Agenda item
Budget 2010/11 and Council Tax
To recommend revenue and capital budget and Council Tax to Full Council.
The full budget papers are circulated separately.
Decision:
(i) This budget continues the Administration’s sound financial policies. It delivers efficiencies to fund frontline service improvements and a 0% increase in Council Tax. Brent currently has the fourth lowest council tax out of the 20 outer London boroughs. This budget has been produced despite the backdrop of the worst economic conditions for more than a generation, combined with Central Government breaking funding pledges on concessionary fares, which has required the Council to find £1.5m to protect the full scheme for all residents;
(ii) We have also developed a planned and innovative response to address the Government’s cuts in resources. The Improvement and Efficiency Strategy is aimed at fundamental service transformation to raise the quality of frontline services, while at the same time taking costs out of the organisation to meet the challenges in the medium term;
(iii) We have provided over £9m of growth to fund our priorities. This includes:
£2.3m for Child Protection Services;
£1m on Adult Social Care;
£60k on recycling;
£250k on supporting the redevelopment of Brent’s secondary schools;
£800k on sport and youth activities;
£245k on combating climate change and carbon reduction;
£500k on Temporary Accommodation;
£100k on extra library books;
£68k for additional CCTV.
(vi) We note that the Council has won £85m of additional funding for secondary schools through Building Schools for the Future, and £23m for Primary Schools to help modernise our schools and allow us to use them as wider community facilities;
(v) The Executive notes the comments and recommendations of the Budget Panel and thanks them for their informed input into the overall process;
(vi) The Executive notes the report and agrees to forward it as amended by:
Decisions of the Schools Forum on 8th February 2010 and any consequent changes due to these; and
any other changes to the budget figures from updated information;
to Full Council on 1st March 2010 who are asked to agree recommendations 2.1 to 2.38;
(vi) That it be noted that this report will be amended by the Director of Finance and Corporate Resources prior to the council budget setting meeting to reflect changes per paragraph 6.
Minutes:
The Executive had before them the 2010/11 Budget and Council Tax report from the Director of Finance and Corporate Resources which set out proposals for the 2010/11 revenue and capital budgets. Councillor Blackman (Deputy Leader, Lead Member, Resources) in introducing the report began by thanking the Budget Panel for their work and also the Director of Finance and Corporate Resources and his team. Councillor Blackman stated that the budget was complicated with the improvement and efficiency agenda being the main driving force and expected to yield savings. He considered the budget to be prudent and expected it to give rise to savings in excess of those outlined in the report. Councillor Blackman stated that the council would be investing in key areas such as child protection, adult social care, recycling, sports, youth, libraries and CCTV. The anticipated reduction in government grant had been taken into account and the council would also support concessionary fares notwithstanding the reduction of government funding. Despite difficulties, a balanced budget had been achieved with a freeze in council tax levels. The council was also able to largely deliver on its corporate strategy. Councillor Blackman was pleased to note that the Budget Panel, in considering the report, had not put forward any serious challenges and he felt that this was a budget of which the council could be proud. Councillor Lorber (Leader, Lead Member, Policy Strategy and Policy Coordination) added that the council was now considered to be on a sound footing and was determined to provide service improvement, eliminate waste and invest in services wherever possible.
Members, in considering the report, welcomed the budget proposals and the 0% council tax rise achieved in the face of difficulties many of which were beyond the council’s control. They commended officers for their efforts in planning for the future. The Director of Finance and Corporate Resources announced that the Greater London Authority had confirmed a freeze in the GLA council tax precept which would be reflected in the report to Full Council, together with information on levies also recently received.
RESOLVED:-
(i) This budget continues the Administration’s sound financial policies. It delivers efficiencies to fund frontline service improvements and a 0% increase in Council Tax. Brent currently has the fourth lowest council tax out of the 20 outer London boroughs. This budget has been produced despite the backdrop of the worst economic conditions for more than a generation, combined with Central Government breaking funding pledges on concessionary fares, which has required the Council to find £1.5m to protect the full scheme for all residents;
(ii) We have also developed a planned and innovative response to address the Government’s cuts in resources. The Improvement and Efficiency Strategy is aimed at fundamental service transformation to raise the quality of frontline services, while at the same time taking costs out of the organisation to meet the challenges in the medium term;
(iii) We have provided over £9m of growth to fund our priorities. This includes:
£2.3m for Child Protection Services;
£1m on Adult Social Care;
£60k on recycling;
£250k on supporting the redevelopment of Brent’s secondary schools;
£800k on sport and youth activities;
£245k on combating climate change and carbon reduction;
£500k on Temporary Accommodation;
£100k on extra library books;
£68k for additional CCTV.
(vi) We note that the Council has won £85m of additional funding for secondary schools through Building Schools for the Future, and £23m for Primary Schools to help modernise our schools and allow us to use them as wider community facilities;
(v) The Executive notes the comments and recommendations of the Budget Panel and thanks them for their informed input into the overall process;
(vi) The Executive notes the report and agrees to forward it as amended by:
Decisions of the Schools Forum on 8th February 2010 and any consequent changes due to these; and
any other changes to the budget figures from updated information;
to Full Council on 1st March 2010 who are asked to agree recommendations 2.1 to 2.38;
(vi) That it be noted that this report will be amended by the Director of Finance and Corporate Resources prior to the council budget setting meeting to reflect changes per paragraph 6.
Supporting documents:
- 00 Contents, item 16. PDF 82 KB
- 000 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY, item 16. PDF 105 KB
- 01 Introduction, item 16. PDF 58 KB
- 02 Recommendations, item 16. PDF 80 KB
- 03 Budget Making Process, item 16. PDF 104 KB
- 04 The Probable Outturn 2009-10, item 16. PDF 85 KB
- 05 2010-11 Revenue Budget Requirement, item 16. PDF 158 KB
- 06 Resources, item 16. PDF 113 KB
- 07 The Future - Medium Term Forecast, item 16. PDF 129 KB
- 08 Schools Budget, item 16. PDF 70 KB
- 09 Housing Revenue Account, item 16. PDF 80 KB
- 10 The Capital Programme 200910 to 201314, item 16. PDF 177 KB
- 11 Treasury Management Strategy 2009, item 16. PDF 146 KB
- 12 Setting Prudential Indicators for 2010-11, item 16. PDF 96 KB
- 13 Value for Money (1), item 16. PDF 69 KB
- 14 Procedures Required to Control Expenditure, item 16. PDF 96 KB
- 15 LIST OF APPENDICES, item 16. PDF 56 KB
- 16 Appendix A, item 16. PDF 20 KB
- 17 Appendix B, item 16. PDF 15 KB
- 18 Appendix C (SA Budget Summary), item 16. PDF 175 KB
- 19 Appendix D(i)(a) - Inescapable Growth, item 16. PDF 139 KB
- 20 Appendix D(i)(b) - Other Growth, item 16. PDF 163 KB
- 21 Appendix D(ii) (SA Budget - Savings), item 16. PDF 47 KB
- 21a Appendix D(iii) (Additional Income and Fees and Charges), item 16. PDF 120 KB
- 22 Appendix D(iv) (adjustments), item 16. PDF 24 KB
- 23 Appendix D(v) ABG Allocations Dept, item 16. PDF 66 KB
- 24 Appendix E(i) - 1st Reading Debate, item 16. PDF 63 KB
- 25 Appendix E (ii) - 1st interim Budget Panel Report, item 16. PDF 195 KB
- 26 Appendix F - Central Items, item 16. PDF 165 KB
- 27 Appendix F - Table, item 16. PDF 18 KB
- 28 Appendix G - A Guide to the LGFS, item 16. PDF 197 KB
- 29 Appendix H(i) (CTax Property Valuation Bands), item 16. PDF 47 KB
- 30 Appendiix H(ii) - Council Tax & NNDR Instalment Dates & Recovery Policy 2009-10, item 16. PDF 95 KB
- 31 Appendix I - Financial Forecast 2010-11 - 2013-14, item 16. PDF 33 KB
- 32 Appendix J (i) - Corp Strategy, item 16. PDF 95 KB
- 32a Appendix J (ii) - Activity Data, item 16. PDF 145 KB
- 33 Appendix K(i) Dedicated Schools Budget, item 16. PDF 98 KB
- 34 Appendix K(ii) - Summary - Schools Forum 9th December 2009, item 16. PDF 85 KB
- 35 Appendix L - HRA Objective-Subjective, item 16. PDF 24 KB
- 36 Appendix M (i), item 16. PDF 67 KB
- 37 Appendix M (ii), item 16. PDF 249 KB
- 38 Appendix M (iii), item 16. PDF 45 KB
- 39 Appendix M (iv), item 16. PDF 115 KB
- 40 Appendix M (vi), item 16. PDF 9 KB
- 41 Appendix M (v) - Capital Appendix M(v), item 16. PDF 70 KB
- 42 Appendix N(i), N(ii), and N(iii)- annual investment strategy, item 16. PDF 142 KB
- 43 Appendix O - (Legal Advice), item 16. PDF 110 KB
- 44 Appendix P - Scheme of Transfers and Virements, item 16. PDF 116 KB
- 45 Appendix Q(i) - 2009-10 Appendix Q - Efficiency Forecasts, item 16. PDF 131 KB
- 46 Appendix Q(ii) - I&E Action Plan - Target Savings, item 16. PDF 179 KB
- 47 Appendix Q(iii) - I&E Action Plan - Non Financial Benefits, item 16. PDF 67 KB
- 48 Appendix R (Background Information), item 16. PDF 48 KB