Decision details

Councillor Cutler (Cabinet Member for Finance and Performance) moved that the recommended minute of Cabinet be approved and adopted (seconded by Councillor Tod, Leader and Cabinet Member for Asset Management).

 

Council proceeded to ask questions and then debate the matters in the recommended minute and report.

 

In accordance with legislative requirements on recorded votes at Budget meetings, a recorded vote was first taken regarding Recommendations 1 – 8 of the Recommended Minute of Cabinet.

 

The following Members voted in favour of Recommendations 1 – 8:

 

1. Councillor Sudhakar Achwal
2. Councillor Vivian Achwal
3. Councillor Rachel Aron
4. Councillor Kathleen Becker
5. Councillor Michael Bennett
6. Councillor Adrian Brophy
7. Councillor Angela Clear
8. Councillor Susan Cook
9. Councillor Steve Cramoysan
10. Councillor Neil Cutler
11. Councillor Nathan Eve
12. Councillor Russell Gordon-Smith
13. Councillor Brian Laming
14. Councillor Ritchie Latham
15. Councillor Kelsie Learney
16. Councillor Danny Lee
17. Councillor Jonny Morris
18. Councillor Jerry Pett
19. Councillor Clare Pinniger
20. Councillor Jackie Porter
21. Councillor Margot Power
22. Councillor Jane Rutter
23. Councillor Jamie Scott
24. Councillor Lucille Thompson
25. Councillor John Tippet-Cooper
26. Councillor Martin Tod
27. Councillor Malcolm Wallace
28. Councillor Chris Westwood
29. Councillor Suzanne White
30. Councillor Jonathan Williams
31. Councillor Charlie Wise

 

The following Members voted against Recommendations 1 – 8:

 

1. Councillor Neil Bolton
2. Councillor Caroline Brook
3. Councillor Stephen Godfrey
4. Councillor Caroline Horrill
5. Councillor Paula Langford-Smith
6. Councillor Jan Warwick

 

No Members abstained from voting.

 

RESOLVED:

 

That the recommended minute of Cabinet held 12 February 2025 (Recommendations 1 – 8, as follows) be approved and adopted:

 

1.             That the level of General Fund Budget for 2025/26 be agreed and Council endorse the summary as shown in Appendix A of report CAB3494.

2.             That the Greener Faster and carbon investment proposals be approved, used as the basis of this budget and as set out in the CAB3483 including:

a.    £135,000 additional budget per annum for the ongoing costs of providing the food waste collection service.

b.    £460,000 one-off budget to fund the phased roll out of the food waste service from October 2025, without government funding.

3.             That in relation to the Healthy Communities priority of the new Council Plan:

a.    the revised income bands for the Council Tax Reduction scheme for working age applicants (set out in appendix E of the report) that ensure claimants continue to receive the appropriate level of support after the DWPs increase in Universal Credit rates be approved with effect from 1 April 2025.

b.    That the amendment of the Council Tax Reduction scheme for working age applicants to include all additional support and new disregards with effect from 1 April 2025 be approved, as set out in the report.

c.     That £15,000 from the Cost of Living Reserve be used to extend the Council Tax Exceptional Hardship Fund into 2025/26.

4.             That in relation to the Good Homes for All priority, additional investment of £300,000 per annum to fund increased demand for temporary accommodation to prevent homelessness be approved.

5.             That an additional £50,000 per annum be included to fund additional pressures on council contracts.

6.             That service income annual budgets be amended as follows, in response to revised estimates:

a.    Garden Waste income increased by £30,000 (to reflect increases subscriptions, although partly off-set by increased contract costs of delivering the service to more households).

b.    Planning fee income reduction of £200,000 (to reflect the current reduced levels of applications received)

7.             That following a review of earmarked reserves they be amended as follows:

a.    £200,000 of the Transitional Reserve be re-allocated to the Thriving Places Reserve to invest one-off resources into planning enforcement.

b.    £2m of the Transitional Reserve be re-allocated to the Property Reserve to fund maintenance requirements of corporate properties.

c.     £902,000 of the Exceptional Inflation Reserve be re-allocated to the Car Parks Property Reserve to fund maintenance of and investment in parking. 

d.    £425,000 from the Major Investment Reserve be re-allocated to the Local Development Framework Reserve to fund Local Plan requirements.

e.    An additional £250,000 per annum be set aside into the Property Reserve, for the maintenance of and investment in operational assets.

f.      An additional £100,000 per annum be set aside into the Car Parks Reserve to fund maintenance of and investment in parking.

8.             That the sum of £1,364,045 be treated as Special Expenses under Section 35 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 in respect of the Winchester Town area as set out in section 16 and Appendix D of the report.

 

 

In accordance with legislative requirements on recorded votes at Budget meetings, a recorded vote was then taken regarding Recommendations 9 – 12 of the Recommended Minute of Cabinet.

 

The following Members voted in favour of Recommendations 9 – 12:

 

1. Councillor Sudhakar Achwal
2. Councillor Vivian Achwal
3. Councillor Rachel Aron
4. Councillor Kathleen Becker
5. Councillor Michael Bennett
6. Councillor Neil Bolton
7. Councillor Caroline Brook
8. Councillor Adrian Brophy
9. Councillor Angela Clear
10. Councillor Susan Cook
11. Councillor Steve Cramoysan
12. Councillor Neil Cutler
13. Councillor Nathan Eve
14. Councillor Stephen Godfrey
15. Councillor Russell Gordon-Smith
16. Councillor Caroline Horrill
17. Councillor Brian Laming
18. Councillor Paula Langford-Smith
19. Councillor Ritchie Latham
20. Councillor Kelsie Learney
21. Councillor Danny Lee
22. Councillor Jonny Morris
23. Councillor Jerry Pett
24. Councillor Clare Pinniger
25. Councillor Jackie Porter
26. Councillor Margot Power
27. Councillor Jane Rutter
28. Councillor Jamie Scott
29. Councillor Lucille Thompson
30. Councillor John Tippet-Cooper
31. Councillor Martin Tod
32. Councillor Malcolm Wallace
33. Councillor Jan Warwick
34. Councillor Chris Westwood
35. Councillor Suzanne White
36. Councillor Jonathan Williams
37. Councillor Charlie Wise

 

No Members voted against the recommendations or abstained from voting.

 

RESOLVED:

 

That the recommended minute of Cabinet held 12 February 2025 (Recommendations 9 – 12, as follows) be approved and adopted

 

9.              That the Council Tax for the Special Expenses in the Winchester Town area at Band D for 2025/26 be increased by the maximum allowed under the referendum limit of 2.99% combined between the town and district.

10.          That the deficit balance on the Council Tax Collection Fund for distribution to this Council, calculated in January 2025 of £142,787, be approved.

11.          That the level of Council Tax at Band D for City Council services for 2025/26 be increased to £163.66, an increase of £4.30 reflecting an average Council tax increase of 2.7%.

12.          That a Second Home premium for Council Tax which will take effect from 1 April 2026 (12 months’ notice is required to implement this premium), and the adoption of exceptions (listed at Appendix F) in respect of properties included in the Council Tax Premium schemes be approved.

 

 

Council Tax for the City of Winchester for the year commencing 1 April 2025.

 

In accordance with legislative requirements on recorded votes at Budget Meetings, a recorded vote was then taken regarding the Council Tax Resolutions (1 – 7), as set out on pages 97 – 100 of the agenda pack.

 

The following Members voted in favour of the Council Tax Resolutions (1 – 7):

 

1. Councillor Sudhakar Achwal
2. Councillor Vivian Achwal
3. Councillor Rachel Aron
4. Councillor Kathleen Becker
5. Councillor Michael Bennett
6. Councillor Neil Bolton
7. Councillor Caroline Brook
8. Councillor Adrian Brophy
9. Councillor Angela Clear
10. Councillor Susan Cook
11. Councillor Steve Cramoysan
12. Councillor Neil Cutler
13. Councillor Nathan Eve
14. Councillor Stephen Godfrey
15. Councillor Russell Gordon-Smith
16. Councillor Caroline Horrill
17. Councillor Brian Laming
18. Councillor Paula Langford-Smith
19. Councillor Ritchie Latham
20. Councillor Kelsie Learney
21. Councillor Danny Lee
22. Councillor Jonny Morris
23. Councillor Jerry Pett
24. Councillor Clare Pinniger
25. Councillor Jackie Porter
26. Councillor Margot Power
27. Councillor Jane Rutter
28. Councillor Jamie Scott
29. Councillor Lucille Thompson
30. Councillor John Tippet-Cooper
31. Councillor Martin Tod
32. Councillor Malcolm Wallace
33. Councillor Jan Warwick
34. Councillor Chris Westwood
35. Councillor Suzanne White
36. Councillor Jonathan Williams
37. Councillor Charlie Wise

 

RESOLVED:

 

That the Council Tax for the City of Winchester for the year commencing 1 April 2025 (as follows) be approved and adopted:

 

1.  That any expenses incurred by the Council in performing in a part of its area a function performed elsewhere in its area by a Parish Council/Town Council/Parish Meeting shall not be treated as special expenses for the purposes of Section 35 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, except in the case of the following special items relating to the non-parished area the aggregate amount of which is £1,364,045 and which is shown within the total of special items at paragraph 4(e) below:-

 

 (a)   Magdalen Hill and West Hill Cemeteries;

       (b)   Allotments;

       (c)   Town centre Christmas lighting;

       (d)   Footway lighting;

       (e)   Bus shelter maintenance;

       (f)   Grants and Vision Delivery (“parish” element);

(g)    Recreation Grounds & Open Spaces (except Abbey Gardens, Riverside Walks, the Weirs and St Giles Hill);

(h)    Neighbourhood Services;

(i)      Public Conveniences

(j)      Maintenance work to Council Owned Bridges

(k)     Night Bus Contribution

(l)      Neighbourhood Plans

(m)   Community Infrastructure

 (n)   Administration of the Town Forum

 

2.    That it be noted that the Head of Revenues, in consultation with the Corporate Head of Finance calculated the Council Tax Base for 2025/26 at

(a)           54,886.50

being the amount calculated by the Council for the whole Council area, in accordance with Section 31B(1) (Item T) of the Local Government Act 1992, as amended (the “Act”), as its Council Tax base for the year.

(b)      for dwellings in those parts of its area to which a Parish/Town precept relates as in the attached Annex 1 as set out on page 101 of the agenda pack.

 

3      Calculate that the Council Tax requirement for the Council’s own purposes for 2025/26 (excluding Parish Precepts) is £10,346,770.

 

4           That the following amounts be now calculated by the Council for the year 2025/26 in accordance with Sections 31 to 36 of the Act:

 

(a)    £138,753,451

being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 31A(2) of the Act taking into account all precepts issued to it by Parish Councils.

(b)    £123,490,060

being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 31A(3) of the Act.

(c)    £15,263,391

being the amount by which the aggregate at 4(a) above exceeds the aggregate at 4(b) above, calculated by the Council in accordance with Section 31A(4) of the Act, as its Council Tax requirement for the year. (Item R in the formula in Section 31B of the Act).

(d)    £278.09

being the amount at 4(c) above (Item R), all divided by Item T (2(a) above), calculated by the Council, in accordance with Section 31B(1) of the Act, as the basic amount of its Council Tax for the year (including Parish Precepts).

(e)    £6,280,666

being the aggregate amount of all special items referred to in Section 34(1) of the Act (as per the attached Annex 2)

(f)     £163.66

being the amount at 4(d) above less the result given by dividing the amount at 4(e) above by Item T (2(a) above), calculated by the Council, in accordance with Section 34(2) of the Act, as the basic amount of its Council Tax for the year for dwellings in those parts of its area to which no special item relates.

 

5   That it be noted for the year 2025/26, Hampshire County Council and the Police and Crime Commissioner - Hampshire have stated, and the Hampshire Fire and Rescue Authority has recommended the following amounts in precepts issued to the Council, in accordance with Section 40 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, for each of the categories of dwellings shown below:

Precepting                                    Precept

Authority                                       Amount

 

Hampshire County         

Council (HCC)                              £88,357,934

 

 

Police and Crime Commissioner 

– Hampshire (PCCH)                    £15,119,035

 

Hampshire Fire and                       £4,821,230

Rescue Authority (HFRA)

 

          Valuation            HCC             PCCH            HFRA

         Bands

A	1,073.22	183.64	58.56
B	1,252.09	214.25	68.32
C	1,430.96	244.85	78.08
D	1,609.83	275.46	87.84
E	1,967.57	336.67	107.36
F	2,325.31	397.89	126.88
G	2,683.05	459.10	146.40
H	3,219.66	550.92	175.68

 

 

 

6.    That the Council, in accordance with Sections 30 and 36 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, hereby sets the aggregate amounts shown in columns 2-9 of Annex 2 as the amounts of Council Tax for 2025/26 for each part of its area and for each of the categories of dwellings shown.

 

7.   That the Council determines that the Council’s basic amount of Council Tax for 2025/26 is not excessive in accordance with principles approved under Section 52ZB of the Local Government Finance Act 1992.