•       To consider the joint reports of the Executive Member for Corporate Resources and the Chief Finance Officer, set out at 5 (a) - (d) below, and adopt the resolutions contained therein.

 

•              To set and approve the Council Tax Requirement for the District for the year beginning 1 April 2018, in accordance with the Local Government Finance Act 1992, as amended.

 

•              To set and approve, in accordance with the Local Government Finance Act 1992 as amended, the amounts as the amounts of the Council Tax for the year 2018/2019 for each of the categories of dwellings included in the respective valuation bands A to H.

(Note: PROCEDURAL ARRANGEMENTS - In respect of the main item of business on the agenda, the Mayor announced that the Leader of the Council (or his nominee) would have a maximum of 15 minutes to make the initial speech and a further maximum of 15 minutes to summarise the debate. The Leaders of the Labour and Liberal Democrat Groups (or their respective nominees) would each have a maximum of 15 minutes to make their initial speeches and a further maximum of 5 minutes to summarise on behalf of their respective Groups. The Mayor also outlined the approach for dealing with amendments. Members were instructed that, should an amendment be made to the main motion, the mover of that amendment would have a maximum of 3 minutes to make their speech. The Mayor further confirmed that, the time for all other speeches would be restricted to a maximum of 3 minutes.)

 

The Executive Member for Corporate Resources presented a number of reports setting out the proposed budget for the forthcoming year, together with the recommendations from the Executive meeting held earlier that evening.

 

It was moved and seconded that the Executive’s recommendations for the budget, circulated to Members at the meeting, be approved.

 

Councillor Cordingley responded to the Motion on behalf of the Labour Group and gave notice of an amendment. Councillor Bowker then responded to the Motion on behalf of the Liberal Democrat Group.

 

Dealing with the amendment signified, it was moved and seconded as an amendment that:

 

“Trafford Labour Group notes with disappointment the ongoing policy of successive Conservative-led governments since 2010 to target local government cuts. This policy choice leads us to the position we find ourselves in this evening whereby we face a budget gap of some £22.95 million for the forthcoming financial year 2018/19. This latest budget round takes the total amount stripped from the Trafford budget since 2019 to more than £128 million – a process that over the past 8 years has seen this Council close libraries, children’s centres, day centres and centres supporting those with learning disabilities.

 

The Labour Group believes that this policy position is increasingly untenable and notes with concern the financial crisis engulfing Conservative-led councils such as Northamptonshire. In Trafford the budget process continues to be an enormous financial challenge and as an authority we recognise the significant issues faced by some of our most vulnerable people as austerity continues to pile pressure on those services the Council remains able to deliver. In particular we note with concern ongoing issues in adult social care, the lack of any effective youth provision in the borough and the impact this is having on young people and our communities, and the problems facing Trafford residents as a result of welfare reform and the failed policies of the national Tory Government.

 

With this in mind the following alternative budget proposals are put forward by the Labour Group in the interests of protecting our most vulnerable residents:

 

Alternative Budget proposals –

 

Saving:

 

Special Projects Fund (currently allocated £100,000 as ongoing revenue spend) – reduce from £100,000 to £20,000 generating an ongoing revenue saving of £80,000.

 

This £80,000 to be redirected as follows:

 

·        £30,000 to provide all Looked After Children with free use of all Trafford Leisure Trust facilities;

·        £50,000 to contingency within the Looked After Children Budget to mitigate against any volatility in the service area.

 

Reserves:

 

The budget proposals for 2018/19 require £1.6 million of support from the Budget Support Reserve, leaving £2.2 in this reserve. Proposal is to use £1.2 million of this (leaving £1m in the Support Reserve) as follows:

 

·        £1 million to be added to the contingency budget within Adult Social Care;

·        £100,000 to provide 12 month Youth Outreach project to target the rise in youth crime and anti-social behaviour throughout the borough and those at risk of emulating;

·        £100,000 to support revenue spend in advice services to mitigate the impact of welfare reform linked to Universal Credit by ensuring swift access to high quality services.

 

As a result of this amendment the net revenue budget would be set at £165.45 million for 2018/19.”

 

Following a debate on the matter, the amendment was put to the vote and declared lost.

 

It was moved and seconded as a second amendment that the substantive Motion be agreed with the following modification:

 

“Reduction of the Special Projects Fund from £100,000 to £70,000 and the creation of a £30,000 Fund to provide all Looked After Children with free use of all Trafford Leisure Trust facilities.”

 

The second amendment was agreed with the general consent of the Council

 

A further speech was made in respect of the substantive Motion and then, in accordance with procedures agreed at the outset of the debate, the Political Group Leaders summarised the essential views of their respective group and responded to some of the issues that had arisen from the debate.

 

The substantive Motion was then put to a recorded vote, in accordance with the Local Authorities (Standing Orders) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2014. The result was as follows:

 

Those in favour of the substantive Motion: Councillors S.A. Anstee, S.K. Anstee, Dr. Barclay, Miss Blackburn, Boyes, Mrs. Bruer-Morris, Bunting, Butt, Cawdrey, Chilton, Coupe, Mrs. Dixon, Mrs. Evans,  N. Evans, Mrs. Haddad, Holden, Hopps, Hyman, Lally, Lamb, Mitchell, Myers, J.R. Reilly, Mrs. Reilly, Rigby, Shaw, Mrs. Ward, Whetton, A.P. Williams and Mrs. Young.

 

Those against the substantive Motion: Councillors Acton, Adshead, Baugh, Bennett, Bowker, Mrs. Brophy, Brotherton, Carter, Cordingley, Duffield, Fishwick, Freeman, Harding, Hynes, Jarman, Lloyd, O’Sullivan, Procter, Ross, Stennett, Taylor, Walsh, A. Western, D. Western, A.J. Williams and Wright.

 

With the result of the vote being 30 in favour and 26 against, with no abstentions, the Motion was declared carried.

 

        RESOLVED –

 

(A)   That the Council approves:

 

(1)        The net Revenue Budget for 2018/19 at £164.25 million, subject to a reduction of the Special Projects Fund from £100,000 to £70,000 and the creation of a £30,000 Fund to provide all Looked After Children with free use of all Trafford Leisure Trust facilities.

 

(2)        The 2019/20 to 2020/21 Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) including the income and savings proposals.

 

(3)        The calculation of the Council Tax Requirement as summarised in Section 9.1 of the budget report and the update circulated at the meeting due to subsequent Greater Manchester Combined Authority budget changes.

 

(4)        The formal Council Tax Resolution, as required under statute and set out in (D) below.

 

(5)        To increase Council Tax by 4.99%:

 

·       2.99% general increase in the ‘relevant basic amount’ in 2018/19 and 1.99% in 2019/20 and 2020/21, and

·       2.0% for the ‘Adult Social Care’ precept in 2018/19 and 1.0% in 2019/20.

(6)        The policy changes as detailed in the budget report (Section 4.3.1).

 

(7)        The Fees and Charges for 2018/19, as set out in the Fees and Charges booklet available on the Council’s web site.

 

(8)        The delegation of authority to each Corporate Director, in consultation with the Chief Finance Officer, to amend fees and charges during 2018/19 in the event of any change in VAT rate, as appropriate.

 

(9)        That the minimum level of General Reserve for 2018/19 be retained at £6.0 million, the same as in 2017/18, Section 7.2 of the budget report.

 

(10)    The overall Capital Strategy and Programme level of £144.65 million (as detailed in the Capital Strategy and Prudential Indicators report) of which £59.42 million relates to 2018/19.

 

(11)    The Prudential Borrowing Indicators, as set out in in Appendix 3 and Appendix 4, to both the Treasury Management Strategy and Capital Strategy and Prudential Indicators reports respectively.

 

(12)    The distribution of Dedicated Schools Grant as recommended by the Executive as summarised in Section 8 and detailed in Annex I of the budget report.

 

 

(B)   That, in approving the above, it is noted that the Council has taken into consideration

 

(1)        The objective assessment by the Chief Finance Officer of the robustness of budget estimates and adequacy of the financial reserves (Section 7.3 and Annex H of the budget report).

 

(2)        The Executive’s response to the Scrutiny Committee’s recommendations to the budget proposals as included in a separate report on the agenda.

 

(3)        The Council’s Public Sector Equality duty.

 

(4)        The results of the consultation with staff on the extension of the mandatory leave scheme.

 

 

(C)   That in addition, the Council notes the following:

(1)        The approval on 9 January 2018 under delegated powers by the Chief Finance Officer of the Council Tax Base for 2018/19 at 76,045 Band D equivalents.

 

(2)        Along with the calculation of the estimated Council Tax surplus, sufficient to release £(0.5) million to support the Council’s 2018/19 revenue budget and a distribution of £(69)k and £(25)k representing the respective shares of the Mayoral Police and Crime Commissioner Precept and Mayoral General Precept (including Fire Services).

 

(3)        The base budget assumptions as set out in the Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) as detailed in Annex A of the budget report.

 

(4)        The budget gap for the two years 2019/20, £6.25 million and 2020/21, £8.85 million.

 

(5)        That the Capital Investment Programme for 2018/19, 2019/20 and 2020/21 is to be set at an indicative £59.42 million, £61.76 million and £23.47 million respectively (indicative at this stage as a number of capital grants not yet known).

 

(6)        That the Council Tax figures included in the report for the Mayoral Police and Crime Commissioner Precept and Mayoral General Precept (including Fire Services) are the approved amounts.

 

(7)        The Treasury Management Strategy 2018-21.

 

 

(D)   That, as referred to in A4 above, the Council calculates the formal Council Tax Resolution as follows:

 

PARISH COUNCIL PRECEPTS

 

 

 

 

Valuation Bands