Councillor Adam Parkes, Chairman of the Council, led the Staffordshire Moorlands District Council (SMDC) meeting on 17 September 2025, where councillors approved revised procurement procedure rules, reviewed the annual treasury management report for 2024/25, and discussed a treasury management update. Additionally, the council addressed a motion regarding community allotments and another concerning support for the Leek and District branch of the Samaritans.

Revised Procurement Procedure Rules

The council approved the revised Joint Procurement Procedure Rules, which aim to modernise processes and align with current legislation, following a recommendation from the cabinet. The rules, which were last updated in 2017, have been revised to reflect changes brought about by the Procurement Act 2023¹ and to create efficiencies in the procurement process.

Key changes include:

• Legislative Updates: References to the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 have been updated to reflect the Procurement Act 2023.
• Threshold Adjustments: The threshold for requiring a procurement webform has been raised from £2,000 to £5,000 to reduce administrative burden for low-value procurements. The Invitation to Tender (ITT) threshold has been raised to £30,000 to align with legislative requirements for publishing notices.
• Local Suppliers: A new section promotes the inclusion of local suppliers in procurement processes, though ringfencing procurements for local suppliers is not yet permitted due to existing legal constraints.
• Social Value and Sustainable Procurement: New sections have been added to embed social value and sustainable procurement policies within all procurement processes. A Social Value Policy and a Sustainable Procurement Policy are included as appendices to the rules.

The revised rules also include provisions for electronic contract signing and adjustments to performance bond requirements.

Annual Treasury Management Report 2024/25

The council received the Annual Treasury Management Report 2024/25, which was recommended by the Audit & Accounts Committee for approval. The report provides a review of the council's treasury management activities during the financial year, including capital expenditure, borrowing, and investment performance.

Key points from the report:

• Capital expenditure in 2024/25 totalled £14.9 million, primarily funded by contributions, resulting in a borrowing requirement of £942,000.
• Total external debt at 31 March 2025 was £11.1 million.
• Interest income of £307,000 was earned from a capital loan to Your Housing Limited to support affordable housing.
• The average return on the council's investment portfolio was 4.85%, with year-end investments totalling £14.7 million.

The report confirmed that borrowing was only undertaken for capital purposes and that the statutory borrowing limit was not breached.

Treasury Management Update

The council considered a treasury management update, also recommended by the Audit & Accounts Committee, which provided an overview of the council's treasury management position for the first quarter of 2025/26.

Key highlights from the update:

• The Bank of England base rate decreased from 4.50% to 4.25% during the quarter.
• The council's investment portfolio totalled £14 million at the end of the quarter, with an average balance of £13.4 million.
• A shortfall of £55,000 in investment income is forecast against a budget of £742,030.
• External debt is forecast to be £12.6 million at the end of the year.

The update also noted that the council is engaging MUFG Corporate Markets, its external treasury management advisors, to manage financial risks associated with treasury management activity.

Notices of Motion

Community Allotments

Councillor Joe Porter's motion opposing any plans by the Labour Government to encourage local councils to sell off community allotments was discussed. The motion stated that allotments are vital spaces for community and wellbeing and should not be sold.

Support for Leek Samaritans

Councillor Andrew Church's motion called for the council to support the Leek and District branch of the Samaritans, which has been serving the community since 1966. The motion requested that the Chief Executive of the Council write to Julie Bentley, CEO of Samaritans UK, and Keith Leslie, Chair of the Trustees of Samaritans, seeking confirmation that the Leek branch would not be selected for closure as part of the Future Proofing Samaritans programme. The motion also called for the council to assist any subsequent campaign to maintain the branch's existence.

Revised Political Balance

The council approved a revised allocation of committee seats following notification of changes to the membership of political groups.