This meeting will be held on a predominantly physical basis but with provision, by prior notification, for remote attendance by Elected Members in accordance with the provisions of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 2003.  Where possible, the meeting will be live-streamed and available to view at https://north-ayrshire.public-i.tv/core/portal/home. 

Members are requested to give notice of any declarations of interest in respect of items of business on the Agenda.

In terms of Standing Order 3.4, a written requisition, signed by nine Members of the Council, has been submitted to call for consideration of the undernoted motion:

“North Ayrshire Council expresses its extreme disappointment with the budget settlement for local government and with its presentation which the Labour Group believe is both unethical and dishonest and is in no way consistent with a partnership approach.

Council notes that most of the supposed £550m additional funding is for existing commitments and that the £71m of uncommitted funding goes no way towards meeting the identified budget gap in council funding of £612m due to inflation, energy prices and demand pressures, and the requirement for more than £400m likely to be needed for pay settlements in the coming year to address recruitment and retention issues and avoid understandable industrial action by trade unions.

This budget settlement means another massive real terms cut in councils’ core funding, after more than 10 years of real terms cuts, and will lead to socially harmful cuts to vital local services and the loss of jobs within local authorities and from local companies that rely on councils for their employment.

Council further notes the additional burden on council finances from revaluation of non-domestic properties and condemns the threat by the Scottish Government to cut grant funding if councils were to be successful in appealing against redeterminations.

For North Ayrshire Council, the initial assessment of the local government settlement by the Council’s finance team estimates a budget gap of over £10million in 2023/24.

Council therefore agrees:

1.That the Council should make a robust public response to the budget statement, challenging in the strongest possible terms the presentation of the supposed £550 additional funding and highlighting the massive real terms cut in funding for vital local services;

2.That the CEO writes a letter to the First Minister and the Deputy First Minister on behalf of the Council that rejects that this is a fair settlement; highlighting the massive real terms cut to the council's funding and the impact this budget settlement will have on vital local services and demanding a fair settlement to defend vital local services and jobs;

3.That the Council undertakes an assessment of the likely job losses within the council and local economies that will result from this budget settlement; and

4.The Council agrees to offer a meeting of group leaders with the local government trade unions to set out our assessment of the impacts of this budget settlement and seek to undertake joint action to defend vital local services and jobs.”

Any other business which the Provost considers to be urgent.

Please note: this meeting may be filmed/recorded/live-streamed to the Council's internet site and available to view at https://north-ayrshire.public-i.tv/core/portal/home, where it will be capable of repeated viewing.  At the start of the meeting, the Provost/Chair will confirm if all or part of the meeting is being filmed/recorded/live-streamed.

You should be aware that the Council is a Data Controller under the Data Protection Act 2018.  Data collected during the webcast will be retained in accordance with the Council’s published policy, including, but not limited to, for the purpose of keeping historical records and making those records available via the Council’s internet site.

Generally, the press and public seating areas will not be filmed. However, by entering the Council Chambers, using the press or public seating area or (by invitation) participating remotely in this meeting, you are consenting to being filmed and consenting to the use and storage of those images and sound recordings and any information pertaining to you contained in them for webcasting or training purposes and for the purpose of keeping historical records and making those records available to the public. If you do not wish to participate in a recording, you should leave the meeting.  This will constitute your revocation of consent.

If you have any queries regarding this and, in particular, if you believe that use and/or storage of any particular information would cause, or be likely to cause, substantial damage or distress to any individual, please contact dataprotectionofficer@north-ayrshire.gov.uk.

John Bell
Timothy Billings
Marie Burns
Eleanor Collier
Joe Cullinane
Scott Davidson
Anthea Dickson
Stewart Ferguson
Todd Ferguson
Robert Foster
Scott Gallacher
John Glover
Tony Gurney
Alan Hill
Cameron Inglis
Margaret Johnson
Amanda Kerr
Christina Larsen
Shaun Macaulay
Jean McClung
Nairn McDonald
Matthew McLean
Louise McPhater
Davina McTiernan
Tom Marshall
Jim Montgomerie
Ian Murdoch
Donald Reid
Donald L Reid
Chloe Robertson
Ronnie Stalker
Angela Stephen
John Sweeney