Members are reminded that they must declare their disclosable pecuniary interests and other registrable or non-registrable interests in any matter being considered at the meeting as set out in Appendix B of the Members’ Code of Conduct and consider if they should leave the room prior to the item being considered. Further advice can be sought from the Monitoring Officer in advance of the meeting.

To approve as a correct record the minutes of the previous meeting held on 11 December 2025

To receive such communications as the Chairman, Leader and Head of Paid Service may desire to lay before the Council.

To receive any questions from the public, notice of which has been given in accordance with Procedure Rule 14.  Deadline for notification is 12.00 noon on Friday 20 February 2026

To receive any questions from Members, notice of which has been given in accordance with Procedure Rule 15.2. Deadline for notification is 12.00 noon on Friday 20 February 2026

Report of the Chief Executive is attached

Contact:  Tanya Miles  Email: tanya.miles@shropshire.gov.uk 

Report of the Director: Financial Improvement is attached

Contact: Duncan Whitfield  email: Duncan.whitfield@shropshire.gov.uk

Report of the Director: Financial Improvement is attached

Contact: Duncan Whitfield  email: Duncan.whitfield@shropshire.gov.uk

Report of the Director: Financial Improvement is TO FOLLOW

Contact: Duncan Whitfield  email: Duncan.whitfield@shropshire.gov.uk

Report of the Service Director – Infrastructure is TO FOLLOW

Contact:  Andy Wilde Tel. 01743 256401

Report of the Director: Financial Improvement is attached

Contact: Duncan Whitfield  email: Duncan.whitfield@shropshire.gov.uk

Report of the Strategy and Scrutiny Manager is attached

Contact:  Tom Dodds         Tel. 01743 258518

Report of the Service Director Communities & Customer is attached

Contact: Paula Mawson  Tel. 01743 256794

Report of the Service Director Communities & Customer is attached

Contact: Paula Mawson  Tel. 01743 256794

Report of the Service Director - Commissioning is attached

Contact:  Laura Tyler         Tel. 01743 253178

The following motions have been received in accordance with Procedure Rule 16:

Amendment of Council Rules of Procedure on Submission Deadlines for Reports and Motions to Council

Council notes that:

1.    Under section 11.6 of the Council Procedure Rules, reports are required to be made available with "sufficient time [...] afforded to members to consider the report and any associated papers."

2.    Case law and sector guidance issued by bodies such as the Local Government Association establish that unreasonable delay in the production or publication of reports and decision records may undermine democratic accountability, effective scrutiny, and public confidence in local government.

3.    Section 100B of the Local Government Act 1972 stipulates that copies of the agenda and associate reports must be made available to the public at least five clear days before meetings, and after having been made available to members. It further states that associated reports must be made available at the time an item is added to the agenda.

4.    The Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012, as amended by the Local Government (Openness of Local Government Bodies) Regulations 2014, reinforce the principle that local authority decision-making must be transparent, timely, and accessible.

5.    Members are currently required to give 10 working days' notice in order to bring a motion to council under section 16.1 of the Council's Procedure Rules.

Council therefore resolves that:

1.    The Council’s Procedure Rules be amended to reflect that officers responsible for preparing reports following a Full Council and Committee meeting must ensure that such reports, including minutes and any associated recommendations or outcome summaries, are submitted to the Proper Officer and published within five clear working days of the date of the meeting, in line with section 100B of the Local Government Act 1972.

2.    For the purposes of this motion, clear working days shall be those defined within section 1.14 of the Council’s Procedure Rules: to exclude the day of receipt, Saturdays, Sundays, other days when the Council’s offices are closed, and the day of the meeting itself.

Where exceptional circumstances prevent the submission of a report within the five clear working day period, the responsible officer shall provide a written explanation to the relevant Committee Chair, Group Leaders, and the Proper Officer, outlining the reasons for delay and an expected submission date;

And

The Speaker will be required to make known to the same, giving their reasoning, whether they accept the related item onto the agenda or wish to defer, as per item 11.6 of the Council's Procedure Rules.

3.    Section 16.1 of the Council’s Procedure Rules be amended from:

[…] must be delivered to the Chief Executive at least than 10 clear working days before the date of the meeting.

To

[…] must be delivered to the Chief Executive at least 5 clear working days before the date of the meeting.

Council further requests that:

1.    A six-month review of compliance with these new requirements be presented to the appropriate committee to identify any barriers to delivery.

Globally, the transition to ‘Net Zero’ energy systems is in a state of rapid collapse. No large economy is persisting with this and only a handful of lesser economies are still fully committed. The US is unequivocally out. Russia, India, most of Asia and South America were never really in (despite the Paris Agreement) and China simply lies.

China’s wind and solar ‘farms’ are merely a shop front for the planet’s primary manufacturer of that equipment. Meanwhile, they rapidly expand Coal and Nuclear use. China alone is 32% of global emissions (Our World in Data), more than the combined developed world. Chinese per capita emissions surpassed the UK in 2022 and are now already double the UK’s, with no slowdown in the increase. China plus just the USA and India make up fully half of global emissions.

The latest domino to fall is Germany. Previous dependence on Russian gas and their abandonment of Nuclear makes Germany now heavily dependent on coal and lignite (14% - AG Enrgiebilanzen) and LNG and thus the EU’s largest emitter at 22% of the total (EDGAR 2024 report). Unaffordable energy has resulted in large scale off-shoring of German heavy industry. Thus, Chancellor Merz’s announcement to reverse their energy policies, maintaining Net Zero in name only.

What remains is a handful of smaller European economies plus Australia still pursuing Net Zero to a similar extent as the UK, with a combined output circa 7% of global emissions (Net Zero Tracker and EDGAR 2024). Canada nominally has Net Zero policies but, unlike the UK, continues with extensive hydrocarbon production. Clearly, 7% of Net Zero is little more than a rounding error. Thus, any further spending on Net Zero is an obvious waste of money.

A number of Councils around the country, including Labour-led Islington, have heavily curtailed or suspended Net Zero spending.  In the context of our Financial Emergency, in order to reduce both capital and revenue spend, we move that the Council immediately suspend all Net Zero related spending, pending a review of value-for-money beyond clearly ineffectual reductions in CO2 emissions. 

Ensuring Timely Publication of Council Reports, Minutes and Decisions

Council notes that:

1. Rule 11.6 of the Council Procedure Rules requires the Chair to ensure that Members have sufficient time to consider any report tabled at a meeting and its associated papers.

2. Recent case law demonstrates that late or incomplete publication of reports can seriously compromise transparency, accountability and public confidence in local government decision making.

3. Section 100B of the Local Government Act 1972 requires that agendas and related reports must be made available to Members and the public at least five clear days before a meeting, and that reports for late items must be published as soon as those items are added.

4. The Local Authorities Regulations 2012 and the Openness of Local Government Bodies Regulations 2014 both reinforce the requirement for timely, accessible and transparent decision making, including prompt publication of meeting records and officer decisions.

5. Members are required to give advance notice for Motions under Rule 16, and the Constitution clearly defines how working days are counted under Rule 1.14.

Council therefore resolves that:

1. Officers responsible for the preparation of minutes, reports, recommendations or outcome summaries following Full Council or Committee meetings must submit and publish these materials within 10 working days of the next meeting date. This sets a clear, firm, and reasonable standard that strengthens transparency for both Members and residents.

2. For the purposes of this Motion, “working days” shall be interpreted in accordance with Rule 1.14 of the Council Procedure Rules, which excludes the day of the meeting, Saturdays, Sundays, Council closure days and public holidays.

3. Where exceptional circumstances prevent compliance, the responsible officer must provide a written explanation to the meeting Chair, Group Leaders and the Proper Officer, setting out the reason for delay and the expected publication date. In line with Rule 11.6, the Chair shall publicly state whether any late report will be permitted for consideration or deferred, ensuring accountability and preventing the misuse of late paperwork.

4. The Monitoring Officer is requested to update the Constitution and any supporting protocols to embed this new requirement and ensure it is implemented consistently across all service areas.

Council further requests that:

5. A six month compliance report be brought to the appropriate Committee, detailing performance against this new standard, identifying any operational barriers, and making recommendations for further improvements.

To receive the report of the Chair of the Shropshire and Wrekin Fire and Rescue Authority

To resolve that, in accordance with the provisions of schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 and Paragraph 10.4 [3] of the Council’s Access to Information Rules, the public and press be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following items

To approve as a correct record the exempt minutes of the previous meeting held on 11 December 2025