Agenda and minutes

There were no apologies for absence.

To invite Councillors to declare any Disclosable Pecuniary Interests and / or Other Disclosable Interests they may have in items on the agenda, and to confirm the nature of those interests.

There were no declarations of interest.

The Leader highlighted that a number of papers, including three supplementary agenda packs, had been published for consideration at the meeting.  These packs included copies of the Council Tax Resolutions, Appendix A to the Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP) 2025/26 to 2027/28 and an additional recommendation in respect of the MTFP that had been added following publication of the main agenda. 

In addition, the supplementary packs detailed recommendations arising from a recent meeting of the Budget Scrutiny Working Group (BSWG) at which the MTFP had been considered.  On behalf of the Executive Committee, the Leader thanked the BSWG for their hard work and noted that their recommendations would be considered alongside that report.

RESOLVED that

the minutes of the meeting of the Executive Committee held on 4^th February 2025 be approved as a true and correct record and signed by the Chair.

The Strategic Planning and Conservation Manager presented the Local Development Scheme for Members’ consideration. 

The Committee was advised that the Local Development Scheme detailed the proposed timetable for the production of the new Local Plan for the Borough of Redditch.  This report had been produced in response to instructions arising from the Government as part of the new National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF).  Councils had been notified of the need to produce new Local Development Schemes within a period of 12 weeks of receiving this instruction.  Councils that failed to do so were at risk of Government intervention.  The Local Development Scheme addressed key timelines and deadlines but did not specify the proposed content of the future Local Plan.

New guidance was due to be issued at a national level in respect of Local Plans by the end of the year.  In the meantime, Officers were in the process of preparing an issues and options appraisal, which would be subject to public consultation.  This was the first stage of the Local Plan process and would provide an opportunity for local residents and other interested stakeholders to contribute their views and aspirations for the Local Plan.  There would be two more rounds of consultation before the Council reached the public inquiry stage.

Following the presentation of the report, Members discussed the content and in doing so noted that the timeframes available to Councils to produce a Local Plan had changed under the new NPPF.  In previous years, Councils had been able to dedicate years to work on the preparation of a Local Plan.  Under the new arrangements, the Council would have 30 months to prepare a Local Plan.  In this context, it was suggested that the authority might require additional external support to help complete the preparation of the new Local Plan according to deadline.

Reference was made to the opportunities that would be available for Members to contribute to the development of the new Local Plan.  The Committee was informed that meetings of the Planning Advisory Panel (PAP) would take place throughout the process and all Members could attend these meetings.  The Leader therefore urged Members to attend PAP meetings in order to help shape the Local Plan.

RECOMMENDED that

1)          Redditch Borough Council Local Development Scheme 2025 is approved as the Council’s programme for plan-making, effective as of 24^th February 2025; and

2)          delegated authority be granted to the Assistant Director for Planning and Leisure Services, following consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Planning, Regeneration and Governance, to approve updates to the Local Development Scheme as required.

The Deputy Chief Executive and Section 151 Officer presented the Council Tax Resolutions 2025/26 for the Committee’s consideration.

Members were informed that the report provided instructions to Officers to issue Council Tax requests to local residents on behalf of precepting authorities.  The Council had set the Council Tax Base in January 2025 at 26,455.5 for the whole area and for dwellings in the Parish Precept area of Feckenham Parish at 382.1.  The Council Tax Resolutions focused on the next stage of the Council Tax setting process and an increase of 2.99 per cent, in terms of Council Tax contributions for the Borough, was being proposed in line with Government assumptions. 

The Committee was reminded that the Council collected Council Tax on behalf of Redditch Borough Council as well as other precepting authorities.  The other precepting authorities were Worcestershire County Council, the Police and Crime Commissioner for West Mercia and Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service.  The proportion of Council Tax payments from households paid to each precepting authority differed, with Worcestershire County Council receiving the largest contribution.

Following the presentation of the report, Members discussed the content and in doing so noted that a 2.99 per cent increase to Council Tax in 2025/26 would be necessary in order to address a pressure in the budget arising from a 0 per cent increase in the Local Government Settlement for the authority.

RESOLVED to NOTE that at meetings of the Executive and Council held in January 2025, Members approved the calculated Council Tax Base 2025/26 as:

(a)        for the whole Council area as 26,455.5 [item T in the formula in section 31B of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, as amended (the “Act”)]; and

(b)       for dwellings in those parts of its area to which a parish precept relates; this being Feckenham Parish, as 382.1.

RECOMMENDED

1)          the calculation for the Council Tax requirement for the Council’s own purposes for 2025/26 (excluding parish precepts) as £7,345,116.71;

2)          that the following amounts be calculated for the year 2025/26 in accordance with sections 31 to 36 of the Act:

a)         £50,366,2909.22 being the aggregate of the amounts which the council estimates for the items set out in section 31A(2) of the Act (taking into account all precepts issued to it by Parish Councils) (i.e., gross expenditure)

b)        £42,961,173.51 being the aggregate of the amounts which the council estimates for the items set out in section 31A(3) of the Act. (i,e gross income);

c)         £7,405,116.71 being the amount by which the aggregate of 1.2.2(a) above exceeds the aggregate of 1.2.2(b) above, calculated by the Council, in accordance with section 31A(4) of the Act, as its Council Tax requirement for the year. (Item R in the formula in section 31B of the Act);

d)        £279.91 being the amount at 1.2.2(c) above (Item R), all divided by Item T (1.1(a) above), calculated by the Council, in accordance with section 31B of the Act, as the basic amount of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 84.

As this report was considered at the previous meeting of the Executive Committee, held on 4^th February 2025, only the covering report and Appendix A to the report, which has not previously been circulated, will be provided for consideration for this item.

The covering report is attached to this agenda for information.  Appendix A to the report will follow in a supplementary pack.

This report is due to be pre-scrutinised at a meeting of the Budget Scrutiny Working Group scheduled to take place on 18^th February 2025, after the publication of the main agenda for this meeting.  Any recommendations arising from the meeting of the group will be reported for the Executive Committee’s consideration in a supplementary pack for this meeting.

The Deputy Chief Executive and Section 151 Officer presented the Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP) 2025/26 to 2027/28 Tranche 2 report for Members’ consideration.

Members were reminded that the Committee had previously considered the report at a meeting held on 4^th February 2025, when recommendations on this subject had been endorsed by the Executive Committee, and this had been reflected in the report.  However, at that time, Appendix A to the report had not been available to consider and therefore arrangements had been made for the Committee to reconsider the item in order to provide an opportunity to note the content of that Appendix. 

Since that date, the Council had received a letter from Birmingham City Council, which managed the funding due to all Councils that had previously been members of the former Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership (GBSLEP).  This letter, a copy of which had been sent to all former members of the GBSLEP, had asked that no business cases be submitted in 2025/26 requesting funding.  The Council was challenging this request.  However, it was considered prudent to update the MTFP to list access to these funds as a risk in the 2025/26 financial year.

During consideration of this item, Members noted that the MTFP 2025/26 to 2027/28 Tranche 2 report had been pre-scrutinised at a meeting of the BSWG held on Tuesday 18^th February 2025.  At that meeting, Members had proposed the following recommendations for the consideration of the Executive Committee:

1)          “That the Council review as a priority all grants and funding available to ensure that the Council’s use of them is maximised.  

2)          To note that Budget Scrutiny Working Group is dissatisfied with the Budget as presented and has major concerns about the viability and inherent risks of this Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP). The Executive is asked to take action to mitigate the risks to the Budget outlined in the MTFP Tranche 2 report.”

The Executive Committee discussed each of these recommendations in turn.  In respect of the first recommendation, Members suggested that the Council already reviewed all grants and funding sources available to the Council as part of the ongoing budget setting process.  The Council was also due to recruit to a new post, of a bid writer for the Council, which would enable the Council to maximise any attempts to access additional grant funding available to local government.  Under these circumstances, the Executive Committee suggested that this recommendation from the BSWG was not necessary.

In respect of the second recommendation from the BSWG, Members commented that they disagreed with the premise of the recommendation.  Instead, Executive Committee Members commented that viable proposals had been included in the MTFP 2025/26 to 2027/28.  Furthermore, Members commented that a significant amount of work had been undertaken to identify and mitigate against risks identified in the report.  There was also greater certainty in respect of reserves and balances, following the submission of three sets of accounts.  In this context, Members commented  ...  view the full minutes text for item 85.

The Leader confirmed that there were no outstanding recommendations from the meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on 3^rd February 2025 requiring consideration.

RESOLVED that

the minutes of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting held on 3^rd February 2025 be noted.

To receive and consider any outstanding minutes or referrals from the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, Executive Panels etc. since the last meeting of the Executive Committee, other than as detailed in the items above.

Members were informed that there were no referrals from the Overview and Scrutiny Committee or Executive Advisory Panels for consideration on this occasion.