Agenda item

RECOMMENDATIONS:

That Cabinet recommends to Council:

 

 

1.         That the level of General Fund Budget for 2022/23 be agreed, and recommend the summary as shown in Appendix A of the report.

2.         That the creation of and transfers to reserves (detailed in section 13.13 of the report) be approved to support the delivery of the key priorities in the Council Plan, including:

a.     Greener Faster (£250k)

b.     Future of Waste (£500k)

c.      Pride in Place (£150k)

d.     Digital Transformation (£400k)

e.     Regeneration (£300k)

f.       Cost of Living/Living Well (£170k)

g.     Transitional Reserve (additional £230k)

3.         That the Pride in Place investment proposals set out in section 13.5 of the report be supported, including:

a.     To increase the regeneration budget by £130k per annum to provide capacity to deliver the council’s regeneration programme.

b.     To increase the Town Forum bus shelter replacement programme by £10k per annum from 2023/24

c.      To freeze the proposed grant funding reductions to Hampshire Cultural Trust and maintain pre-2022/23 funding levels until the end of 2024/25, at a cost of £43k per annum.

d.     Extend the current one-off budget funding street scene works under the Pride in Place priority by £50k per annum

e.     Increase the tree works budget by £78k per annum to fund ongoing essential works to the Council’s trees across the district

f.       Increase the Natural Environment and Recreation Team budget by £23k per annum to fund a tree officer post to manage the council’s trees.

4.         That the proposed increase to the salary budget of £175k per annum to fund all grades being uplifted by one increment on the existing pay scales be approved, in accordance with Appendix G of the report, to give Winchester a more competitive market position for recruitment and retention of staff.

5.         That a discretionary 7% cap for 2023/24 on the annual increase in rent for Partnered Home Purchase scheme property owners be approved, in line with the increase in social and affordable rents to existing tenants in the HRA.

6.         That the sum of £1,186,879 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.

7.         That the Council Tax for the Special Expenses in the Winchester Town area at Band D for 2022/23 be increased by 5.5% to £80.93, an increase of £4.22.

8.         That the surplus balance on the Council Tax Collection Fund for distribution to this Council, calculated in January 2023 of £39,724.63, be approved.

9.         That the level of Council Tax at Band D for City Council services for 2022/23 be increased to £155.29, an increase of £4.00 reflecting an average Council tax increase of 2.65%

10.      That the new Council Tax Reduction scheme income bands be approved (set out in Appendix E of the report) that ensure claimants continue to receive the same level of support after the increase in Universal Credit from April 2023.

11.      That the distribution of the Government’s £150,512 Council Tax Support Fund through a reduction to Council Tax balances be approved, in line with the Government’s guidance and additional local criteria, detailed in paragraph 17 of the report.

 

 

 

TO PASS A FORMAL RESOLUTION SETTING THE COUNCIL TAX FOR THE CITY OF WINCHESTER FOR THE YEAR COMMENCING 1 APRIL 2023.

 

Councillor Ferguson left meeting before consideration of this agenda item.

 

Council noted a typographical error in Recommendation 1 of Report CAB3388 and the recommended minute of Cabinet.  Council was to agree the level of General Fund Budget for 2023/24, as opposed to 2022/23 as stated.

 

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

 

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

 

AMENDMENT – Moved by Councillor Godfrey and seconded by Councillor Bolton:

 

Add new recommendation (12) to read:

 

That the Council takes immediate steps to address the climate emergency and the cost of living crisis by:

 

1. Employing five additional fixed term Scale 5 Climate Advisor posts for two years at a total cost of £500k, funded by the Major Investment Reserve.
2. An additional one-off budget of £250k in 2023/24 in order to support insulation and energy saving projects, funded by the Major Investment Reserve.
3. Four additional fixed term Scale 5 Business Advisor posts for two years at a total cost of £400k, funded by the Major Investment Reserve.
4. Reduce the District fees and charges by £70k to the benefit of those residents that need our services.
5. Increase the baseline Vacancy Management Savings target by £70k by increasing the time and volume of vacant posts.
6. An 8% one-off Council Tax reduction for those required to pay council tax in this coming year, spread equally across the council tax bands at a cost of £630k plus £50,000 for additional administration and postage costs.  This gives a total cost of £680k, to be funded by the Major Investment Reserve.

Council continued to debate the original motion, before the Mayor called for an adjournment to the meeting to allow for informal discussion of the Amendment to take place within the groups.

 

Upon its reconvening, Council proceeded to debate the matters in the Amendment. 

 

At conclusion of debate, Councillor Power was invited to exercise her right of reply before Council voted on the Amendment.

 

AMENDMENT LOST.

 

Following summing up by the proposer and the seconder of the substantive motion (which was the Recommended Minute of Cabinet) in accordance with legislative requirements on recorded votes at Budget meetings, a recorded vote was first taken regarding Recommendations 1 – 6 of the Recommended Minute of Cabinet.

 

The following Members voted in favour of Recommendations 1 – 6 of the Recommended Minute of Cabinet:

 

Councillors Achwal, Batho, Becker, Clear, Cook, Cramoysan, Craske, Cutler, Edwards, Evans, Gordon-Smith, Laming, Learney, Lumby, Porter, Power, Rutter, Scott, Small, Thompson, Tippett-Cooper, Tod, Wallace, Westwood, Williams.

 

The following Members voted against Recommendations 1 – 6 of the Recommended Minute of Cabinet:

 

None.

 

The following Members abstained from voting on Recommendations 1 – 6 of the Recommended Minute of Cabinet:

 

Councillors Bolton, Brook, Cunningham, Godfrey, Horrill, Isaacs, Kurn, Miller, Pearson, Read, Warwick.

 

RESOLVED:

 

That the recommended minute of Cabinet held 9 February 2023 (Recommendations 1 - 6) be approved and adopted:

 

1.          That the level of General Fund Budget for 2023/24 be agreed, and recommend the summary as shown in Appendix A of the report.

2.         That the creation of and transfers to reserves (detailed in section 13.13 of the report) be approved to support the delivery of the key priorities in the Council Plan, including:

a.     Greener Faster (£250k)

b.     Future of Waste (£500k)

c.      Pride in Place (£150k)

d.     Digital Transformation (£400k)

e.     Regeneration (£300k)

f.       Cost of Living/Living Well (£170k)

g.     Transitional Reserve (additional £230k)

3.         That the Pride in Place investment proposals set out in section 13.5 of the report be supported, including:

a.     To increase the regeneration budget by £130k per annum to provide capacity to deliver the council’s regeneration programme.

b.     To increase the Town Forum bus shelter replacement programme by £10k per annum from 2023/24

c.      To freeze the proposed grant funding reductions to Hampshire Cultural Trust and maintain pre-2022/23 funding levels until the end of 2024/25, at a cost of £43k per annum.

d.     Extend the current one-off budget funding street scene works under the Pride in Place priority by £50k per annum

e.     Increase the tree works budget by £78k per annum to fund ongoing essential works to the Council’s trees across the district

f.       Increase the Natural Environment and Recreation Team budget by £23k per annum to fund a tree officer post to manage the council’s trees.

4.         That the proposed increase to the salary budget of £175k per annum to fund all grades being uplifted by one increment on the existing pay scales be approved, in accordance with Appendix G of the report, to give Winchester a more competitive market position for recruitment and retention of staff.

5.         That a discretionary 7% cap for 2023/24 on the annual increase in rent for Partnered Home Purchase scheme property owners be approved, in line with the increase in social and affordable rents to existing tenants in the HRA.

6.         That the sum of £1,186,879 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 7 – 11 of the Recommended Minute of Cabinet.

 

The following Members voted in favour of Recommendations 7 – 11 of the Recommended Minute of Cabinet:

 

Councillors Achwal, Batho, Becker, Bolton, Brook, Clear, Cook, Cramoysan, Craske, Cunningham, Cutler, Edwards, Evans, Godfrey, Gordon-Smith, Horrill, Isaacs, Kurn, Laming, Learney, Lumby, Miller, Pearson, Porter, Power, Read, Rutter, Scott, Small, Thompson, Tippett-Cooper, Tod, Wallace, Warwick, Westwood, Williams.

 

The following Members voted against Recommendations 7 – 11 of the Recommended Minute of Cabinet:

 

None.

 

The following Members abstained from voting on Recommendations 7 – 11 of the Recommended Minute of Cabinet:

 

None.

 

RESOLVED:

 

That the recommended minute of Cabinet held 9 February 2023 (Recommendations 7 - 11) be approved and adopted:

 

7.   That the Council Tax for the Special Expenses in the Winchester Town area at Band D for 2023/24 be increased by 5.5% to £80.93, an increase of £4.22.

8.   That the surplus balance on the Council Tax Collection Fund for distribution to this Council, calculated in January 2023 of £39,724.63, be approved.

9.   That the level of Council Tax at Band D for City Council services for 2023/24 be increased to £155.29, an increase of £4.00 reflecting an average Council tax increase of 2.65%

10.                That the new Council Tax Reduction scheme income bands be approved (set out in Appendix E of the report) that ensure claimants continue to receive the same level of support after the increase in Universal Credit from April 2023.

11.                That the distribution of the Government’s £150,512 Council Tax Support Fund through a reduction to Council Tax balances be approved, in line with the Government’s guidance and additional local criteria, detailed in paragraph 17 of the report.

 

Council Tax for the City of Winchester for the year commencing 1 April 2023.

 

In accordance with legislative requirements on recorded votes at Budget Meetings, a recorded vote was taken regarding the Council Tax Resolutions (1 – 7) as set out on pages 105 – 111 of the agenda pack.

 

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

 

Councillors Achwal, Batho, Becker, Bolton, Brook, Clear, Cook, Cramoysan, Craske, Cunningham, Cutler, Edwards, Evans, Godfrey, Gordon-Smith, Horrill, Isaacs, Kurn, Laming, Learney, Lumby, Miller, Pearson, Porter, Power, Read, Rutter, Scott, Small, Thompson, Tippett-Cooper, Tod, Wallace, Warwick, Westwood, Williams.

 

The following Members voted against the Council Tax Resolutions (1 -7):

 

None.

 

The following Members abstained from voting on the Council Tax Resolutions (1 -7):

 

None.

 

RESOLVED:

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 £1,186,879 (Appendix D to report CAB3388 refers) 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 for community facilities in the Town 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)       Theatre Royal

(k)     Maintenance work to Council Owned Bridges

(l)       Night Bus Contribution

(m)   St Maurice’s Covert

(n)     Neighbourhood Plans

(o)     Community Infrastructure

(p)     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 2023/24 at

(a)   £52,626.87

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.

3.      Calculate that the Council Tax requirement for the Council’s own purposes for 2023/24 (excluding Parish Precepts) is £9,359,306.

 

4.      That the following amounts be now calculated by the Council for the year 2023/24 in accordance with Sections 31 to 36 of the Act:

(a)    £113,709,959

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)    £100,305,678

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

(c)    £13,404,281

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)    £254.70

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)    £5,231,854

being the aggregate amount of all special items referred to in Section 34(1) of the Act (as per the attached Annex 2 on page 111 of the agenda pack)

(f)     £155.29

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 2023/24, 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)                                  £76,848,387

Police and Crime Commissioner 

– Hampshire (PCCH)                       £13,233,553

 

Hampshire Fire and                       £4,232,779

Rescue Authority (HFRA)

         Valuation             HCC             PCCH            HFRA

         Bands

A	973.50	167.64	53.62
B	1,135.75	195.58	62.56
C	1,298.00	223.52	71.49
D	1,460.25	251.46	80.43
E	1,784.75	307.34	98.30
F	2,109.25	363.22	116.18
G	2,433.75	419.10	134.05
H	2,920.50	502.92	160.86

 

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 (on page 111 of the agenda pack) as the amounts of Council Tax for 2023/24 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 2023/24 is not excessive in accordance with principles approved under Section 52ZB of the Local Government Finance Act 1992.