Issue - meetings
Budget and Council Tax 2021/22
Meeting: 22/02/2021 - Council (Item 8)
8 Budget and Council Tax 2021/22 PDF 1 MB
6.1 Budget & Council Tax 2021-22
This report sets out the Council’s budget proposals for 2021/22 and 2022/23. It also details the results of the consultation, scrutiny and equalities considerations in relation to the budget proposals. The report also sets out the overall financial position facing the Council for the medium term and highlights the significant risks, issues and uncertainties.
Members are asked to note that the recommendations in the report were approved by Cabinet on 8 February 2021 for reference on to Council.
6.2 Conservative Group amendments to the Budget & Council Tax proposals 2021-22
To consider the proposed amendments submitted by the Conservative Group in relation to the Council’s budget proposals for 2021-22.
Additional documents:
- Appendices List, item 8 PDF 108 KB
- 6.1a. Appendix A - Overall Revenue budget 2021-22, item 8 PDF 17 KB
- 6.1b. Appendix B - Service Cost Pressures 2021-22, item 8 PDF 123 KB
- 6.1c(i). Appendix C (i) - Savings Delivery Tracker 2020-21 to 2022-23, item 8 PDF 180 KB
- 6.1c(ii). Appendix C (ii) - Summary of new budget proposals 2021-22 to 2022-23, item 8 PDF 122 KB
- 6.1c(iii). Appendix C (iii) - Detailed Budget Proposals 2021-22 to 2022-23, item 8 PDF 674 KB
- 6.1c(iv). Appendix C (iv) - EIA for new budget proposals, item 8 PDF 730 KB
- 6.1c(v). Appendix C (v) - Cumulative EIA, item 8 PDF 462 KB
- 6.1d. Appendix D - Budget Scrutiny Task Group Report, item 8 PDF 681 KB
- 6.1e. Appendix E - Detailed Capital Programme 2021-22 to 2025-26, item 8 PDF 516 KB
- 6.1f. Appendix F - Pipeline Schemes, item 8 PDF 149 KB
- 6.1g. Appendix G - Capital Strategy 2021-22, item 8 PDF 320 KB
- 6.1h. Appendix H - Investment Strategy 2021-22, item 8 PDF 185 KB
- 6.1i. Appendix I - Treasury Management Strategy 2021-22, item 8 PDF 608 KB
- 6.1j. Appendix J - Minimum Revenue Provision (MRP) Statement 2021-22, item 8 PDF 283 KB
- 06k. Appendix K - Schedule of reserves, item 8 PDF 632 KB
- 6.1l(i). Appendix L (i) - Fees and Charges Explanatory Note, item 8 PDF 102 KB
- 6.1l(ii). Appendix L (ii) - Schedule of Fees & Charges, item 8 PDF 406 KB
- 6.1l(iii). Appendix L (iii) - Brent Council Fees and Charges Policy, item 8 PDF 286 KB
- 6.1m. Appendix M - Budget Consultation, item 8 PDF 400 KB
- 6.1n. Appendix N - Legal Advice, item 8 PDF 333 KB
- 6.1o. Appendix O - Pay Policy Statement 2021-22, item 8 PDF 380 KB
- 6.1p. Appendix P - Council Tax Setting Committee TOR, item 8 PDF 180 KB
- 6.1q. Appendix Q - Borough Plan budget allocation, item 8 PDF 384 KB
- Agenda Item 6.2 - Cover Sheet, item 8 PDF 87 KB
- 6.2. Conservative Group Amendments to budget proposals 2021-22, item 8 PDF 227 KB
- Tabled - Amendment to Budget Proposals tabled by Cllr Georgiou, item 8 PDF 285 KB
- Webcast for Budget and Council Tax 2021/22
Decision:
Council RESOLVED to:
(1) Agree an overall 4.99% increase in the Council’s element of Council Tax for 2020/21, with 3% as a precept for Adult Social Care and a 1.99% general increase.
(2) Agree the General Fund revenue budget for 2021/22, as summarised in Appendix A of the report.
(3) Agree the cost pressures and technical adjustments detailed in Appendix B of the report.
(4) Agree the budget savings proposals detailed in Appendix C of the report.
(5) Note the report from the Budget Scrutiny Panel in Appendix D of the report.
(6) Agree the HRA budget for 2021/22, as set out in section seven of this report.
(7) Agree the Dedicated Schools’ Grant as set out in section eight of this report.
(8) Agree the Capital Programme as set out in Appendix E 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 schedule of reserves, as set out in Appendix K of the report.
(11) Agree the schedule of fees and charges as set out in Appendix L of the report.
(12) Note the results of the budget consultation as set out in section six and detailed in Appendix M of the report.
(13) Note the advice of the Director of Legal, HR, Audit and Investigations as set out in Appendix N of the report.
(14) Agree the Pay Policy Statement for 2021/22 as set out in Appendix O of the report (including the additional wording set out in paragraph 9.2 of the report) and the payments to which it refers.
Council Tax recommendations
These recommendations only include a provisional Council Tax level for the GLA as its final budget was not agreed when this report was despatched. This means that the statutory calculation of the total amount of Council Tax under Section 30(2) of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 cannot be carried out until the final GLA precept has been received.
(15) In relation to the Council Tax for 2021/22 we resolve:
That the following amounts be now calculated as the Council’s element by the Council for the year 2021/22 in accordance with Sections 31 to 36 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 as amended:
(a) £1,036,468,015 being the aggregate of the amount that the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 31A(2) of the Act.
(b) £900,778,354 being the aggregate of the amounts that the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 31A(3) of the Act.
(c) £135,689,697 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) £1,378.26 being the amount at (c) above, divided by the amount for the tax base of 98,450, agreed by the General Purposes Committee on the 7 ... view the full decision text for item 8
Minutes:
The Council received a report from the Director of Finance setting out the Council’s budget proposals for 2021/22. Included within the report were the results of the budget consultation, scrutiny and equalities processes along with a summary of the overall financial position, risks, issues and uncertainties facing the Council over the medium term.
In accordance with the procedural motion agreed at the start of the meeting, the Mayor invited Councillor M Butt, Leader of the Council, to introduce the report.
Councillor M Butt began by outlining how he intended to structure his introduction across three interconnected themes - the impact of the pandemic, the prudent approach towards managing the budget and mitigating the challenges created as a result of the pandemic and lastly the plans being delivered to shape the borough as a place of empathy, opportunity and prosperity ensuring everyone had the opportunity to succeed. Beginning with the impact of the pandemic he highlighted the personal cost and expressed his sadness for those who had lost family and loved ones over the last year. The pandemic, he felt, had also served to highlight wider inequalities which successive Government’s had failed to address not only in terms of levels of poverty, deprivation and opportunity but also in relation to race and culture. Whilst proud of the boroughs diversity, the pandemic had provided a reminder of the difference in life chances experienced specifically amongst the Black and also other Minority Ethnic communities. As a result, he pointed out, the Council had developed the Black Community Action Plan, which had been designed to address the concerns highlighted through active interventions designed, built and delivered by the community. It was intended these interventions would be enabled and embraced by the Council, with a public commitment to enshrining and investing in them over the long-term having recognised the need to focus on putting things right.
This was also the approach being developed in relation to tackling the climate emergency, with Councillor M Butt highlighting various initiatives such as insulating homes, incentivising green modes of transport and discouraging wasteful behaviour as a means of delivering tangible improvements and addressing the impact on the environment. Turning then to poverty, Councillor M.Butt expressed frustration at the lack of progress being made nationally to tackle the issue and highlighted the Administration’s commitment to delivering the poverty reduction strategies recommended by Brent’s Poverty Commission.
Councillor M Butt felt these actions could only achieve their desired impact if they had a clear purpose, quantifiable goals and a means of delivery, accompanied by a willingness to adapt in the face of change. He praised residents for the determination shown prior to and throughout the pandemic, and called on them to harness the same energy, passion and determination to help the borough reach its potential.
Turning to the budget proposals, Councillor M Butt advised that he recognised the concerns expressed by residents in relation to the proposed increase in Council Tax of 4.99% which had been recommended within the budget report. There ... view the full minutes text for item 8