Finance and General Purposes Committee

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Meeting Date: 
Monday, 5 October, 2020 - 18:00

SHREWSBURY TOWN COUNCIL
Riggs Hall
The Library
Castle Gates
Shrewsbury
SY1 2AS

To Members of the Finance & General Purposes Committee

Councillors P Adams, Mrs G Burgess, Mrs H Fraser, Ms J Mackenzie, Mrs P Moseley, A Mosley, A Phillips & D Vasmer

Cc All other members of the Council for information

Dear Councillor

You are hereby summoned to attend the meeting of the Town Council’s Finance & General Purposes Committee scheduled to take place on Monday 5 October 2020 at 6.00pm via Microsoft Teams in order to transact the following business

Helen Ball
Town Clerk

Follow this link to tune in to Virtual Live meeting

Meeting Agenda Items

# Item
 

1

APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE

To receive and accept apologies for absence
 

2

DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

To receive Declaration of Interests in accordance with the Code of Conduct
 

3

MINUTES OF THE LAST MEETING

To approve the minutes of the meeting held on 15th June 2020
 

4

MATTERS ARISING FROM PREVIOUS MEETINGS
 

5

SHROPSHIRE PENSION FUND INVESTMENT

To debate the questions asked of Full Council in June 2020; namely

 

Question 1

"Fossil fuel investments increasingly pose a financial risk to investors as a result of both Covid19 and the global transition to a more sustainable economic and environmental model. Renewables now consistently out-perform fossil fuels. Will Shrewsbury Town Council, as a contributing member of the Shropshire County Pension Fund, call on the Fund to swiftly divest from fossil fuels and re-invest to support a localised and green economy?"

 

Question 2

In 2019 Shrewsbury Town Council declared a climate emergency after recognising the need for robust and urgent action to stop the growing climate crisis. STC was one of the first town councils in the UK to take this step and I would like to applaud them for their action. 

However, I note that the town council continues to support the Shropshire County Pension Fund which has millions of pounds invested in polluting fossil fuel companies like BP and Shell.

Does the town council agree that the ongoing financial support of companies whose business models are preparing for a 5C world (https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/bp-shell-oil-global-warming-5-degree-paris-climate-agreement-fossil-fuels-temperature-rise-a8022511.html) is incompatible with the declaration of a climate emergency?

If so, would the town council be happy to propose a motion calling on SCPF to fully divest all its fossil fuel holdings over the next three years?

The town council would not be taking a leap into the dark on this issue. It would be following in the footsteps of many other UK institutions, including local authorities (eg. Swansea, Stroud, Reading and Derby); pensions funds (eg. the Environment Agency, Waltham Forest, South Yorkshire and Cardiff); half of all UK universities including Oxford University; churches; the British Medical Association; the Royal Colleges of GPs, Physicians and Emergency Medicine; the National Trust and Lloyds of London Insurance group. 
 

6

MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTS

(i)   To receive the quarterly report into the 2020/21 Quarter 1 period 1 April 2020 – 30 June 2020

 

(ii)  To receive the quarterly report into the 2020/21 Quarter 2 period ending 30 September 2020
 

7

2021/22 BUDGET

To consider the format for the determination of the 2021/22 Budget scheduled to be agreed by Council on 25th January 2021
 

8

PAYMENT SCHEDULES

To approve the payments schedules for the period 8 September 2020 – 25 September 2020
 

9

EXTERNAL AUDIT

To receive details of the conclusion of the 2019/20 Annual Accounts and grant authorisation to publish those accounts
 

10

COVID

To consider matters in relation to the Coronavirus Pandemic: 

(i)         Coronavirus Policy; 

(ii)        Emergency/Business Continuity Plan in relation to Coronavirus; 

(iii)       Coronavirus Risk Assessments (these are required to be published on the Council’s website; 

            Council activity for the remainder of 2020/21 and beyond into 2021/22, in terms of: 

            a)         Financial Forecast Out-turn;

            b)         Events & Activities;

            c)         Use of Council Assets;

            d)         Council Meetings;

(iv)       The use of Geosensing to track footfall and likely expansion to the system  
 

11

MARKETS

To receive a update on the current positions of all trading markets under which the Council’s Market Rights apply.
 

12

CAPITAL PROGRAMME

To receive an update on the amalgamated 2019/20 & 2020/21 Capital Programme 
 

13

CLIMATE EMERGENCY

To receive an update on Climate Emergency Initiatives
 

14

EXCLUSION OF THE PUBLIC

To consider exclusion of the Press & Public on the grounds that the consideration of the following items may involve the likely disclosure of confidential information (s1(2) Public Bodies (Admission of Meetings) Act 1960).
 

15

SPECIALIST SUPPORT IN RELATION TO VAT IN THE MARKET HALL

To receive and consider a report from the Head of Resources regarding the ongoing VAT investigation
 

16

UPDATE ON VARIOUS LEASES

To receive a report from the Head of Resources regarding the current position of various leasehold properties

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