Agenda item

It was moved and seconded by Councillors A.Rohale and F.Marsh that the recommendations in the report be amended as follows:-

“Increase Youth Service earmarked reserve by £25,000 to £50,000”.

On being put to the meeting the amendment to the recommendations was CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY.

The recommendations in the report, as amended, were then put to the meeting and it was

RESOLVED:

(22 voting FOR and 20 AGAINST)

Voting FOR: D.Bell, E.Boulton, J.Boulton, S.Boulton, H.Bower, J.Cragg, B.Fitzsimon, P.Hebden, S.Kasumu, T.Kingsbury, R.Lass, S.Markiewicz, G.Michaelides, T.Mitchinson, N.Pace, D.Richardson, B.Sarson, P.Smith, F.Thomson, S.Thusu, R.Trigg, S.Wrenn

Voting AGAINST: L.Brandon, J.Caliskan, A.Chesterman, L.Chesterman, M.Cowan, A.Dennis, S.Elam, G.Hayes, M.Larkins, F.Marsh, L.Musk, H.Quenet, J.Quinton, J.Ranshaw, A.Rohale P.Shah, JP.Skoczylas, K.Thorpe, J.Weston, P.Zukowskyj

RESOLVED:

(1)     That the Council notes the recommendations from Cabinet, and the Statement of the Chief Financial Officer on the robustness of budgets and adequacy of reserves (appendix N).

(2)     That the Council also notes that the following amounts for the year 2020/21 have been set in accordance with regulations made under Sections 31A and 31B of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 as agreed by Cabinet on 6 January 2020:

General Fund

(1)     The proposed General Fund Budget as summarised in Appendix A, and detailed in Appendix B.

(2)     The inclusion of the savings and growth proposals into the budget as detailed in Appendices C and D.

(3)     The approval of the 2020/21 fees and charges which have been incorporated into the budget proposals, as set out in Appendix E.

(4)     The increase in the Council’s Band D Tax of £3.15 (1.49%), taking the average Band D Tax to £214.92 for 2020/21.

(5)     That £100,000 be added to the Climate Change earmarked reserve from the 2020/21 budget, the expenditure of which will be delegated to the Corporate Director (Resources, Environment and Cultural Services) and Corporate Director (Planning, Public Protection and Governance), in consultation with the Executive Members (Resources), and (Governance, Public Health and Climate Change) and the Cross Party Climate Change Member Group.

(6)     That £1.2M be added to the Pensions earmarked reserve from the 2020/21 budget to help the Council meet its potential pensions liability in year three of the proposed medium term financial strategy with the current balance of the reserve being used towards an additional payment to the fund in 2019/20 as required by the pensions actuary.

(7)     That the Budget Priority and Transformation earmarked reserve be renamed as Modernisation reserve and that authority for its expenditure be delegated to the Modernisation Board (Chief Executive, Corporate Directors and Corporate Modernisation Lead), in consultation with the Leader and Executive Member (Resources).

(8)     That the Increase in Youth Service earmarked reserve be increased by £25,000 to £50,000.

Housing Revenue Account (HRA)

(1)     That dwelling rents be increased by CPI+1% in accordance with Government legislation, resulting in an average rent of £106.16 per week.

(2)     The continuation of the policy to charge formula rent when vacant properties are re-let.

(3)     The approval of the Housing Revenue Account budget for 2020/21 as shown in Appendix F.

(4)     The approval of the 2020/21 fees and charges which have been incorporated into the budget proposals, as set out in Appendix H.

(5)     The Medium Term Financial Strategy to maintain Housing Revenue Account working balances to around 5% of rental income.

Capital Programme

(1)     The approval of the Capital Programme for 2020/21 to 2024/25 as set out in Appendix I.

(2)     The approval of the Capital Financing for the Capital Programme for 2020/21 to 2024/25 as set out in Appendix J, and noting the forecast capital balances in Appendix K.

(3)     That the capital project “Parking Programme” be increased by £50,000 for 2020/21. The capital expenditure will increase from £250,000 to £300,000 to be funded from General Fund capital reserves.

Medium Term Financial Strategy

(1)     The approval of the Medium-Term Financial Strategy and Financial Governance Framework, including all annexes and prudential indicators for 2020/21 – 2022/23 as set out in Appendix L.