Issue - meetings

(a)            (Business Support Services Portfolio Holder) To consider the attached report.

(b)            To hold a recorded vote on the recommendations contained within the report, in accordance with the Council Procedure Rule 17.6 ‘Voting at Budget Decision Council 18 February 2016 5 Meetings’ which directs Members to comply with the Local Authorities (Standing Orders) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2014, immediately after any vote is taken at a budget decision meeting there must be recorded in the minutes of the proceedings of that meeting the names of the persons who cast a vote for the decision or against the decision or who abstained from voting.

“Budget decision” means a meeting at which:

(a) a calculation is made (whether originally or by way of substitute) in accordance with any of the Sections 31A, 31B, 34 to 36A, 42A, 42B, 45 to 49, 52ZF, 52ZJ of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, as amended; or

(b) a precept is issued under Chapter 4 of Part 1 of that Act,

and includes a meeting where making the calculation or issuing the precept as the case may be was included as an item of business on the agenda for that meeting. References to a vote are references to a vote not only on the substantive budget motions agreeing the budget, setting council taxes or issuing precepts, but also on any amendments proposed at the meeting.

Mover: Councillor C Whitbread, on behalf of the Business Support Services Portfolio Holder

Councillor C Whitbread presented a report on the Council Budget and Council Tax Declarations for 2019/20 and thanked all officers involved in the process.

There voted for the recommendations (44) namely: N Avey, R Baldwin, R Bassett, P Bolton, R Brookes, L Burrows, K Chana, D Dorrell, R Gadsby, A Grigg, I Hadley, S Heap, S Heather, B Jennings, J Jennings, H Kane, S Kane, H Kauffman, P Keska, J Knapman, Y Knight, J Lea, A Lion, M McEwen, L Mead, R Morgan, S Murray, S Neville, M Owen, A Patel, J Philip, C C Pond, C P Pond, B Rolfe, M Sartin, S Stavrou, D Stocker, D Sunger, B Vaz, C Whitbread, H Whitbread, J H Whitehouse, J M Whitehouse and D Wixley.

There voted against the recommendations (0).

Abstentions (0).

Report as first moved ADOPTED

            RESOLVED:

            Budget

(1)  That the list of CSB growth and savings for the 2019/20 budget (set out in Annex 1) be approved;

(2)    That the list of District Development Fund and Invest to Save items for the 2019/20 budget (set out in Annexes 2 and 3) be approved;

(3)    That the revenue estimates for 2019/20 and the draft Capital Programme for 2019/20 be approved as set out in Annexes 4, 5 (a-i) and 6 including all contributions to and from reserves as set out in the attached Annexes;

(4)    That the Medium Term Financial Strategy be approved as set out in Annexes 9 a and 9 b;

(5)    That the 2019/20 HRA budget be approved on the basis that a contribution to the self-financing reserve of £500,000 was made, and that the application of rent  decreases resulting in an average decrease of 1% from £95.57 to £94.61, be approved;

(6)    That the Council's policy of retaining revenue balances at no lower than £4.0M or 25% of the net budget requirement whichever was the higher for the four year period to 2021/22 be amended to no lower than £4.0M or 25% of the net budget requirement whichever was the higher during the four year period up to and including 2022/23;

(7)    That the report of the Chief Financial Officer on the robustness of the estimates for the purposes of the Council’s 2019/20 budgets and the adequacy of the reserves (set out in Annex 10) be noted;

(8)    That the Capital Strategy (sent out in Annex 11) for the period 2018/19 to 2022/23 be adopted.

Declaration of Council Tax

(9)    That it be noted that under delegated authority the Assistant Director of Resources, in consultation with the Business Support Services Portfolio Holder, calculated the Council Tax Base 2019/20:

(a)       for the whole Council area as 54,159.4 (Item T in the formula in Section 31B of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, as amended); and

(b)          for dwellings in those parts of its area to which a Parish precept relates           

as set out below and in Annex 7.

Tax Base

Abbess,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 93

To consider the attached report (C-032-2018/19) .

(1)          That the Cabinet considered the Council’s 2019/20 General Fund budgets and make recommendations to the Full Council meeting on 21 February 2019 to adopt the following:

(2)          That the Cabinet recommends to the Full Council that the 2019/20 HRA budget including the revised revenue estimates for 2018/19 be agreed;

(3)          That the Cabinet notes that rent reductions proposed for 2019/20 would give an average overall fall of 1%;

(4)          That Cabinet recommends to Full Council the adoption of the Capital Strategy 2018/19 to 2022/23;

(5)          That the Cabinet notes the Chief Financial Officer’s report to the Council on the robustness of the estimates for the purposes of the Council’s 2019/20 budgets and the adequacy of the reserves.

The Business Support Portfolio Holder introduced the Council’s budget report for 2019/10. This report set out the detailed recommendations for the Council’s budget for 2019/20. The budget added £0.51m to reserves and the Council’s policy on the level of reserves could be maintained throughout the period of the Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS). Over the course of the MTFS the use of reserves to support spending peaks at £1.153m in 2021/22 and reduces to £0.384m in 2022/23. The budget assumed that Council Tax would not increase in 2019/20 and that average Housing Revenue Account rents would decrease by 1% in 2019/20.

The Portfolio Holder noted that with the phasing out of the Government’s revenue support grant the Council was aiming to maintain and enhance local services as it became entirely self-financing. The council was able to do this as it continued to reap the rewards of long term planning and innovation.

He highlighted the council’s commercial property portfolio that was valued at £140million, which included North Weald Airfield Industrial estates and the Epping Forest shopping park and the High Street shop units. It was also noted that the National Police Air Service at North Weald was the latest major tenant supporting the District Council Services. Other ways that the council continues to recoup costs without increasing council taxes was by using fees and charges. Major contracts with service providers such as Biffa and the provision of leisure services by Place for People who run existing leisure centres and will help in the provision of a new one in Epping. The Council was also making a more efficient council through innovation and investment. All these and more came together as a package and contributed to a more efficient council while enabling the council to freeze council tax for yet another year.

The Chief Finance Officer noted that this report had been considered by the Finance and Performance Management Cabinet Committee and will go on to the full Council meeting at the end of February. Officers had now received the final local government settlement and were proposing that the CSB be no more than £12million.

Councillor Philip noted recommendation 3 where is said that rent reductions would be kept at 1%. Was that 1% on a weekly basis to take this budget forward? The Business Services Portfolio Holder said it was right to point out that this particular issue was causing problems for all local authorities, as the forthcoming calendar year had 53 weeks with a Monday so we were continuing to work closely with the LGA and seeking clarification from the Government so that we can follow the correct policy.

Councillor Lion said that he was encouraged to see no increase in council charges for the year and, that transformation was having a major impact in the way we worked and in improving our efficiencies. Well done to the officers on the finance side.

Councillor Stavrou also said it was an excellent report from the finance officers and as the housing  ...  view the full minutes text for item 78