Agenda item

To receive the minutes and consider the recommendations and/or referrals from the following meetings of the Executive Committee:

 

3^rd February 2015

 

·         Medium term financial plan 2015-16 – 2017-18.

 

23^rd February 2015

 

·         Medium Term Financial Plan 2015-16 – 2017-18.

 

Minutes, decisions and reports from the meeting held on 3^rd February are attached.  The report to the meeting on 23^rd February are included with the agenda papers for that meeting of the Committee.

 

Note that under the Local Authorities (Standing Orders) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2014, the Council is required to take a named vote when a decision is made on the budget calculation or Council tax at a budget decision meeting of the Council.

 

Under Section 106 of the Local Government Act 1992, any Councillor who is 2 or more months in arrears with their Council tax payments cannot participate in any item at the Council meeting concerning the budget.  This statutory provision overrides any dispensation granted.

The Council considered the minutes of the meeting of the Executive Committee held on 26^th January in conjunction with the recommendations as detailed and put forward, from the Executive Agenda for the meeting of 23^rd February 2015 in respect of the Medium Term Financial Plan and the Council Tax setting for 2015/16.

 

In proposing the recommendations, the Deputy Leader thanked all officers for the hard work which had ensured that the Council was able to achieve a balanced budget with a three year plan moving forward, without having an impact on frontline services.  It was highlighted that the Council would continue to provide free swimming for specific groups within the community together with concessionary travel before 9.30 am and continue to support the voluntary sector through the grants panel process.  A new scheme would also be created which would support new small businesses and Borough Council employees would be paid the living wage.

 

The discussion of a number of matters followed including:

 

·         Criticisms raised within the Auditors’ Report relating to unidentified savings which it was suggested left some services in a vulnerable position.

·         Support for the additional capital bids – the Essential Living Fund, Small Business Support and Energy Management.

·         The increase in Council Tax and the effect it would have on residents – it was anticipated that on average it meant an increase of 8p per week.

·         The benefits from increasing the Council Tax as opposed to the cumulative effect of not doing so.

·         The use of reserves and the sale of Council assets in order to present a balanced budget.

·         The reduction in government grant funding and the overall impact it  had on the budget.

·         Paying staff the living wage.

·         The availability of data to enable the Council to measure the benefits from providing free swimming and concessionary travel.

·         The increasing number of properties being built and the New Homes Bonus received as a consequence of this.

 

With reference to the inclusion of savings relating to a change in delivery arrangements for Leisure, a view was expressed that the level of risk in the proposal was too high for the decision on savings to be taken at his stage.  Councillors had not yet considered detailed information about the proposal.  It was accepted that money could be saved, but it was suggested that savings should be used to re-invest in the facilities and that achieving savings should not be the only driver for change.

   

The Deputy Leader responded by confirming that a number of options would be considered and that the report which would be considered by the Executive Committee would be compiled independently from the Council.  If the proposed savings were not likely to be achieved during the year than alternative options for achieving these would be considered. 

 

The recommendations on the Medium Term Financial Plan 2015/16 – 2017/18 were the subject of the following named votes in accordance with Council Procedure rule 17.5.  The Mayor agreed to take separate votes on resolutions 1, 2 and 5 and resolutions 3, 4 and 6-11.

 

Members voting FOR the motion in respect of Resolutions 1, 2 and 5, below:

 

Councillors Joe Baker, Roger Bennett, Rebecca Blake, Michael Braley, Andrew Brazier, Natalie Brookes, Juliet Brunner, David Bush, Greg Chance, Brandon Clayton, John Fisher, Andrew Fry, Carole Gandy, Pattie Hill, Gay Hopkins, Wanda King, Alan Mason, Phillip Mould, Jane Potter, Mark Shurmer, Rachel Smith, Yvonne Smith, Debbie Taylor, David Thain, John Witherspoon, Pat Witherspoon and Nina Wood-Ford (27).

 

Members voting AGAINST the motion in respect of Resolutions 1, 2 and 5, below:

 

None.

 

Members abstaining from voting in respect of Resolutions 1, 2 and 5, below:

 

None.

 

Members voting FOR the motion in respect of Resolutions 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11, below:

 

Councillors Joe Baker, Rebecca Blake, Natalie Brookes, Greg Chance, John Fisher, Andrew Fry, Pattie Hill, Wanda King, Alan Mason, Phillip Mould, Mark Shurmer, Rachael Smith, Yvonne Smith, Debbie Taylor, John Witherspoon, Pat Witherspoon and Nina Wood-Ford (17)

 

Members voting AGAINST the motion in respect of Resolutions 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11, below:

 

Councillors Roger Bennett, Michael Braley, Andrew Brazier, Juliet Brunner, David Bush, Brandon Clayton, Carole Gandy, Gay Hopkins, Jane Potter and David Thain (10)

 

Members abstaining from voting in respect of Resolutions 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11, below:

 

None.

 

Accordingly, the motions were approved, and it was consequently

 

RESOLVED that

 

1)    the bids of £91k for 2015/16 as detailed within the report in relation to Essential Living Fund, Small Business Support and the spend to save funds for energy management be approved;

 

2)    the unavoidable pressures be approved as detailed in Appendix 1 of

 

2015/16 £238k

2016/17 £230k

2017/18 £241k

 

3)    the savings be approved as detailed at Appendix 2 of

 

2015/16 £986k

2016/17 £1.476m

2017/18 £1.516m

 

4)    the increase in Council Tax of 1.9% for 2015/16 be approved;

 

5)    the Capital Bids be approved as detailed in Appendix 3 of

 

2015/16 £2.574m

2016/17 £1.395m

2017/18 £1.385m

 

6)    it be noted that at its Executive Committee meeting on the 20th of January 2015 Council calculated the following amounts for the year 2015/16 in accordance with regulations made under Section 33 (5) of the Local Government Finance Act 1992:

 

a)                  £24,846.71

 

Being the amount calculated by the Council, in accordance with regulation 3 of the Local Authorities (Calculation of Council Tax Base) Regulations 1992, as its Council Tax Base for the year (item T in the formula in Section 31B of the Local Government  Finance Act 1992 as amended (the ‘Act’);

 

b)                  Feckenham Parish – £363.06

 

                                                     being the amount calculated by the Council, in accordance with regulation 6 of the regulations, as the amount of its Council Tax Base for the year for dwellings in those parts of its area to which one or more special items relate (item TP in the formula in Section 34(3) of the Act);

 

7)    the following amounts be now calculated by the Council for the year 2015/16 in accordance with Sections 31 to 36 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992:

 

a)                  £88,806,436

 

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 the precept issued by Feckenham Parish Council.

 

(2015/16 Gross General Fund Expenditure)

 

b)            £83,401,248

 

being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 31A(3) of the Act.

 

(2015/16 Gross General Fund Income)

 

c)            £5,405,188

being the amount by which the aggregate at 2(a) above exceeds the aggregate at 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).

 

(2015/16 Council Tax Requirement)

 

d)            £217.54

being the amount at 2 (c) above (item R) divided by the

amount at 1 (a) above (item T), calculated by the Council, in accordance with Section 31B (1) of the Act, as the basic amount of Council Tax for the year (including parish precept).

 

(The average amount Band D properties pay for Redditch Borough Council services)

 

e)         £8,300

being the aggregate amount of all special items(Parish precepts) referred to in Section 34 (1) of the Act;

                

(Feckenham Parish Precept)

 

f)        £217.21

being the amount at 2(d) above less the result given by dividing the amount at 2(e) above by the amount at 1(a) (item T) above, calculated by the Council, in accordance with Section34 (2) of the Act, as the basic amount of Council Tax for dwellings in those parts of the area to which no special item relates.

 

(The amount Band D properties pay (except within the Parish of Feckenham) for Borough Council Services)

 

g)         £240.07

 

being the amount given by adding to the amount at 2(f) above, the amount of the special item relating to the Parish of Feckenham, divided by the amount in 1(b) above (item TP), calculated by the Council, in accordance with Section 34 (3) of the Act, as the basic amount of its Council Tax for the year for dwellings in the Parish of Feckenham;

 

(The amount Band D properties pay within the Parish of Feckenham for Borough Council Services including the Parish Precept)

 

 

h)

Valuation Band	Proportion of Band D tax paid	Part of Council’s area
		Parish of Feckenham   £	All other parts of the Councils area                 £
A	6/9	160.05	144.80
B	7/9	186.72	168.94
C	8/9	213.39	193.07
D	1	240.07	217.21
E	11/9	293.42	265.48
F	13/9	346.77	313.74
G	15/9	400.11	362.01
H	18/9	480.14	434.41

 

                                                     being the amounts given by multiplying the amounts at 2(f) and 2(g) above by the number which, in the proportion set out in Section 5(1) of the Act, is applicable to dwellings listed in a particular valuation band, divided by the number which in that proportion is applicable to dwellings listed in Valuation Band D, calculated by the Council, in accordance with Section 36(1) of the Act, as the amounts to be taken into account for the year in respect of categories of dwelling listed in different valuation bands;

 

8)        it be noted that, for the year 2015/16, Worcestershire County Council, West Mercia Police & Crime Commissioner and Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service have stated the following amounts in precepts issued to the Council, in accordance with Section 40 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, for each of the categories of dwellings shown below:

 

9)        having calculated the aggregate in each case of the amounts at 2(h) and 3 above, the Council, in accordance with Section 30 (2) of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, hereby sets the following amounts as the amounts of Council Tax for the year 2015/16 for each of the categories of dwellings shown below:

 

Valuation Band	Proportion of Band D tax paid	Part of Council’s area
		Parish of Feckenham             £	All other parts of the Council’s area   £
A	6/9	1,054.84	1,039.59
B	7/9	1,230.63	1,212.85
C	8/9	1,406.43	1,386.11
D	1	1,582.24	1,559.38
E	11/9	1,933.85	1,905.91
F	13/9	2,285.49	2,252.46
G	15/9	2,637.07	2,598.97
H	18/9	3,164.47	3,118.74

 

 

10)      the level of General Fund balances to be utilised in 2015/16 be zero.

 

11)        the Council’s relevant basic amount of Council Tax for 2015/16 is not excessive in accordance with the principles determined for the year by the Secretary of State under Section 52ZB Local Government Act 1992.

As the billing authority, the Council has not been notified by a major precepting authority that its relevant basic amount of Council Tax for 2015/16 is excessive and the billing authority is not required to hold a referendum in accordance with Section 52ZK Local Government Act 1992.