Visitors and members of the public who are unfamiliar with the building and procedures are advised that:

(a)      The fire alarm is a continuous loud ringing. In the event that a fire drill is planned during the meeting, the Chair will advise of this.

(b)      Exit routes from the chamber are located on each side of the room, one directly to a fire escape, the other to the stairs opposite the lifts.

(c)      In the event of the alarm sounding, leave the building via the nearest safe exit and gather at the assembly point on the far side of the car park. Do not leave the assembly point or re-enter the building until advised to do so. Do not use the lifts.

(d)      Anyone unable to use the stairs should make themselves known during this agenda item.

The Mayor outlined the emergency evacuation procedure.

To approve the Minutes of the Meeting held on 28 January 2026 (Minute Nos. TBA) as a correct record.

The Mayor announced that as the minutes had not yet been published, they would be considered at a future meeting.

Councillors should not act or take decisions in order to gain financial or other material benefits for themselves, their families or friends.

The Chair will ask Members if they have any disclosable pecuniary interests (DPIs) or disclosable non-pecuniary interests (DNPIs) to declare in respect of items on the agenda. Members with a DPI in an item must leave the room for that item and may not participate in the debate or vote. 

Aside from disclosable interests, where a fair-minded and informed observer would think there was a real possibility that a Member might be biased or predetermined on an item, the Member should declare this and leave the room while that item is considered.

Members who are in any doubt about interests, bias or predetermination should contact the monitoring officer for advice prior to the meeting.

The Deputy Monitoring Officer announced that there was a dispensation for all Members in discussing the Budget and Council Tax item.

Councillor Elliott Jayes declared a non-pecuniary interest as he was a Director and Trustee of the Swale Community and Voluntary Services (CVS) organisation.

The Mayor said she had recently enjoyed visiting SCC Coachworks and the Shepherd Neame Brewery in Faversham. She had attended the Town Crier competition at the Criterion Theatre, Sheerness. The Mayor had also visited an assisted-living accommodation facility in Sittingbourne.

The Mayor spoke about her experience at the Swale Community Leisure (SCL) Vision Awards and the first birthday of ‘Her Voice’ at Heather House, Sittingbourne.

In the coming weeks, the Mayor said she would be attending a church service celebrating the Romanian community and the Tree of Hope event at Heather House by Next Youth. She encouraged others to attend and support the Tree of Hope event which would be held between 12 pm and 3 pm on Saturday 21 February 2026. The Mayor said she would be part of the selection panel for the Sittingbourne Carnival Queen. She also said she would be visiting one of the Isle of Sheppey prisons.

Finally, the Mayor thanked those that supported her quiz night held earlier in the month. She said it was an enjoyable evening, was greatly attended and had raised over £600 for the Mayor’s charity.

To consider any questions submitted by the public.  (The deadline for questions is 4.30 pm on the Wednesday before the meeting – please contact Democratic Services by e-mailing democraticservices@swale.gov.uk or call 01795 417330).

The Mayor advised that no questions had been received from the public.

To consider any questions submitted by Members.  (The deadline for questions is 4.30 pm on the Monday the week before the meeting – please contact Democratic Services by e-mailing democraticservices@swale.gov.uk or call 01795 417330).

The Mayor advised that no questions had been received from Members.

The Leader said:

“Good evening madam mayor, one and all, as this is our Budget Council, I will keep my remarks deliberately brief.

Tonight our focus must be on the decisions before us in setting a responsible budget, protecting essential services, and supporting our residents through continued financial pressures. This budget reflects extremely difficult choices, but it also reflects our priorities for fiscal stability, value for money, and investment where it matters most.

I thank officers and pay tribute to members from all parties for their work in getting us to this point, and I look forward to a constructive and focused debate this evening.”

All Group Leaders acknowledged the Leader’s Statement.

The Leader sent his good wishes to the Deputy Mayor, Councillor Derek Carnell, who was celebrating his Birthday the next day.

Each candidate’s proposer and seconder will be invited to speak for up to three minutes in support of their nomination.  If more than one nomination is received for the position, a secret ballot will be taken.

Councillor Carrie Pollard nominated Councillor Derek Carnell for the role of Mayor elect for the 2026/27 civic year and gave a supporting speech. The nomination was seconded by Councillor Mike Baldock who gave a supporting speech. On being put to the vote, the nomination was agreed. Councillor Carnell thanked Members for their support.

Resolved:

(1)  That the Mayor elect for the Civic Year 2026/27 be Councillor Derek Carnell.

Each candidate’s proposer and seconder will be invited to speak for up to three minutes in support of their nomination.  If more than one nomination is received for the position, a secret ballot will be taken.

Councillor Tim Gibson nominated Councillor Angela Harrison for the role of Deputy Mayor elect for the 2026/27 civic year and gave a supporting speech.  The nomination was seconded by Councillor Ashley Wise who gave a supporting speech. On being put to the vote, the nomination was agreed. Councillor Harrison thanked Members for their support.

Resolved:

(1)  That the Deputy mayor elect for the Civic Year 2026/27 be Councillor Angela Harrison.

The Leader proposed the recommendations which were seconded by the Deputy Leader who reserved his right to speak.

In supporting the recommendation, the Leader of the Conservative Group spoke of the seemingly never-ending process of the LGR.

The Leader of the SIA Group reminded everyone that the LGR consultation was now live but questioned whether Central Government listened to local authorities or the public. He supported the recommendation.

The Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group expressed her surprise at the options shortlisted by Government, drawing attention that one of the options did not comply with the recommendations set out by Government.

The Leader of the Reform UK Group was critical of the Government process.

Councillor Terry Thompson of the Green Group, agreed with the points made by other Group Leaders.

A Member spoke of historical Local Government reorganisations.

Councillor Wise said the lack of enthusiasm of Members in the Chamber echoed the attitude of members of the public

Resolved:

(1)  That delegation be granted to the Chief Executive to prepare and submit the response from Swale Borough Council to the Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government in response to their consultation on Local Government Reorganisation proposals for Kent and Medway, following a Member workshop and consultation with Group Leaders.

In introducing the report and proposing the recommendations, the Leader said the item had been discussed by the Policy and Resources Committee in January 2026.

The Deputy Leader seconded the recommendations and reserved his right to speak.

The Leader of the Conservative Group highlighted that under Appendix 1(C), on page 27 when referring to the Chief Executive and Director appraisal process, all Group Leaders had the opportunity to take part and feed into the process.

The Leader of the SIA Group spoke of the benefits of including Trade Unions in the process and asked if this could be considered for future years.

The Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group drew attention that the gender pay gap had increased compared to 2025 and suggested this be looked at. She acknowledged this may be due to a low turnover of staff.

The Leader of the Reform UK group and the Green Group both made no comment.

A Member suggested the Council should be increasing opportunities and encouraging younger people in the Borough to be supported in applying for vacancies in the Council and this could be discussed at the relevant Committee.

The Deputy Leader acknowledged and agreed with the comments made. He spoke of the importance of apprenticeships which encouraged the development and retention of those employed by Swale Borough Council (SBC) and said there should be a renewed focus on apprenticeships in the future.

Resolved:

(1)  That the proposed Pay Policy Statement be agreed for publication on the Council’s website.

(2)  That the information within the Pay Policy Statement be updated with actual year-end figures before final publication.

The Leader introduced the report which sought Council’s approval of the Council Tax Requirement, Revenue Budget and Capital Programme and Council Tax for the year 2026/27, as set out in the report to the Policy and Resources Committee held on 4 February 2026 and to approve the Council Tax Resolutions set out in Appendix I.

In proposing the recommendations, the Leader said the budget was a very different budget from those presented previously as it was the first truly cross- party Council budget, built not on party lines but on shared commitment to do the best for the community. He said the budget was a result of 12 months of work shaped through monthly cross-party budget meetings where every group around the table was given the opportunity to challenge, contribute and influence the final outcome through the budget working group.  The Leader said the discussions involved compromise on all sides, difficult choices and honest debate, to achieve the best possible outcomes for the residents of Swale within the financial realities faced by the Council.

The Leader said the way the budget was created was significant and that Members across the Chamber had worked constructively, put aside political differences where necessary and focused on what united rather than divided them.

The Leader recorded his personal thanks to Members involved for engaging in the united spirit, and to officers for their professionalism, patience, expertise and tolerance in supporting the process over the weeks and months.  He said that this budget demonstrated that collaboration worked and when Members worked together and listened to each other and accepted that nobody got everything they wanted out of the budget, a balanced and responsible budget that reflected shared priorities and protected the services that Swale residents could rely on every day could be delivered.

Finally, the Leader said he was proud of the way that Members had worked together on this budget and said it belonged to the whole Council.

In seconding the recommendation, the Leader of the Conservative Group reserved his right to speak.

The Leader of the SIA Group said it was interesting when a budget was proposed by the largest group and seconded by the main opposition group, that between them had more than half the Members of the Council, as the outcome was obvious. He said there was strong alignment between the Labour and Conservative groups and it was difficult to come up with anything new, particularly when long-term programmes could not be carried out in a Council whose future would cease to exist. He said that because of the LGR, a five-year strategy could not be planned, and Councils just had to get through the next two years. The Leader of the SIA Group referred to the decision to charge in some car parks on the Isle of Sheppey and said it was unfortunate this could not be discussed via the amendment submitted and he could not support the budget for that reason.

The Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group said  ...  view the full minutes text for item 737.

The Leader introduced the report which set out and sought approval of the Treasury Management Strategy 2026/27 and the Prudential and Treasury Management Indicators.  He proposed the recommendation which was seconded by the Chair of the Audit Committee, Councillor Charles Gibson, who thanked officers and Members, and said the strategy offered value for money for residents.

Resolved:

(1)  That the Treasury Management Strategy 2026/27 and the Prudential and Treasury Management Indicators be approved.

The Mayor has agreed to consider the following item as urgent business.

To follow Appendix VII added 16 February 2026.

The Mayor confirmed with all Members in attendance that they had read the urgent report and Appendix.

In introducing the report, the Leader said its purpose was to recommend changes to the Council’s Council Tax Reduction Scheme with effect from 1 April 2026. He advised that Council had to approve the annual scheme and he said that in July 2025 the Policy & Resources Committee agreed to carry out a consultation in respect of the proposed changes, and those changes were agreed by the Policy & Resources Committee in January 2026.

The Leader of the SIA group sought and was given clarity, on the proposed removal of the minimum income floor for self-employed working-age claimants. He also referred to paragraph 5.6 of the report, noting that while the Council aimed to support residents, KCC had argued that higher discounts could discourage claimants from improving their employment. He further reminded Members that KCC had previously assured that their share of Council Tax collection would not increase, yet it had risen.

The Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group said Council Tax was a regressive, unfair tax that put pressure on those that could least afford it and Government should be looking at it as it was not fit for purpose. She said it was good that the Council had taken steps to alleviate the pressure of people in the borough that most needed it.  She drew attention to the report’s reference to “work incentive issues,” noting that this formed part of what had been described as ‘Alarm Clock Britain’. She expressed concern that this rhetoric implied that people on low incomes did not already work hard or set an alarm to go to work, and suggested it further implied that they should simply obtain better‑paid employment, despite such opportunities not being readily available. She urged that the Council take a strong stance against this narrative.

The Leader of the Reform UK Group drew Members’ attention to paragraphs 5.7 and 5.8 of the report, noting that both the Fire Brigade and the Police and Crime Commissioner opposed the changes. He also referred to the period of austerity from 2010 to 2015 and the continuing impact it had on the public and public services, which he said was forced on the public by the coalition government at the time. He questioned whether the longer term negative impacts had fully been considered, and advised that, for these reasons, he could not support the recommendation.

Councillor Thompson (Green Group) stated that it was unacceptable that residents in employment required subsidies because they were not being paid a fair wage and were then unfairly taxed. He also highlighted the disparities between those living in high-value properties and the rest of the community and he supported the updated Council Tax Reduction Scheme.

Members were invited to speak and comments included:

·         Valuation office delays in setting Council Tax bands for new properties meant residents were unable to plan household bills without confirmed banding;

·         asked the Leader and Mayor  ...  view the full minutes text for item 739.

The meeting was adjourned from 7.35 pm until 7.50 pm.