Agenda and minutes

There were no apologies for absence received.

Members are invited to declare at this stage of the meeting, the nature and existence of any relevant disclosable pecuniary or personal interests in the items on this agenda and to specify the item(s) to which they relate.

There were no declarations of interests made by Members.

To hear any deputations received from members of the public in accordance with Standing Order 67.

There were no deputations received.

To approve the minutes of the previous meeting held on Wednesday 1 November 2023 as a correct record.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the previous meeting held on Wednesday 1 November 2023 be approved as an accurate record.

To consider any matters arising from the minutes of the previous meeting.

There were no matters arising.

This report is presented to enable the Council to fulfil its statutory role to set a council tax base for 2024/25. The Local Government Finance Act (LGFA) 1992, as amended by the LGFA 2003 & LGFA 2012, requires the Authority to formally calculate the Council Tax Base for 2024/25 and pass this information to precepting authorities by 31 January 2024 The tax base must be set between 1 December 2023 and 31 January 2024.

Councillor Tatler, Deputy Leader & Cabinet Member for Finance, Resources & Reform, introduced the report from the Corporate Director of Finance and Resources setting out the Council Tax base for 2024/25 in order to enable the Council to fulfil its statutory role under the Local Government Finance Act 1992 (as amended).

Members noted that calculation of the Tax Base was based on a formula involving two elements:

a.    the number of taxable properties shown as “Band D equivalents”; and

b.    the expected collection rate for the year.

In presenting the report, the Committee was advised that the calculation for the number of taxable properties had included an estimate for the number of new housing developments and demolitions anticipated across the borough.

In terms of the expected Council Tax collection rate, members were advised that over the years the collection rate had been adjusted to take in to account economic factors that had affected actual collection in-year and in the longer term. For 2021/22 the rate was lowered to account for the impact of COVID-19 on household’s ability to pay and the postponement of normal debt recovery actions, it was also deemed prudent to further reduce the long term collection rate in 2022/23 to 97%. In 2023/24, this was held at 97% due to the expected impact of the cost-of-living crisis on the ability of households to pay council tax. The Medium Term Financial Strategy assumption for 2024/25 was for the long term collection target to increase back to 97.5% on the basis that the recovery from the Covid 19 pandemic and the return to normal debt recovery action would enable long term collections to increase back to pre-pandemic levels. This would be kept under review, with a further update provided to Cabinet in 2024.

Members recognised and supported the prudent nature of the assumptions being made and as a result, it was RESOLVED:

(1)       That the Band D equivalent number of properties be calculated, as detailed within the report, in accordance with the Government regulations.

(2)     That the collection rate for Council Tax for 2024/25 be set at 97.5%.

(3)     That subject to (1) and (2) above, a Council Tax Base for 2024/25 of 103,577 Band D equivalent properties (after collection rate allowance deduction) be approved.

No membership changes have been identified in advance of the agenda publication for consideration by the Committee.

There were no appointments to be considered in relation to any of the General Purposes Sub Committees.

No items have been identified in advance of the meeting that will require the exclusion of the press or public.

There were no items that required the exclusion of the press or public from the meeting.

Notice of items to be raised under this heading must be given in writing to the Head of the Chief Executive Office and Member Services or her representative before the meeting in accordance with Standing Order 60.

None.