Agenda item

Executive Committee

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

 

12th February 2013

 

Matters requiring the Council’s consideration may include:

 

  • Redditch Growth Consultation;
  • Draft Borough of Redditch Local Plan No.4;
  • Housing Revenue Account – Initial Estimate 2013/14;
  • Fees and Charges 2013/14; and
  • Independent remuneration Panel for Worcestershire District Councils – Annual report and Recommendations  for 2013/14.

 

18th February 2013

 

Matters requiring the Council’s consideration will include:

 

  • Medium Term Financial Plan 2013/14 – 2015/16 and Council Tax Setting 2013/14.

 

(Minutes for 12th February 2013 attached)

Minutes:

Members received the minutes of the meeting of the Executive Committee held on 12th February 2013 and considered the recommendations of the meeting of that Committee earlier the same evening, 18th February 2013.

 

12th February 2013

 

The Council considered the draft documentation being proposed for use in consultation on cross-boundary housing growth. As at the Executive Committee meeting the preceding week, concern was expressed at the lack of potential options available upon which consultees might comment. Whilst it was acknowledged that the selection of potential sites for growth would require the best judgement of both Planning Officers and Members, it was suggested that providing further sites for possible consideration would enable more meaningful responses to be provided to the consultation process.  The point was also made that the Borough needed to be protected by a defendable local plan.

 

During consideration of the minutes, some Councillors referred to the nature of debate about one item at the Executive Committee meeting on 12th February.  During this, Councillor Michael Braley gave a statement outlining the background to his expression of views at the meeting and referring to potential actions he intended to take in his political life.

 

RESOLVED that

 

1)         the minutes of the meeting of the Executive Committee held on 12th February 2013 be received and all recommendations adopted, with the exception of Minute 144 (Redditch Growth Consultation); and

 

in respect of Minute 148 (Fees and Charges 2013/14), it being agreed that the Portfolio Holder for Leisure and Tourism, in consultation with Officers, would give further consideration to the increase in charge for Junior Swimming Lessons (proposed increase - £50.70 [2012/13] to £59.80 [2013/14]) and report back to the next meeting of the Council;

 

18th February 2013

 

RESOLVED that

 

to enable Members to approve the budget for 2013/14, 2014/15 & 2015/16:

 

2)         the Council determines the level of Council Tax discount to be applied to the prescribed classes of dwellings as defined by the Council Tax (Prescribed Classes of Dwellings) (England) Regulations 2003 (as amended) for

 

a)     Class A [ “second homes with planning restriction”] be set at 0% - no discount

b)     Class B [“second homes without planning restriction”] be set at 0% - no discount

c)     Class C [vacant dwellings] be set at:

a.      Where the dwelling appears in the Valuation List for the first time and it has been continuously unoccupied and substantially unfurnished since the effective date of entry into the list:

                                                                          i.      for the first 3 months from the date of entry into the list 100%

                                                                        ii.      for periods of more than 3 months and for less than 6 months 50%

                                                                      iii.      for periods of 6 months or more 0% - no discount

b.     Where the dwelling has been unoccupied and substantially unfurnished for a continuous period of less than 6 months 50%

c.      where the dwelling has been continuously unoccupied and substantially unfurnished for 6 months or more 0% - no discount

d)     Class D [uninhabitable dwellings] be set at 100%

 

For the purposes of Class C when considering whether a dwelling falls within the class any period of occupation, not exceeding 6 weeks, during which it was not unoccupied and substantially unfurnished shall be disregarded.

 

3)         the powers to reduce the Council Tax payable on a case by case basis , as provided by Section 13A 1(c) of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, be delegated to the Executive Director of Finance and Resources and the Revenue Services Manager;

 

4)         authority be delegated to the Head of Legal, Equalities and Democratic Services to amend the Scheme of Delegation to Officers to implement 3) above;

 

5)         it be noted that at its meeting on the 15th of January 2013 Council calculated the following amounts for the year 2013/14 in accordance with regulations made under Section 33 (5) of the Local Government Finance Act 1992:

 

a)                                                                                                  23,787.62

 

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 – 362.08

           

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);

 

6)         the following amounts be now calculated by the Council for the year 2013/14 in accordance with Sections 31 to 36 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992:

 

a)         £72,653,473

 

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.

 

(2013/14 Gross General Fund Expenditure)

 

b)                                                                                                  £67,669,246

 

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

 

(2013/14 Gross General Fund Income)

 

c)         £4,984,227

 

being the amount by which the aggregate at 6(a) above exceeds the aggregate at 6(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).

 

(2013/14 Council Tax Requirement)

 

d)         £209.53

 

being the amount at 6(c) above (item R) divided by the amount at 5(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)         £8,265

 

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

                       

(Feckenham Parish Precept)

 

f)          £209.18

 

being the amount at 6(d) above less the result given by dividing the amount at 6(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)         £232.01

 

being the amount given by adding to the amount at 6(f) above, the amount of the special item relating to the Parish of Feckenham, divided by the amount in 5(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

£154.67

£139.46

B

7/9

£180.45

£162.70

C

8/9

£206.23

£185.94

D

1

£232.01

£209.18

E

11/9

£283.57

£255.67

F

13/9

£335.13

£302.15

G

15/9

£386.68

£348.64

H

18/9

£464.02

£418.37

 

 

 

 

 

            being the amounts given by multiplying the amounts at 6(f) and 6(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;

 

7)         it be noted that, for the year 2013/14, 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:

 

 

 

Valuation Band

Proportion of Band D tax paid

Precepting Authority

 

 

Worcestershire County Council

West Mercia Police  & Crime Commissioner

H & W

Fire & Rescue

Authority

A

6/9

£692.71

£119.15

£49.10

B

7/9

£808.16

£139.00

£57.27

C

8/9

£923.61

£158.86

£65.46

D

1

£1,039.06

£178.72

£73.64

E

11/9

£1,269.97

£218.44

£90.00

F

13/9

£1,500.87

£258.15

£106.38

G

15/9

£1,731.77

£297.87

£122.73

H

18/9

£2,078.13

£357.44

£147.28

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8)         having calculated the aggregate in each case of the amounts at 6(h) and 7 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 2013/14 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

£1,015.63

£1,000.42

B

7/9

£1,184.88

£1,167.13

C

8/9

£1,354.16

£1,333.87

D

1

£1,523.43

£1,500.60

E

11/9

£1,861.98

£1,834.08

F

13/9

£2,200.52

£2,167.55

G

15/9

£2,539.05

£2,501.01

H

18/9

£3,046.87

£3,001.22

 

9)         the level of General Fund balances to be utilised in 2013/14 be nil;

 

10)      the Council’s relevant basic amount of Council Tax for 2013/14 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 2013/14 is excessive and the billing authority is not required to hold a referendum in accordance with Section 52ZK Local Government Act 1992;

 

11)      a bid for Gypsy & Traveller Accommodation Assessment of £14K be approved and funded from general fund balances detailed in paragraph 3.30;

 

12)      a bid for Green Deal up to £10K be approved and funded from general fund balances detailed in paragraph 3.32;

 

13)      the use of balances totalling £24,000 be approved; and

 

14)      the Pay Policy Statement at Appendix B be approved.

 

Supporting documents: