Decision details

Council RESOLVED to:

(1)      Agree an overall 4.99% increase in the Council’s element of Council Tax for 2023/24, with 2% as a precept for Adult Social Care and a 2.99% general increase.

(2)      Agree the General Fund revenue budget for 2023/24, as summarised in Appendices A and B of the report.

(3)      Agree the savings proposals for 2023/24 and deferral of savings to 2024/25, as set out in Appendix C (i) of the report

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

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

(6)      Agree the HRA budget and business plan for 2023/24, as set out in section seven and appendix Q of the report.

(7)      Agree the Dedicated Schools Grant, as set out in section eight of the report.

(8)      Agree the changes to the existing Capital Programme in relation to additions of new schemes and reprofiling, as set out in section 10 and Appendix E of the report and note the Capital Pipeline Schemes in Appendix F of the report.

(9)      Agree 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.

(10)    Agree the Reserves Strategy and schedule of reserves, as set out in Appendix K of the report.

(11)    Note 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.

(12)    Agree the schedule of fees and charges, as set out in Appendix M of the report.

(13)    Note the results of the budget consultation, as set out in section six and detailed in Appendix N of the report.

(14)    Note the legal advice from the Corporate Director of Governance, as set out in Appendix O of the report.

(15)    Agree the Pay Policy Statement for 2023/24, as set out in Appendix P of the report.

Council Tax recommendations

(16)    As a result of confirmation having been received on the final GLA precept in advance of the recommendations being put to the vote at the Council meeting it was agreed in relation to the Council Tax for 2023/24:

          That the following amounts be now calculated as the Council’s element by the Council for the year 2023/24 in accordance with Sections 31 to 36 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 as amended:

(a) £1,061,792,345  being the aggregate of the amount that the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 31A(2) of the Act.

(b) £910,992,347     being the aggregate of the amounts that the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 31A(3) of the Act.

(c) £150,799,998     being the amount by which the aggregate at (a) above exceeds the aggregate at (b) above, calculated by the Council, in accordance with Section 31A(4) of the Act, as its Council Tax requirement for the year.

(d) £1,490.31           being the amount at (c) above, divided by the amount for the tax base of 101,187, agreed by the General Purposes Committee on the 12 December 2022, calculated by the Council, in accordance with Section 31B of the Act, as the basic amount of its Council Tax for the year.

(e)                                     Valuation Bands

being the amounts given by multiplying the amount at (d) above by the number which, in the proportion set out in Section 5(1) of the Act, is applicable to dwellings listed in a particular valuation band divided by the number which in that proportion is applicable to dwellings listed in valuation band D, calculated by the Council, in accordance with Section 36(1) of the Act, as the amounts to be taken into account for the year in respect of categories of dwellings listed in different valuation bands.

(17)       That it be noted that for the year 2023/24 the proposed GLA precept issued to the Council on 23 February 2023, in accordance with Section 40 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, in respect of the GLA, for each of the categories of dwellings are as shown below:

(18)       That, having calculated the aggregate in each case of the amounts at paragraph 16(e) and 17 above, the Council, in accordance with Section 30(2) of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, hereby sets the following amounts as the amounts of council tax for the year 2023/24 for each of the categories of dwellings shown below:

(19)       That it be noted that the Corporate Director of Finance and Resources has determined that the Council element of the basic amount of Council Tax for 2023/24 is not excessive in accordance with the principles approved under Section 52ZB of the Local Government Finance Act 1992.

(a)      That the Corporate Director of Finance and Resources be and is hereby authorised to give due notice of the said Council Tax in the manner provided by Section 38(2) of the 1992 Act.

(b)      That the Corporate Director of Finance and Resources be and is hereby authorised when necessary to apply for a summons against any Council Tax payer or non-domestic ratepayer on whom an account for the said tax or rate and any arrears has been duly served and who has failed to pay the amounts due to take all subsequent necessary action to recover them promptly.

(c)      That the Corporate Director of Finance and Resources be and is hereby authorised to collect revenues and distribute monies from the Collection Fund and is authorised to borrow or to lend money in accordance with the regulations to the maximum benefit of each fund.

In accordance with Standing Order 43, as the above decisions related to the setting of the budget and Council Tax they were subject to a recorded vote.

Prior to the above recommendations being approved, the alternative budget proposals moved as amendments to the budget report by the Conservative & Liberal Democrats Groups were put to the vote and declared LOST.

The voting recorded on the amendment moved by the Conservative Group was as follows:

For the Amendment (5): Councillors Hirani, Kansagra, Maurice, Mistry & J.Patel

Against the Amendment (47): Councillors Afzal, Agha, Ahmed, Akram, Begum, Benea, M.Butt, S.Butt, Chan, Chappell, Chohan, Choudry, Collymore, Conneely, Dar, Dixon, Donnelly-Jackson, Ethapemi, Farah, Fraser, Gbajumo, Georgiou, Grahl, Hack, Johnson, Kabir, Kelcher, Kennelly, Knight, Long, Lorber, Mahmood, Matin, Miller, Mitchell, Moeen, Molloy, Nerva, M.Patel, Rajan Seelan, Rubin, Shah, Ketan Sheth, Krupa Sheth, Smith, Southwood and Tatler.

Abstentions to the Amendment (2): Councillors Aden (Mayor), Hylton (Deputy Mayor).

The voting recorded on the amendment moved by the Liberal Democrats Group was as follows:

For the Amendment (3): Councillors Georgiou, Lorber and Matin

Against the Amendment (49): Councillors Afzal, Agha, Ahmed, Akram, Begum, Benea, M.Butt, S.Butt, Chan, Chappell, Chohan, Choudry, Collymore, Conneely, Dar, Dixon, Donnelly-Jackson, Ethapemi, Farah, Fraser, Gbajumo, Grahl, Hack, Hirani, Johnson, Kabir, Kansagra, Kelcher, Kennelly, Knight, Long, Mahmood, Maurice, Miller, Mistry, Mitchell, Moeen, Molloy, Nerva, J.Patel, M.Patel, Rajan Seelan, Rubin, Shah, Ketan Sheth, Krupa Sheth, Smith, Southwood and Tatler.

Abstentions to the Amendment (2): Councillors Aden (Mayor), Hylton (Deputy Mayor).

The substantive recommendations, as detailed above, were then put to the vote and declared CARRIED.  The voting recorded was as follows:

For (44): Councillors Afzal, Agha, Ahmed, Akram, Begum, Benea, M.Butt, S.Butt, Chan, Chappell, Chohan, Choudry, Collymore, Conneely, Dar, Dixon, Donnelly-Jackson, Ethapemi, Farah, Fraser, Gbajumo, Grahl, Hack, Johnson, Kabir, Kelcher, Kennelly, Knight, Long, Mahmood, Miller, Mitchell, Moeen, Molloy, Nerva, M.Patel, Rajan Seelan, Rubin, Shah, Ketan Sheth, Krupa Sheth, Smith, Southwood and Tatler.

Against (8): Councillors Georgiou, Hirani, Kansagra, Lorber, Matin. Maurice, Mistry and J.Patel.

Abstentions (2): Councillors Aden (Mayor), Hylton (Deputy Mayor).