Agenda item

Prior to Council’s consideration of the report, the Chair of Council, Councillor Richard A Jones reminded Members of the legal requirement to include in the minutes, details of how each Elected Member had voted on decisions relating to the budget and level of Council Tax.  Therefore, items 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12, would all be subject to a recorded vote and voting preferences would be documented in the minutes of this meeting.

Subsequently, the Council considered a report which was presented by the Mayor of Doncaster, Ros Jones, which outlined the Capital Strategy and Capital Programme Budget proposals for the next four years, 2022/23 to 2025/26.

The Mayor stated that the Council continued to invest in the future of the Borough despite the tough economic climate with £386.9m of capital investment planned over the next four years that would continue to stimulate growth and prosperity, with £141.6m of investment planned for 2022/23.  The Council was investing in projects to further improve core services such as education, housing, infrastructure, leisure and culture, as well as attracting investors and visitors to the Borough.  This included £196.8m investment in the Council’s social housing stock over the next four years, covering maintenance, adaptions and the new build programme.  A further £29.9m was proposed for continued investment over the next year in its leisure facilities, retained public buildings and fleet replacement, with the acquisition of electric vehicles being prioritised where possible.

Members noted that the Capital Budget also allocated an additional £6m for improving the condition of its roads, with the focus being on adopted estate roads on a ‘worst first’ basis, which would include £1m towards road safety improvements.  The Capital Budget invested in the whole Borough of Doncaster, and the Council would continue to bid for Government funding where possible, including Levelling Up and Shared Prosperity Funding.  However, the Mayor pointed out that for true levelling up of Doncaster and the North, substantial regenerative funding over a 5 to 10 year period was needed which would enable the Council to ‘go deep’ and ‘go local’ in order to provide the opportunities and true levelling up of the Borough and its communities.

Following the presentation of the Capital Strategy and Capital Budget proposals, Members were afforded the opportunity to comment on the report.

In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 21.4, a recorded vote was taken on the recommendations contained within the report, which was declared as follows:-

For - 40

The Vice-Chair of Council, Councillor Ian Pearson, the Mayor of Doncaster, Ros Jones, the Deputy Mayor, Councillor Glyn Jones, and Councillors Bob Anderson, Duncan Anderson, Lani-Mae Ball, Nigel Ball, Iris Beech, Joe Blackham, Rachael Blake, Bev Chapman, James Church, Gemma Cobby, Phil Cole, Linda Curran, Susan Durant, Sue Farmer, Sean Gibbons, Julie Grace, John Healy, Leanne Hempshall, Charlie Hogarth, Mark Houlbrook, Debbie Hutchinson, Barry Johnson, Majid Khan, Sue Knowles, Sophie Liu, Tracy Moran, John Mounsey, Emma Muddiman-Rawlings, Tim Needham, David Nevett, Jane Nightingale, Andy Pickering, Rob Reid, Andrea Robinson, Glynis Smith, Sarah Smith and Austen White.

Against - 0

Abstain - 8

Councillors Laura Bluff, Nigel Cannings, Jane Cox, Steve Cox, Martin Greenhalgh, Thomas Noon, Cynthia Ransome and Gary Stapleton.

On being put to the meeting, the recommendations contained within the report were declared CARRIED.

RESOLVED that

(1)       the Capital Strategy, as detailed within paragraphs 36 to 71 of the report, be approved;

(2)       the Capital Programme Budget for 2022/23 to 2025/26, as detailed within paragraphs 11 to 35 of the report, be approved; and

(3)       Directors in consultation with the Portfolio Holder, take responsibility for agreeing any changes to the use of block budgets in the Capital Programme which were identified within Appendix 1 and included the Retained Buildings Programme, School Condition Programme and Integrated Transport Block.