Decision details

Cabinet:

Recommended to Council to:

a)    Take into account the detailed budgets presented at Appendix B (white pages), and summarised at Appendix A (blue page), with an estimated General Fund Gross Operating Expenditure for 2021/2022 of £71.633 million, estimated Gross Operating Income of £49.145 million and estimated General Fund Net Operating Expenditure of £22.488 million;

b)    Acknowledge the key factors which have led to the proposed General Fund Revenue Budget, with service pressures summarised at Appendix C and offsetting efficiency savings/policy options summarised at Appendix D;

c)    Acknowledge that the 2021/2022 General Fund Revenue Budget gross expenditure is covered by forecast income sources (assuming no change in Government grant) and, therefore, any addition(s) to expenditure that are made by the Cabinet or Council will need to be met from the General Fund Balance;

d)    Approve the 2021/2022 General Fund Revenue Budget taking into account the statement by the Chief Finance Officer on the risks and robustness of the estimates as required under Section 25 of the Local Government Act 2003 (reproduced at Appendix F);

e)    Set the Council Tax Requirement for 2021/2022 at £9,994,789;

f)      Approve an increase in the District element of the Council Tax of £5 per annum, giving an average Band D Council Tax of £155.31, plus the relevant amounts required by the precepts of the Parish Councils, Cambridgeshire County Council, Cambridgeshire Police & Crime Commissioner and the Cambridgeshire Fire Authority;

g)    Authorise the Head of Finance, on the basis of the proposals set out in the report, to prepare the formal Council Tax Resolution for presentation to Council at its scheduled meeting on 23 February 2021;

h)    Approve the estimates of the amounts required to be made under the Non-domestic Rating (Rates Retention) Regulations 2013 as set out in paragraphs 34 to 37;

i)      Approve the acceptance of any grants made during 2021/2022 by the Government under Section 31 of the Local Government Act 2003 in respect of Business Rates; 

j)      Approve the use of the additional income from the Business Rate Pool, estimated at £1,100,000 in 2021/2022, for transfer to the established Renewables Reserve for priority projects;

k)    Subject to any changes to the recommendations above, recommend to Full Council:

(i)           The 2021/2022 General Fund Revenue Budget based on known commitments at this time and planned levels of Service/functions resulting in a Budget Requirement of £21.719 million;

(ii)         The District Council Precept on the Collection Fund (Council Tax Requirement) of £9.995 million in 2021/2022 (based on the Provisional Government Settlement) and a Band D Council Tax of £155.31.

Please note that recommendations to Council are not subject to call in.