee meeting held on 13^th November 2024.

RESOLVED:

That the minutes of the Brigade Managers’ Pay and Performance Committee held on 13^th November 2024 be noted.

To receive, for information, the minutes of the Staffing Committee meeting held on 13^th November 2024.

RESOLVED:

That the minutes of the Staffing Committee held on 13^th November 2024 be noted.

To receive, for information, the minutes of the Performance and Overview Committee meeting held on 20^th November 2024.

RESOLVED:

That the minutes of the Performance and Overview Committee held on 20^th November 2024 be noted.

To receive, for information, notes concerned with Member training and development.

There were no Members of the Group able to meet on 1^st October 2024. However, Councillor Gina Lewis, who is not a Member of the Group attended and the notes reflect her views on the agenda item.

The notes concerned with member training and development Group from 1^st October 2024 be noted.

Note: There were no Members of the Group able to meet on 1^st October 2024. However, Councillor Gina Lewis, who was not a Member of the Group attended and the notes reflect her views.

The Programme attached is similar to previous years, taking into account as far as possible the anticipated meeting arrangements of constituent authorities. Members are asked to note the Programme.

The Programme was similar to previous years, taking into account as far as possible the anticipated meeting arrangements of constituent authorities.

RESOLVED: That

[1]      the Programme of Member Meetings for 2025-26 be noted.

The Treasurer presented the Authority’s draft 2025-26 budget and the current Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP) and asked Members to consider whether officers should arrange a consultation in relation to the council tax precept for 2025-26. The Authority was a precepting authority which meant that part of the council tax bill for each of the four local authorities within Cheshire provided funding to the Authority. It was the responsibility of the Authority to set the level of precept as part of the budget setting process.

The Treasurer advised that since the publication of the report the Local Government Finance Policy Statement 2025-26 had been released on 28^th November 2024 and had impacted on the draft budget. An addendum detailing the update was circulated to Members prior to the meeting. The key points from the Policy Statement that impacted on Cheshire Fire Authority were:-

-     Fire Authorities could increase their precept by £5.00 on a Band D property

-     The Minimum Funding Guarantee would cease (worth £0.9m)

-     A guarantee that no local authority would see a reduction in their Core Spending

The draft budget was constructed with a 2.99% increase to the Authority’s Band D Council Tax precept. This would lift the precept from £ 90.09 to £ 92.78. The current draft budget indicated that the Service would have a deficit of approx. £1m. A £5.00 increase in the Band D precept would lift the precept from £ 90.09 to £ 95.09. If approved this would yield a further £932,000 over the current level of funding in the draft budget and almost eliminate the deficit.

The Treasurer strongly recommended that the Authority consider increasing the precept by £5.00. This would allow the Service to continue to function without making some significant changes to the capital programme and other areas.

The Chair took the opportunity to thank the Treasurer and his team for all their hard work in preparing the report.

RESOLVED: That

[1]      the information and assumptions relating to the 2025-26 budget setting together with the Medium Term Financial Plan be noted; and

[2]      officers be authorised to arrange a consultation concerned with a potential council tax precept increase of £5.00 on a Band D property.

The Treasurer presented the report which provided an update on performance against the Authority’s Treasury Management Strategy (TMS).

The table at paragraph 13 of the report contained a forecast of interest rates from December 2024 to December 2027.  The latest forecast set out a view that short, medium and long-dated interest rates would be elevated for a while, as the Bank of England sought to squeeze inflation out of the economy.

The table at paragraph 21 of the report provided an indication of the Capital Programme, the resulting amount of annual borrowing required and associated revenue financing costs estimated over the next few years. The Modernisation Programme was under review and the outcome would impact the estimates.

The Authority currently had a loan profile of £11.5m which included external borrowing of £11m to finance the Training Centre project, secured from Public Works Loan Board at favourably low fixed rates in March 2021 (£4m at 1.99%), July 2021 (£4m at 1.65%) and November 2021 (£3m at 1.63%). There was a £0.4m loan to be repaid on 31^st March 2025.

The Authority had authorised the sale of nine house held at Stockton Heath. The capital receipt from the houses was planned to be used to fund the replacements of the fire stations at Ellesmere Port and Warrington. Members requested an update on the sale of the houses. In response, the Treasurer advised that two properties were on the open market and offers had been made under the market value. The marketing of the properties would be reviewed in the new year and Members would be updated accordingly.

It was anticipated that the Authority would take out further loans to fund the purchase of the houses at Wilmslow and the re-build of Crewe Fire Station. The Authority had currently avoided taking these loans by utilising cash reserves. This was a short-term relief and loans would need to be taken at some point in the future.

Members were reminded that building cost inflation continued to impact upon the Fire Station Modernisation Programme. Whilst works had commenced at Knutsford and Winsford Fire Stations in 2024-25, a review of requirements was taking place for Frodsham and four other fire stations left to complete the programme in 2025-26. A revised Capital Programme would be presented to Members at the next meeting of the Fire Authority on 12^th February 2025.

The tables at paragraph 28 of the report showed the actual debt maturity profile of current borrowing as at 31^st October 2024 and a comparison of the approved Upper and Lower Limits. The Treasurer advised that there was a typo in Table 2, the percentage shown at ’10 years and above / Actual 31.10.24’ should read ‘95%’ and not ‘99%’ as detailed in the report.

RESOLVED: That

[1]      the report be noted;

[2]      the future requirement for borrowing to support the ongoing capital programme be noted; and

[3]      the need to consider the approach to the longer term investment of capital receipts from house sales  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.

RESOLVED: That:

Under Section 100(A) (4) of the Local Government Act 1972, as amended by the Local Government (Access to Information) Order 2006, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the items of business listed below on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Schedule 12 A to the Act in the paragraphs indicated:

Item 5

Sale of Surplus Land to the Rear of Chester Fire Station

Paragraph

(3)      Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information)

This report is contained in Part 2 of the Agenda, because it deals with commercial matters relating to the sale of surplus land held by the Fire Authority. 

Reports about this were previously considered by the Fire Authority in June 2022 and the Public Report can be accessed via this LINK.  The Authority is being asked to determine how it wishes the sale to proceed.

Note: Councillors Sherin Akhtar, Steve Collings, Razia Daniels, Gina Lewis, Phil Marshall, Phil Rimmer and Peter Wheeler left the room for the consideration of this Item.

The Head of Service Improvement presented a report which provided an update on the sale of surplus land to the rear or Chester Fire Station and sought a decision on how the sale of the surplus land should proceed. A number of options were detailed within the report.

RESOLVED: That

[1]      the option to pursue the sale to the developer as outlined in the report be approved.