Agenda item

Report of the Leader of Council

CM 55           

A report was considered that updated Members on the revenue and capital budget position for the year 2017/18.

In the ensuing discussion, reference was made to the proposal for an opt-in charged garden waste service.  Some reservations were expressed over the proposals effectively amounting to double taxation and the lack of any concessionary scheme that took into account a property’s Council Tax band.  However, the majority of Members were so swayed by the potential loss of this discretionary service, that they confirmed their support for this proposal.

In accordance with statutory legislation, three recorded votes were then called for.  The first recorded vote was called for on part 1 only of the recommendation, with the second recorded vote being called for on part 4 only and the third recorded vote being called for on parts 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18 of the recommendation.

The voting on part 1 of the recommendation (i.e. that Council Tax should be increased by £5) was recorded as follows:-

For the motion (26):            Cllrs Baldwin, Ball, Benson, Cheadle, Cloke, Edmonds, Hockridge, Jory, Kimber, Leech, McInnes, Mott, Moyse, Musgrave, Parker, Pearce, Ridgers, Roberts, Sampson, Samuel, Sanders, Sellis, Sheldon, Stephens, Watts and Yelland

Against the motion (1):        Cllr Cann OBE                     

Absent (4):                             Cllrs Davies, Evans, Moody and Oxborough

and the vote was therefore declared CARRIED.

The voting on part 4 of the recommendation (i.e. that the proposal for an opt-in charged garden waste service be approved) was recorded as follows:-

For the motion (24):            Cllrs Baldwin, Ball, Benson, Cheadle, Cloke, Edmonds, Hockridge, Jory, Kimber, Leech, McInnes, Moyse, Musgrave, Parker, Pearce, Ridgers, Roberts, Sampson, Samuel, Sanders, Sellis, Stephens, Watts and Yelland

Against the motion (1):        Cllr Cann OBE                     

Abstentions (2):                    Cllrs Mott and Sheldon

Absent (4):                             Cllrs Davies, Evans, Moody and Oxborough

and the vote was therefore declared CARRIED.

The voting on parts 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18 of the recommendation was recorded as follows:-

For the motion (26):             Cllrs Baldwin, Ball, Benson, Cheadle, Cloke, Edmonds, Hockridge, Jory, Kimber, Leech, McInnes, Mott, Moyse, Musgrave, Parker, Pearce, Ridgers, Roberts, Sampson, Samuel, Sanders, Sellis, Sheldon, Stephens, Watts and Yelland

Against the motion (1):        Cllr Cann OBE

Absent (4):                             Cllrs Davies, Evans, Moody and Oxborough

and the vote was therefore declared CARRIED.

It was consequently ”RESOLVED that:

(i)           Council Tax be increased by £5 (which equates to a Band D council tax of £218.39 for 2017/18, an increase of £5 per year or 10 pence per week). This equates to a Council Tax requirement of £4,356,612 (as shown in Appendix B of the presented agenda report));

(ii)          the financial pressures in Appendix A of £735,571 be approved;

(iii)         the contributions to Earmarked Reserves of £277,000 be approved;

(iv)         the proposal for an opt-in charged garden waste service with no concessions (as set out in Exempt Appendix F of the presented agenda report) be adopted, with a targeted net saving of £67,500 for the 2017/18 financial year.  (NB. a further report detailing the operational changes required and implementation timing will be brought to the March meeting of the Hub Committee);

(v)          the other savings of £498,171 (as set out in Appendix A of the presented agenda report) be approved;

(vi)         the Collection Fund surplus of £178,000 be agreed;

(vii)       an ICT Earmarked Reserve be created consisting of £42,000 (as set out in paragraph 6.15 of the presented agenda report);

(viii)      £860,000 of New Homes Bonus funding is used to balance the 2017/18 Revenue Budget;

(ix)         £100,000 of the Budget Surplus Contingency Earmarked Reserve  be used to fund £50,000 for the Joint Local Plan and £50,000 for five additional case managers within Development Management for a period of one year (paragraph 10.6 of the presented agenda report refers);

(x)          the Total Net Expenditure of the Council for 2017/18 be £7,423,225 (Appendix B of the presented agenda report refers);

(xi)         the 2017/18 Capital Programme projects totalling £570,000 be approved (as outlined at paragraph 9.1 of the presented agenda report);

(xii)       approval be given to the financing of the 2017/18 Capital Programme of £570,000 by using £88,000 of New Homes Bonus funding, £402,000 of Better Care Funding and £80,000 from the Budget Surplus Contingency Earmarked Reserve (as per paragraph 9.1 of the presented agenda report);

(xiii)      the Council transfers £9,880 of its allocation of New Homes Bonus for 2017/18 to an Earmarked Reserve called: ‘Community Investment Fund – Dartmoor National Park’, to be applied for and drawn down by Dartmoor National Park as and when required.  (NB. this amount is a one-off payment and the position will be considered annually by the Council as part of the budget process.  The condition is that this is for use within the boundaries of the Borough Council only);

(xiv)      the Council Tax Support Grant paid to Town and Parish Councils be reduced by 8.6% for 2017/18, 2018/19 and 2019/20.  (NB. this equates to a payment of £70,841 for 2017/18);

(xv)       the minimum level of the Unearmarked Revenue Reserves be maintained at £750,000 (as outlined at Section 10 of the presented agenda report);

(xvi)      the level of reserves (as set out within the presented agenda report) and the assessment of their adequacy and the robustness of budget estimates be noted.  (NB. this is a requirement of Part 2 of the Local Government Act 2003);

(xvii)     car parking charges for 2017/18 be frozen and the charges be reviewed by the Car Parking Strategy Group; and

(xviii)   the 2017/18 Budget be balanced by using £140,002 from the Budget Surplus Contingency Earmarked Reserve (as set out at paragraph 10.6 of the presented agenda report).”