AGENDA - Council, Thursday 31 March 2005 at 2.00 pm in the Council Chamber

1.         Minutes – to approve as a correct record and authorise the Chairman to sign the minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 10 February 2005 .

2.         Urgent Business – the Chairman to announce if any item not on the agenda should be considered on the basis that he considers it as a matter of urgency (any such item to be dealt with under item 7 below).

3.         Confidential Business – the Chairman to inform the meeting of any confidential item of business.

4.         Exempt Information – to consider whether the consideration of any item of business would be likely to disclose exempt information and if so the category of such exempt information.

5.         Chairman’s Announcements

6.         Declarations of Interest – Members are invited to declare any personal or prejudicial interests, including the nature and extent of such interests, they may have in any items to be considered at this meeting.

7.         Business Brought Forward by the Chairman – to consider business (if any) brought forward by the Chairman as reported under item 2 above.

8.         Questions – to consider questions (if any) received in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 8:-

(a)               To Members of the Executive

(b)               To the Chairman of Council or the Chairman of any body.

9.         Presentation by Executive portfolio holders:

(i)                 Cllr Yonge responsible for Value for Money and Improvement;

(ii)               Cllr Barnes responsible for Access to Services.

10.      Notice of Motion – to consider the following motion which has been submitted in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 10.1.

By Councillors Boughton and Ward:

            “That this Council:

Welcomes the Government’s statutory target for improving the energy efficiency of our homes by 20% by 2010;

Notes the government’s admission, in their Review of the UK Climate Change Programme, that meeting this target “will require even greater levels of energy efficiency improvement”;

Notes that experts agree that a Stamp Duty Rebate is the best incentive to stimulate demand for energy efficiency among owner-occupiers;

Further notes that stamp duty is becoming an increasing burden for home buyers – particularly for first time buyers.

Council therefore supports the Stamp Duty (Lower Rate for Energy Efficiency Measures) Bill and calls on the Leader of the Council to write to:

•        local MPs urging them to sign Early Day Motion 492 in support of the Bill and pledge to attend the House of Commons to support the Bill at Second Reading on 8 April

•        John Healey MP, the Treasury Minister responsible, urging him to support this measure”  

11.       Treasury Management Strategy Statement and Annual Investment Strategy – 2005 / 2006 – to consider a report of the Head of Financial Services on the Treasury Management Strategy Statement which sets out the expected activities of the treasury function for 2005 / 2006.

12.       Reports of Bodies – to receive and as may be necessary approve the minutes and recommendations of the under-mentioned Bodies:-

            * Indicates minutes containing recommendations to Council.

Members of the public may wish to note that the Council's meeting rooms

are accessible by wheelchairs and have a loop induction hearing system.

             MEMBERS ARE REQUESTED TO SIGN THE ATTENDANCE REGISTER

   THIS AGENDA HAS BEEN PRINTED ON ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY PAPER

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