Decision details

To set out and agree the Council’s budget proposals for recommendation to Full Council.

Cabinet NOTED the following comments made in advance of considering the main report on the Budget & Council Tax 2024-25:

1.     Councillor Conneely, as Chair of the Resources and Public Realm Scrutiny Committee and Budget Scrutiny Task Group, summarising the main recommendations from the Task Group in relation to the budget process, which had been included as Appendix D to the Budget and Council Tax 2024/25 report. In introducing the report, Councillor Conneely began by thanking all members of the Budget Scrutiny Task Group along with everyone else who had participated in the scrutiny process.  In emphasising that the upcoming financial year would be the most challenging for local authorities across the country, Councillor Conneely reiterated the need for extensive reform of the current way in which local authorities were funded, given the inadequacy of the existing funding regime.

Due to the cumulative impact of funding cuts on local government and other public services as a result of austerity over the previous decade Councillor Conneely, in presenting the outcome of the Task Group review, highlighted the importance placed on collaboration between neighbouring local authorities, partners and the voluntary and community sector to not only deliver vital services to residents, but to also counter the competitive environment imposed by discretionary grant funding which positioned councils against each other.  This emphasis on collaboration had been reflected in the Task Group recommendations, which included the establishment of a shared outcomes framework with the voluntary and community sector to co-design and co-deliver budget proposals. Furthermore, the Task Group had recommended implementing additional shared service agreements with other local authorities with Councillor Conneely also advising that the Task Group had welcomed the decision to retain use of the New Millenium Day Centre, which would be operating under a new shared service arrangement.

Highlighting other key recommendations made as part of the review, Councillor Conneely also referred to the Task Groups support in seeking a better alignment of NHS resources to population need and for increased delegation of budgets and decision making to the Brent Integrated Care Partnership (ICP), in order to better address local need and enable more clinically led collaboration at local level.  As part of the wider approach towards addressing the budget challenges identified the Task Group had also been keen to support and recommend the development of a longer term strategic approach towards income generation including yearly action plans and a robust monitoring process to enable the adoption of a more holistic approach (with dedicated cross departmental resource) to investigate and identify additional opportunities to generate income.

In concluding, Councillor Conneely once again thanked all those involved for their participation in the review process and commended the recommendations made by the Budget Scrutiny Task Group to Cabinet for consideration as part of the budget setting process.

2.     Councillor Georgiou, who began by echoing the concerns expressed at the challenging nature of the financial pressures faced by local authorities, created by a combination of factors such as the significant underfunding of local authorities, Brexit, and the economic mismanagement of the current Conservative Government.  Compounding these factors, Councillor Georgiou felt that the current position had also been adversely impacted by spending decision taken by the current Council Administration, such as those related to Civic Centre improvements and the pursuit of what he regarded as unviable development schemes.

Whilst recognising the need for difficult decisions in order to provide a balanced and sustainable budget, Councillor Georgiou advised he was keen to ensure that residents priorities were at the forefront of the proposals being considered, with the Liberal Democrats Group therefore intending to propose a number of amendments at the upcoming Council meeting seeking to address areas of ongoing concern identified by residents including street cleanliness, youth provision and the climate emergency.

Given the proposed increase in Council Tax, Councillor Georgiou felt there was a need for the Council to ensure that funding collected locally was refocussed and prioritised on local areas of concern including:

·             Street Cleansing – with concerns highlighted in relation to the new intelligence-led approach to street cleaning and the need for additional investment;

·             Waste collection and recycling – with ongoing concerns highlighted regarding the operation of the blue bag recycling scheme and the option of wheelie bins therefore being sought as an alternative; and

·             Focus in addressing the supply and cost pressures relating to temporary accommodation through the provision of more genuinely affordable housing developments and introduction of more stringent planning policies in relation to the Council’s affordable housing targets.

To conclude, Councillor Georgiou felt there was a need for a clear commitment from any potential incoming government to ensure that the necessary reforms required to local government funding were introduced in order to address the challenging financial position faced across the sector and provide the necessary reassurance concerning the future of local government services.

Having expressed disappointment at the lack of engagement by the Liberal Democrats Group in the Scrutiny Budget Task Group process, the approach taken and recommendations made by the Budget Scrutiny Task Group were welcomed and supported by Cabinet who RESOLVED:

(1)     To recommend to Full Council an overall 4.99% increase in the Council’s element of Council Tax for 2024/25, with 2% as a precept for Adult Social Care and a 2.99% general increase.

(2)     To recommend to Full Council the General Fund revenue budget for 2024/25, as summarised in Appendices A and B of the report.

(3)     To recommend to Full Council the savings proposals for 2024/25 and 2025/26, as set out in Appendices C (i) and C (ii) of the report.

(4)     To note the Equalities Impact Assessments on the budget proposals, as set out in Appendices C (iii) and C (iv) of the report.

(5)     To note the report from the Budget Scrutiny Task Group in Appendix D of the report.

(6)     To recommend to Full Council the HRA budget and business plan for 2024/25, as set out in section eight and appendix Q of the report.

(7)     To agree the HRA rents for council dwellings, tenant service charges and garages as set out in section eight of the report.

(8)     To agree the rents set under the Housing General Fund for Brent Housing PFI and traveller’s site pitches and to note the rents for Hillside dwellings as set out in section eight of the report.

(9)     To note the Dedicated Schools Grant, as set out in section nine of the report.

(10     To recommend to Full Council the changes to the existing Capital Programme in relation to additions of new schemes and reprofiling, as set out in section 11 and Appendix E of the report and note the Capital Pipeline Schemes in Appendix F of the report.

(11)    To recommend to Full Council the Capital Strategy, the Investment Strategy, the Treasury Management Strategy and the Minimum Revenue Provision Statement as set out in Appendices G, H, I and J of the report.

(12)    To agree for a new loan and equity facility of up to £40m to be made available to i4B Holdings Ltd for the provision of PRS accommodation in line with the Temporary Reform Accommodation plan as set out in section 11.38 of the report.

(13)    To recommend to Full Council the Reserves Strategy and schedule of reserves, as set out in Appendices K (i) and K (ii) in the report.

(14)    To agree the action plan to implement CIPFA’s Financial Management Code and conduct a Financial Resilience Assessment, as set out in Appendix L of the report.

(15)    To agree, and where relevant recommend to Full Council, the schedule of fees and charges, as set out in Appendix M of the report.

(16)    To note the results of the budget consultation, as set out in section seven and detailed in Appendices N (i) and N (ii) of the report.

(17)    To note the legal advice from the Corporate Director of Governance, as set out in Appendix O of the report.

(18)    To note the decision of the Corporate Director of Finance and Resources to continue as part of the Eight Authority Business Rates pool in 2024/25 as set out in section six of the report.

To also note and approve the specific recommendations identified for consideration by Full Council as detailed in section 2.19 – 2.38 of the report.

Eligible for call-in: No (report and recommendations to be referred to Council)