·         To consider and adopt the resolutions contained the joint reports of the Executive Member for Finance and Governance and the Director of Finance and Systems, presented to the Executive on 15 February 2023 and set out (a) - (d) below.

 

•         To set and approve the Council Tax Requirement for the District for the year beginning 1 April 2023, 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 2023/2024 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 Leader of the Main Opposition Group (or her nominee) would have a maximum of 15 minutes, whereas, the Leaders of the Minority Opposition Groups (or their respective nominees) would each have a maximum of 10 minutes to make their initial speeches. Each Opposition Group Leader (or their respective nominees) would each have a further maximum of 5 minutes to summarise on behalf of their respective Groups. Time for all other speeches would be restricted to a maximum of 3 minutes.)

 

The Leader of the Council and portfolio holder for Finance and Governance presented a number of reports setting out the proposed budget for the forthcoming year which had been recommended by the Executive at its meeting held earlier that evening.

 

It was moved and seconded that the Executive’s recommendations set out in each of the following reports be approved:

 

(a)       Executive’s Revenue Budget Proposals 2023/24 and Medium Term Financial Strategy 2024/25 – 2025/26;

(b)       Capital Strategy, Asset Investment Strategy, Capital Programme and Prudential and Local Indicators 2023-2026;

(c)       Treasury Management Strategy 2023/24 – 2025/26; and

(d)       Fees, Charges and Allowances 2023/24,

 

and that the Council sets and approves the amounts as the amounts of the Council Tax for the year 2023/2024, in accordance with the Local Government Finance Act 1992, as amended, for each of the categories of dwellings included in the respective valuation bands A to H.

 

Responding to the Motion, Councillor Morgan responded on behalf of the Conservative Group, Councillor Newgrosh responded on behalf of the Liberal Democrats Group and Councillor Jerrome responded on behalf of the Green Party Group, following which the budget proposals were debated..

 

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 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 Acton, Adshead, Axford, Bennett, Brotherton, G. Carter, K. Carter, Freeman, Gilbert, Harding, Hartley, Hassan, Haughey, Hornby, Hynes, Jarman, Jones, Maitland, O’Sullivan, Patel, K. Procter, S. Procter, Ross, Slater, Taylor, Thomas, Thompson, Walsh, D. Western, Whitham, Whyte, Williams, Winstanley and Wright.

 

Those against the substantive Motion: Councillors Miss Blackburn, Brophy, Butt, Chalkin, Coggins, Duncan, Ennis, Frass, Holden, Jerrome, Minnis, Morgan, Myers, Newgrosh, Welton, Whetton, Mrs. Young and Zhi.

 

With the result of the vote being 34 in favour and 18 against, with 0 abstentions and the Mayor choosing not to vote, the Motion was declared carried.

 

        RESOLVED:

 

(1)       That the Council:

 

a)     Approves the 2023/24 net Revenue Budget of £209.38 million.

 

b)     Approves the 2024/25 to 2025/26 Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) including the income and savings proposals.

 

c)     Notes the continued arrangements proposed in relation to an enhanced Finance and Change Programme and the role of the Finance and Change Board which will continue to work with the Executive on the development of sustainable budget plans to support the Council in meeting the financial challenges from 2024/25 onwards.

 

d)     Approves the calculation of the Council Tax Requirement, as summarised in Section 8.1 of the Revenue Budget Proposals report and the formal Council Tax Resolution set out at (2) below.

 

e)     Approves the proposal to increase Council Tax by 4.99% in 2023/24:

       

·     2.99% general increase in the ‘relevant basic amount’ in 2023/24; and

·     2% for the ‘Adult Social Care’ precept in 2023/24.

 

f)      Notes the assumptions in the Medium Term Financial Strategy to increase Council Tax by:

       

·     an increase in the ‘relevant basic amount’ of 2.99% in 2024/25 and 1.99% in 2025/26; and

·     2% for the ‘Adult Social Care’ precept in 2024/25 and 1% in 2025/26.

 

g)     Approves the planned application of earmarked reserves as detailed in Section 6 of the Revenue Budget Proposals report.

 

h)     Approves the Fees and Charges for 2023/24 and those relating to Registration of Births, Death and Marriages and Allotments also shown for 2024/25, as set out in the Fees and Charges booklet.

 

i)      Delegates authority jointly to each Corporate Director in consultation with the Director of Finance and Systems to amend fees and charges which are within their respective delegated powers during 2023/24 in the event of any change in VAT rate, as appropriate.

 

j)      Delegates authority jointly to each Corporate Director in consultation with the Director of Finance and Systems to amend fees and charges during 2023/24 which are within their respective delegated powers where the economics of the charge levels have changed (e.g. costs have risen unexpectedly), or for commercial reasons.

 

k)     Approves the virement of £100,000 from the Neighbourhood Grants budget for a period of two financial years to allow financial support towards the continuation of the Community Hubs.

 

l)      Approves the proposal to maintain the minimum level of General Reserve for 2023/24 at £9.5 million (Section 6.8 of the Revenue Budget Proposals report).

 

m)    Approves the Capital Strategy, Prudential and Local Indicators and overall level of the Capital Programme and Asset Investment Fund of £388.42 million (as detailed in the Capital Strategy, Capital Programme and Prudential Indicators 2023-26) of which £200.58 million relates to 2023/24; including the proposal in relation to £7.95 million of new prudential borrowing related to the Leisure Strategy of £3.5 million and £4.45 million to support the Local Authority Housing Fund.

 

n)     Approves the Treasury Management Strategy 2023/24 to 2025/26, including the Debt Strategy (Section 4), the updated policy on Minimum Revenue Provision (Section 5), the Treasury Investment Strategy (Section 6) and the Prudential Indicators, including the Authorised Limit (as required by Section 3(1) of the Local Government Act 2003, Operational Boundary, Minimum Revenue Provision and investment criteria, as set out in Sections 4 to 6 and Appendix 2 of the report.

 

o)     Approves the flexible use of capital receipts of up to £1.70 million over the two years 2023 to 2025 to support the cost of the Modernisation Team in developing the Council’s Finance and Change Programme.

 

p)     Approves the proposed distribution of Dedicated Schools Grant as recommended by the School Funding Forum and Executive, as summarised in Section 7 and detailed in Annex I of the Revenue Budget Proposals report.

 

q)     Due to the late publication of the Public Health Grant allocations, delegates authority to the Director of Finance and Systems to vary the net Revenue Budget for any changes in the assumed level of this grant.

 

r)      Delegate authority to the Director of Finance and Systems, in consultation with the Executive Member for Finance and Governance to administer the Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Fund (EBSSAF) scheme, as announced in December 2022. Guidance is yet to be released, and costs will be fully funded by a section 31 grant.

 

S)         Approves the declaration to be made of the Council’s intention to charge up to 100% premium on second homes with effect from 1^st April 2024 and to bring forward the time period under which a premium can be charged on empty properties from two years to one year. The declaration must be done 12 months prior to commencement as laid out in the draft Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill and is subject to its formal approval.

 

That in recommending approval of the above, the Council confirms that it has taken into consideration:

 

t)      The objective assessment by the Director of Finance and Systems of the robustness of budget estimates and adequacy of the financial reserves (Sections 1 and 6 of the Revenue Budget Proposals report).

 

u)     The Executive’s response to the Scrutiny Committee’s recommendations to the budget proposals, as included in a separate report considered at the Executive meeting held on 15 February 2023.

 

v)     The Council’s Public Sector Equality duty.

 

w)     The results of the consultation on the budget proposals where required.

 

x)     The changes to the Council Tax Support Fund 2023/24, as detailed in a separate report to the Executive on 23 January 2023.

 

That in addition, the Council notes the following:

 

y)     The approval on 17 January 2023 under delegated powers by the Director of Finance and Systems of the Council Tax Base for 2023/24 at 78,464 Band D equivalents.

 

z)     the estimated Council Tax surplus for 2022/23 has been calculated at £0.473 million, sufficient to release £0.385 million to support the Council’s budget plans and a distribution of £0.061 million and £0.027 million representing the respective shares of the Mayoral Police and Crime Commissioner Precept and Mayoral General Precept (including Fire Services).

 

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

 

bb)   The budget gap for the two years 2024/25, £6.95 million and 2025/26, £10.13 million.

 

cc)    That the Capital Programme for 2023/24, 2024/25 and 2025/26 is to be set at an indicative £200.58 million, £132.39 million and £55.45 million respectively (indicative at this stage as a number of capital grants are not yet known).

 

dd)   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 recommended provisional amounts pending their formal approval.

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Valuation Bands

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PARISH COUNCIL PRECEPTS