Agenda and minutes

To confirm as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting held on 1 February 2023 (previously circulated).

The minutes of the meeting held on 1 February 2023 were not approved as it was noted that three members who weren’t present at the meeting had been listed as voting.

These minutes will be amended and submitted for approved at the next Full Council meeting.

To receive apologies for absence, if any.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors L. Brandon, R. Lass, and S. Thusu.

To note declarations of Members’ disclosable pecuniary interests, non-disclosable pecuniary interests and non-pecuniary interests in respect of items on the Agenda.

Councillors J. Bond, S. Boulton, T. Kingsbury, F. Thomson, and P. Zukowskyj each declared non-pecuniary interests in items on the agenda as appropriate as Members of Hertfordshire County Council.

Report of the Executive Director (Finance and Transformation) on setting the Council Tax for 2023/24.

Report of the Executive Director (Finance and Transformation) on setting the Council Tax for 2023/24.

The Council approved the 2023/24 budget at its meeting on 1 February 2023 and the purpose of the report is to set the Council tax for 2023/24.

The Borough precept amounts to £12,153,926. The County Council precept, which was agreed yesterday, is £70,434,331. The Police and Crime Commissioners precept is £10,440,369. Finally, the Parish and Town Council precepts add a further £2,031,154 which is 7%. These additional precepts are areas over which the council has no control as they are determined by the other authorities. Therefore, the Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council proportion is under 13% of the whole. Although, the Borough Council must collect the whole and then pass on over 87% of that collected.

The 2023/24 Local Government Finance Settlement was announced in February this year and does not alter the budget that was approved. The council will increase the average Band D Council Tax, excluding Parish and Town Council precepts, by £6.66, to £230.76 for 2023/24 which is 2.97%. Members will also be aware that the Council Tax increase does not reach the level where a referendum is required.

The recommendations in the report are, firstly, that the approved 2023/24 budget be noted. Secondly, that the gross tax base for 2023/24 is 44,131.8 and that the figure of 43,867.1 is the amount calculated by the council in accordance with Regulation 3 of the Local Authorities Calculation of Council Tax Base England Regulation 2012 as its council tax base for the year 2023/24, including deductions for council tax support and a collection rate of 99.4%.

The table at the top of page 4 of the report shows the tax base in each of the town and parish areas. Additionally, in accordance with statutory legislation, the Council is recommended to resolve items A-H on pages 4 and 5 of the report. noted that for the year 2023/24. The major precepting authorities, Hertfordshire County Council and the Police and Crime Commissioner for Hertfordshire, have stated the amounts in precepts issued to the council and are shown in the table at the bottom of page 5 and top of page 6 of the report. Additionally, the added parish precepts are shown in section 3 of the report.

It was moved by Councillor S. Boulton and seconded by Councillor T. Kingsbury.

Following debate, on being put to the meeting there voted:

RESOLVED:

(24 voting FOR and 21 AGAINST)

Voting FOR: A. Hellyer, B. Fitzsimon, B. Sarson, C. Juggins,

C. Stanbury, D. Richardson, F. Thomson, F. Wachuku, G. Ganney,

G. Michaelides, J. Bond, J. Lake, J. Boulton, J. Cragg, N. Pace, P. Smith, R. Trigg, S. Kasumu, S. Tunstall, S. Boulton, S. McNamara, T. Travell,

T. Mitchinson, and T. Kingsbury.

Voting AGAINST: D. Panter, D. Jones, F. Marsh, G. Moore, J. Broach,

J. Quinton, J. Ranshaw, J.P. Skoczylas, J. Weston, K. Thorpe, L. Crofton, L. Musk, L. Chesterman, M. Birleson, M. Holloway, M. Siewniak, P. Shah, P. Zukowskyj, R.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 51.