Agenda item

(Copy herewith)

Councillor Eldred submitted a report which reported the outcome of the consultation process on the 2018/19 General Fund Revenue and Capital Budget and the Government Funding Settlement for 2018/19 and to agree Cabinet’s proposals for recommendation to Council on 26^th February 2018 for the 2018/19 General Fund budgets and Council Tax level and the indicative levels for 2019/20 to 2022/23. It also outlined the General Fund Capital Programme and Funding proposals for 2018/19 and future years.

Councillor Nunn seconded the report.

Councillor Stone made a statement commenting on the deliverability and impact of the administration’s budget and outlined a “vision of how things could be done differently”.

Councillor Beardsworth made a statement and commented on performance management regarding the Environmental Services contract and the lack of funding coming from central Government.

There voted for the recommendations:

Councillors Ansell, Aziz, Bottwood, Eldred, Flavell, Golby, Graystone, Hadland, Hallam, Hibbert, Kilbride, King, Larratt, Malpas, M Markham, Nunn, Oldham, Parekh, Patel, Sargeant and Walker.

There voted against the recommendations:

Councillors Ashraf, Beardsworth, Birch, Choudary, Chunga, Culbard, T Eales, Haque, Joyce, Marriott, McCutcheon, Meredith, Russell, Smith and Stone.

There abstained the Mayor.

The recommendations in the report were agreed.

RESOLVED:

That Council approved:

a)    An average rent decrease of 1% per dwelling, in line with the legislation and the government’s national rent policy, to take effect from 3^rd April 2017.

b)    The HRA budget for 2017/18 of £52.7m expenditure including options detailed in Appendix 1.

c)    The HRA capital programme for 2017/18, including future year commitments, and proposed financing as set out in Appendix 2.

d)    The proposed service charges listed in Appendix 3.

e)    The Total Fees proposed for NPH to deliver the services in scope for 2017/18 detailed in Appendix 4.

f)     That Cabinet be authorised, once the capital programme has been set, to approve new capital schemes and variations to existing schemes during 2017/18, subject to the funding being available and the schemes being in accordance with the objectives and priorities of the Council.

2.2      That the Council acknowledges the issues and risks detailed in the Chief Finance Officer’s statement on the robustness of estimates and the adequacy of the reserves.

2.3      That the Council confirms the reserves strategy of protecting balances wherever possible to allow the option of supporting future years’ budgets, aiming for a minimum level of unallocated Housing Revenue Account balances of at least £5m for 2017/18, having regard to the outcome of the financial risk assessment.

2.4      That Council delegate authority to the Chief Executive and Chief Finance Officer to implement any retained HRA budget options and restructures.

2.5      That authority be delegated to the Chief Finance Officer in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Finance, and where appropriate the relevant Director and Portfolio Holder to:

·         Transfer monies to/from earmarked reserves should that become necessary during the financial year.

·         Transfer monies to /from HRA working balances between the Council and NPH for cash flow purposes should that become necessary during the financial year.

·         Update prudential indicators in both the Prudential Indicators report and Treasury Strategy report, for Council for any budget changes that impact on these.