Issue - meetings

Cabinet

RECOMMENDED THAT COUNCIL

Consider the report and, if satisfied:

(a)   Take into account the detailed budgets presented at Appendix B, and summarised at Appendix A, with an estimated General Fund Gross Operating Expenditure for 2022/2023 of £78.807 million, estimated Gross Operating Income of £52.728 million and estimated General Fund Net Operating Expenditure of £26.079 million.

(b)  Acknowledge the key factors which have led to the proposed 2022/2023 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 2022/2023 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 2022/2023 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 2022/2023 at £10,489,403.

(f)    Approve an increase in the District element of the Council Tax of £5 per annum, giving an average Band D Council Tax of £160.31, 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 22 February 2022.

(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 44 and 45.

(i)    Approve the acceptance of any grants made during 2022/2023 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 2022/2023, for transfer tothe established Renewables Reserve for priority projects.

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

(i)    The 2022/2023 General Fund Revenue Budget based on known commitments at this time and planned levels of Service/functions resulting in a Budget Requirement of £22.668 million.

(ii)   The District Council Precept on the Collection Fund (Council Tax Requirement) of £10.489 million in 2022/2023(based on the Local Government Settlement) and a Band D Council Tax of £160.31.

(l)    The Council agrees that when appointing the auditor for the next appointment period starting in 2023/24, it accepts the invitation to take part in public sector audit appointments (PSAA) process.

PROPOSED AMENDMENTS SUBMITTED

The Conservative Group and the Labour Group have submitted their respective alternative budget proposals, to be proposed as amendments. 

Both Groups’ proposals were considered by the Cabinet at its meeting on 7 February 2022 and are included in the agenda  ...  view the full agenda text for item 8

Council Agreed to

A)        Take into account the detailed budgets presented at Appendix B, and summarised at Appendix A, with an estimated General Fund Gross Operating Expenditure for 2022/2023 of £78.807 million, estimated Gross Operating Income of £52.728 million and estimated General Fund Net Operating Expenditure of £26.079 million.

B)        Acknowledge the key factors which have led to the proposed 2022/2023 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 2022/2023 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 2022/2023 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 2022/2023 at £10,489,403.

F)        Approve an increase in the District element of the Council Tax of £5 per annum, giving an average Band D Council Tax of £160.31, 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 22 February 2022.

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 44 and 45.

I)          Approve the acceptance of any grants made during 2022/2023 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 2022/2023, for transfer to the established Renewables Reserve for priority projects.

K)        Subject to any changes to the recommendations above, Full Council approves:

(i)        The 2022/2023 General Fund Revenue Budget based on known commitments at this time and planned levels of Service/functions resulting in a Budget Requirement of £22.668 million.

(ii)       The District Council Precept on the Collection Fund (Council Tax Requirement) of £10.489 million in 2022/2023 (based on the Local Government Settlement) and a Band D Council Tax of £160.31.

L)        The Council agrees that when appointing the auditor for the next appointment period starting in 2023/24, it accepts the invitation to take part in public sector audit appointments (PSAA) process.

Councillor John Williams presented this report which invited Council to consider and approve the summary General Fund Revenue Budget for 2022/23. He thanked the finance team for their work in compiling the report. He explained that the aim of the budget was to tackle climate change at a local level in South Cambridgeshire. Promoting affordable housing and local businesses were also priorities. He explained that the Government’s financial settlement continued to be for a year instead of three years, as originally promised, and this made financial planning more difficult.

Councillor John Williams explained that Council Tax only raised enough to cover about a third of the Council’s expenditure, with the rest from sources outside the authority’s control, including Business Rates and grants such as the New Homes Bonus. The proposed Council Tax increase equated to an extra £5 a year for a Band D property or an extra 10 pence a week. This authority’s Council Tax remained in the lowest 25% in the country.

Councillor John Williams estimated that the Council would deliver a balanced budget with £2.1m going into General Fund reserves, including £1.1m from the Business Rates Pool to the Renewables Reserve, bringing the total of that reserve to £4m.

Councillor John Williams explained that a total of £6 million would tackle climate change on a local level in South Cambridgeshire and halve emissions by 2030 and reduce them to zero by 2050. Relevant projects included installing a solar farm at the Waterbeach Depot, initiatives to improve and adapt waste services to encourage recycling and minimise waste, and the maintenance of the 275 kilometres of awarded watercourses that the Council was responsible for. The Council’s retrofit of its offices at Cambourne were nearing completion, reducing the carbon footprint of the building to 25% of current levels by 2030 and to 10% of current levels by 2050.

Councillor Heather Williams proposed an alternative budget. Due to cost of living increases it was appropriate to freeze an increase in Council Tax. She recommended that more should be done to prevent fraud, fly-tipping and that an extra planning enforcement officer should be appointed. She stated that money could be saved by reducing the number of Special Responsibility Allowances that could be claimed by a councillor from two to one. She concluded that money could be taken from the Transformation Budget to reduce the need for a Council Tax increase.

Councillor Deborah Roberts explained that many of the District’s residents who lived in large homes were now on medium or low incomes but were on a high Council Tax band due to the size of their property. Oil, gas and food prices were all increasing and so the Council had a moral duty to keep Council Tax low.

Councillor Sue Ellington supported the proposal to appoint an extra planning enforcement officer, as this would help the Council to enforce its planning decisions as the authority was in danger of having a reputation for not carrying out enforcement. Councillor Tumi Hawkins explained that  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8

Cabinet:

(a)        Noted the detailed budgets presented at Appendix B, and summarised at Appendix A, with an estimated General Fund Gross Operating Expenditure for 2022/2023 of £78.807 million, estimated Gross Operating Income of £52.728 million and estimated General Fund Net Operating Expenditure of £26.079 million.

(b)        Acknowledged the key factors which have led to the proposed 2022/2023 General Fund Revenue Budget, with service pressures summarised at Appendix C and offsetting efficiency savings/policy options summarised at Appendix D.

(c)         Acknowledgedthat the 2022/2023 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)        Approved the 2022/2023 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)        Approved the Council Tax Requirement for 2022/2023 at £10,489,403.

(f)          Approved an increase in the District element of the Council Tax of £5 per annum, giving an average Band D Council Tax of £160.31, 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)        Authorised 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 22 February 2022.

(h)        Approved the estimates of the amounts required to be made under the Non-domestic Rating (Rates Retention) Regulations 2013 as set out in paragraphs 44 and 45.

(i)          Approved the acceptance of any grants made during 2022/2023 by the Government under Section 31 of the Local Government Act 2003 in respect of Business Rates. 

(j)          Approved the use of the additional income from the Business Rate Pool, estimated at £1,100,000 in 2022/2023, for transfer to the established Renewables Reserve for priority projects.

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

(i)           The 2022/2023 General Fund Revenue Budget based on known commitments at this time and planned levels of Service/functions resulting in a Budget Requirement of £22.668 million.

(ii)         The District Council Precept on the Collection Fund (Council Tax Requirement) of £10.489 million in 2022/2023 (based on the Provisional Government Settlement) and a Band D Council Tax of £160.31.

This is a recommendation to Council, and not subject to call-in.

Cabinet received the Summary General Fund Revenue Budget 2022/2023. Councillor John Williams, Lead Cabinet Member for Finance, introduced the report, focussing on the Council’s commitment for the environment and tackling climate change in South Cambridgeshire.

Councillor Neil Gough, the Deputy Leader, believed the proposed budget reflected the decisions made by the Council, such as the investment programme and the Council Tax proposals.

Councillor Deborah Roberts expressed concern with the budget outlined in the report due to current economic situation across the country. Councillor John Williams said that the current situation was being monitored.

Councillor Bridget Smith, Leader of the Council, closed the discussion, and Cabinet:

(a)        Noted the detailed budgets presented at Appendix B, and summarised at Appendix A, with an estimated General Fund Gross Operating Expenditure for 2022/2023 of £78.807 million, estimated Gross Operating Income of £52.728 million and estimated General Fund Net Operating Expenditure of £26.079 million.

(b)        Acknowledged the key factors which have led to the proposed 2022/2023 General Fund Revenue Budget, with service pressures summarised at Appendix C and offsetting efficiency savings/policy options summarised at Appendix D.

(c)         Acknowledgedthat the 2022/2023 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)        Approved the 2022/2023 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)        Approved the Council Tax Requirement for 2022/2023 at £10,489,403.

(f)          Approved an increase in the District element of the Council Tax of £5 per annum, giving an average Band D Council Tax of £160.31, 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)        Authorised 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 22 February 2022.

(h)        Approved the estimates of the amounts required to be made under the Non-domestic Rating (Rates Retention) Regulations 2013 as set out in paragraphs 44 and 45.

(i)          Approved the acceptance of any grants made during 2022/2023 by the Government under Section 31 of the Local Government Act 2003 in respect of Business Rates. 

(j)          Approved the use of the additional income from the Business Rate Pool, estimated at £1,100,000 in 2022/2023, for transfer to the established Renewables Reserve for priority projects.

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

(i)           The 2022/2023 General Fund Revenue Budget based on known commitments at this time and planned levels of Service/functions resulting in a Budget Requirement of £22.668 million.

(ii)         The District Council Precept on the Collection Fund  ...  view the full minutes text for item 11