Agenda and minutes

To receive apologies for absence, if any.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors G Ganney, H Goldwater, S Thusu and S Tunstall.

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

The following councillors declared an interest as members of Hertfordshire County Council:

Councillor J Bond

Cllr S Boulton

Councillor T Kingsbury

Councillor F Thomson

Councillor P Zukowskyj.

Report of the Executive Director (Finance and Transformation).

Council received the report of the Executive Director (Finance and Transformation) on setting the Council Tax for 2024/25.

Council had received the 2024/25 budget at its meeting on 5 February 2024 and the purpose of the report was to set the Council Tax for 2024/25. Full Council was asked to agree the Council Tax apportionment including Parish, Town Council, Hertfordshire County Council and Police and Crime Commissioner’s precepts. The borough precept including parish precepts amounted to £12,641,873. The County Council precept which was agreed on 3 February 2024, was £73,692, 618. The Police and Crime Commissioner’s precept was £11,012,675, and the Parish and Town Council precepts were £2,217,125. The Council had no control over these additional precepts which were determined by other authorities. The Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council proportion including parishes was under 13% of the whole, although the Council was required to collect the whole Council Tax charge and then pass on over 87% of that collected. The 2024/25 Local Government Finance Settlement was announced in February this year and did not alter the budget that was approved by Council on 5 February 2024.    

The recommendations in the report are, firstly, that the approved 2024/25 General Fund budget be noted. Secondly, that the gross tax base for 2024/25 is 44,140.1 equivalent Band D properties before the application of a collection rate, and that 43,875.2 being the amount calculated by the Council, in accordance with Regulation 3 of the Local Authorities (Calculation of Council Tax Base) (England) Regulations 2012 (the Regulations), as its Council Tax Base for the year 2024/25; 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. It was noted that for the year 2024/25, 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 on pages 5 and 6 of the report. Additionally, the added parish precepts are shown in section 3 of the report. In summary the average Band D Council Tax for 2024/25 for the borough, including precepts from parish councils, Hertfordshire County Council and the Police and Crime Commissioner for Hertfordshire was £2,224.89, an increase of 4.91% as set out in paragraph 8.1 of the report.

It was moved by Councillor Jones and seconded by Councillor Chesterman.

Following debate, the vote was as follows:

RESOLVED

(26 voting for, 0 against and 18 abstentions)

Voting for: M. Birleson, S. Bonfante, J. Bond, J. Broach, L. Chesterman, L. Crofton, S. Goldwater, R. Grewal, M. Holloway, D. Jones, F. Marsh, G. Moore, L. Musk, A. Nix, D. Panter, R. Platt, J. Quinton, T. Rowse, A. Scott, M. Siewniak, P. Shah, JP Skoczylas, K. Thorpe, C. Watson,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 70.