Agenda item

(Councillor Mike Wilcox)

Councillor Wilcox stated that the message from Central Government was that Authorities need to become more self-sufficient in the coming years.  Therefore we need to look carefully at the services we provide and take any opportunity to work with parishes in looking to them to take over certain functions i.e. grounds maintenance, parks, open spaces.

Councillor Wilcox talked about the introduction of Universal Credit and its potential issues around the idea of individuals taking personal responsibility to pay their rents etc. and that the District would work closely with our housing providers to ensure tenants do not get themselves in to debt.

Councillor Wilcox spoke about the uncertainties facing Local Government in the form of the “Fair Funding Review” and that all tiers of Local Government were trying to ensure they received their fair share of the “pie” - it was important that as part of a two tier system that we work closely with the County Council in this matter.

Councillor Wilcox also stated that by 2020 we would not receive any financial support from Central Government and in fact we would be paying monies to the Government which meant we would need to be able to generate income from new sources such as the recent charge for garden waste.

Councillor Wilcox commented that Government see Lichfield as an affluent district who have over many years acted responsibly and created efficiencies and yet still be able to deliver key front line services.  Other financial uncertainties are from New Homes Bonus and Business Rate Retention which were still being decided upon by Government.

Councillor Wilcox also informed the Forum that the Council had a balanced budget for the next financial year, but that in subsequent years we would see a funding gap begin to appear and by 2020/21 this would rise to £2m.

A comments, question and answer session then followed:-

Comment - If more emphasis is to be given to joint working, it was felt this Forum was even more needed.

Comment – If you add up all the precepts in all the Parish Council areas and quote the Lichfield District Council precept being the lowest – this would be useful as an explanation on the Council Tax bills.

Comment – This has been my first meeting and I have found it extremely useful. However, the agenda and invite for the Parish meeting goes to our Ward Councillors every time but it is never replied to and they have never attended.

A.    Councillor Wilcox said good practice would be for the District Councillors to attend Parish Council meetings and he stated that he would ask all his District Councillors if they could try to attend in the future and reply to invitations.

Q.   As Parish Councils are not capped in terms of their precept, is there not a danger of District Councils and Borough Councils offloading on to the Parishes?  Also of SCC offloading to LDC?

A.     Difficult one; Lichfield District Council does work tightly with SCC and feel all District Councillors should be invited to the Parish Council meetings so everyone is fully advised and communication is key.

Q.  Is there any talk about a dual level of Council?

A.  In future, certainly this could be an option as there are a lot of models across the country now.  Funding is such that you have to do with it what you can whether it be unitary or not.  As a district we have a lot to offer and we need to make our services work as best we can.

Q.  As everyone has done their budget for next year’s precepts; can we say when they will receive their meaningful proportion?

A.  With regard to the Lichfield district, we are just going to talk to Fradley within the next two weeks and other parishes will follow.  It has to be collectively talking between the District and the Parishes.

Comment – Councillor N Pullen said she was a Staffordshire County Councillor as well as a District Councillor and had some responsibility for the maintenance of the roads as a County Councillor.  She advised that she would be attending the next meeting with a colleague – Mr Wayne Mortiboys (a County Council Officer) to deliver a new County Council initiative called PHP (People Helping People).  She said Mr Mortiboys would be open to questions on that date.