Agenda item

To resolve recommendations in respect of:

·         Capital Programme 2017/18 - 2019/20

·         Revenue Budget 2017/18 (including Fees and Charges)

·         Council Tax 2017/18

 

The supporting information has been circulated separately to this agenda and is available at http://democratic.bracknell-forest.gov.uk

The Council considered the report by the Borough Treasurer which set out the financial plans and revenue budgets for the financial year 2017/18 and the supporting information which presented the Council’s spending plans for 2017/18 and detailed

budgets for the General Fund and Capital Programme.

 

Councillors Angell, Mrs Angell, Mrs McKenzie-Boyle and Virgo had declared an affected interest in this item and therefore did not take part in the discussion or the vote.

 

Councillor Heydon gave a comprehensive presentation placing a particular focus on:

 

·         Following the approval of the 2016/17 budget further savings proposals of almost £4m, in addition to the savings in the main budget, were considered and endorsed by Full Council on 13 July 2016. The Council was on track to deliver these savings and replenish the Council’s reserves. 

·         The Council would be delivering a balanced budget, as Bracknell Forest had every year since it became a Unitary Authority in 1998. 

·         He thanked his Executive colleagues, fellow Councillors, the Chief Executive, the Treasurer and their senior teams for all their hard work.

·         The Council’s initial budget plans were published for consultation on 13 December and the provisional financial settlement was announced two days later which included the Government’s plans for the New Homes Bonus.

·         The changes to the New Homes Bonus would significantly impact Bracknell Forest. Initially some of the reduction in the New Homes Bonus would be used to fund a new grant for Adult Social Care but the local allocation would not match the reduction. This loss would became greater over the next three years as the New Homes Bonus itself tapered down.

·         The predicted loss of £1.5m due to the complete withdrawal of the Education Support Grant was mitigated by changes to other Education grant arrangements, including that to the Dedicated Schools Grant.

·         The Council was set to lose an additional £1.3m in funding than anticipated by 2019/20.

·         There had been very few responses to the Budget consultation and Councillor Heydon thanked everyone who had taken the time to do so, including Councillor Mrs Temperton on behalf of the Labour Party.

·         It was proposed that Council Tax would increase by 4.99%.  3% would be spent entirely on adult social care functions (commonly known as the adult social care precept). 

·         It was noted that the Government’s calculation of the grant received by Bracknell Forest assumed that council tax would be increased each year by the amount permitted, including applying the social care precept.

·         For the average Band D Council Tax payer this would be an increase of just over £50 for the year, around £1 per week.

·         The Council was facing pressures totalling £11m from a combination of grant reductions, increasing costs of service delivery and rising demand. 

·         The Council’s Transformation Programme would be delivering savings of £7m and £2m efficiency measures were being implemented.  The proposal was to also draw £2.5m from balances, using them to prevent the need for more significant service changes.

·         There were no proposals to close current facilities anywhere in the Borough.

·         He listed some examples of how the Council was investing in the Borough’s assets to fulfil on-going service responsibilities in more sustainable ways :

o   Schools, £43m on Binfield Learning Village

o   £13m on Coral Reef

o   Investment of over £0.5m in self-service technology in Libraries to allow facilities to be open for longer

o   £0.2m capital funding for South Hill Park to help generate additional income

·         He was pleased to report that the Council would be spending more on older people and on the Council’s looked after children than in the current year. 

·         The full amount received from the Government of almost £90m would be spent on Education.

 

On the proposition of Councillor Heydon, Executive Member for Transformation and

Finance, seconded by Councillor Bettison the recommendations as set out in the

agenda report were moved.

 

As required by legislation a recorded vote was taken on the substantive motion and the voting was as follows:

 

FOR (34) Councillors Allen, Dr Barnard, Bettison OBE, D Birch, Mrs Birch, Brossard, Brunel-Walker, Dudley, Finch, Finnie, Ms Gaw, Mrs Hamilton, Harrison, Mrs Hayes MBE,  Heydon, Hill, Mrs Ingham, Kennedy, Leake, McCracken, Mrs McCracken, Mrs McKenzie, McLean, Mrs Mattick, Ms Merry, Ms Miller, Peacey, Phillips, Porter, Thompson, Tullett, Turrell, Wade and Worrall

 

ABSTAIN (1) Councillor Mrs Temperton

 

NON VOTING (5) Councillors Angell, Mrs Angell, Ms Hayes (not present for this item), Mrs McKenzie-Boyle and Virgo

 

It was therefore RESOLVED that:

 

1 Capital Programme 2017/18 - 2019/20

 

i)              General Fund capital funding of £69.083m for 2017/18 in respect of those schemes listed on pages 174 to 178 of the supporting information be approved;

ii)             The inclusion of an additional budget of £1m for ‘Invest to Save’ schemes be approved;

iii)            The inclusion of £0.942m of expenditure be funded from S106 as outlined in the supporting information for Council;

iv)           That those schemes that attract external grant funding be approved for inclusion within the 2017/18 capital programme at the level of funding received;

v)            That funding of £0.473m be released through a supplementary capital approval in 2016/17 for the schemes included in paragraph 5.30 of the

Executive Report (available at https://democratic.bracknell-forest.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=102&MId=6691&Ver=4)

 

 

2 Revenue Budget 2017/18

 

i)              The budget proposals set out in Table 1 (page 4) of the supporting information, subject to the changes identified in sections 3.2 (page 5), 3.3 (pages 6 and 7), 3.5 (page 7), 3.7 (page 8), 3.8 (pages 8 to 10) and 7.2 (page 19) of the supporting information, be agreed;

ii)             Fees and charges as set out on pages 79 to 158 of the supporting information be approved;

iii)            A provision for inflation of £1.553m be approved;

iv)           The commitment budget as set out in Annexe A be approved (pages 21 to 22 of the supporting information);

v)            The Schools Budget be funded at the level set out in section 4.1 of the supporting information, subject to any amendments agreed by the Executive Member for Children, Young People and Learning;

vi)           A contingency of £2.000m be included, use of which is authorised by the Chief Executive in consultation with the Borough Treasurer in accordance with the delegations included in the Council’s constitution;

vii)          Subject to the above recommendations the revised draft budget proposals be agreed;

viii)         A contribution of £2.568m (after allowing for additional interest from the use of balances of £0.026m) be made from revenue balances to support revenue expenditure;

ix)           Total net expenditure (after use of balances) of £85.773m, be approved;

x)            The Council’s Council Tax requirement, excluding Parish Council precepts, be set at £53.247m;

xi)           The Council Tax for the Council’s services for each Valuation Band be set as follows:

 

 

xii)          The Council approved the following indicators, limits, strategies and policies included in Annexe E (pages 49 to 70) of the supporting information:

·         The Prudential Indicators and Limits for 2017/18 to 2019/20 contained within Annexe E(i);

·         The Minimum Revenue Provision (MRP) Policy contained within Annexe E(ii);

·         The Treasury Management Strategy Statement, and the Treasury Prudential Indicators contained in Annexe E(iii);

·         The Authorised Limit Prudential Indicator in Annexe E(iii);

·         The Investment Strategy 2017/18 to 2019/20 and Treasury Management Limits on Activity contained in Annexe E(iv);

xiii)         The formal Council Tax Resolution contained in section 3 be approved

 

 

3      COUNCIL TAX RESOLUTION

 

3.1       That the recommendations of the Executive outlined in sections 2.1 and 2.2 be agreed;

 

3.2   That it be noted that the amounts calculated for the year 2017/18 in accordance with Section 67 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 are :-

 

a)    44,581 TAX BASE FOR THE WHOLE COUNCIL AREA

 

being the amount calculated by the Council, in accordance with regulation 3 of the Local Authorities (Calculation of Council Tax Base) Regulations 1992, as amended, as its council tax base for the year

 

b)     TAX BASE FOR PART OF THE COUNCIL’S AREA

 

EACH PARISH AREA

Binfield	3,796
Bracknell	19,006
Crowthorne	2,689
Sandhurst	7,788
Warfield	4,643
Winkfield	6,659

being the amounts calculated by the Council, in accordance with

regulation 6 of the Regulations, as amended, as the amounts of its

council tax base for the year for dwellings in those parts of its area to which one or more special items relate

 

3.3  That the following amounts be now calculated by the Council for the year 2017/18 in accordance with Sections 31 to 36 of the Local Government and Finance Act 1992as amended (the Act), noting that Bracknell Town Council’s (BTC) precept is subject to confirmation by BTC on 21 February:-

 

(a)

£273,435,227

TOTAL EXPENDITURE INCLUDING GENERAL FUND, PARISH PRECEPTS AND THE COUNCIL’S SHARE OF ANY DEFICIT ON THE COLLECTION FUND

 

being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 31A(2) of the Act

 

(b)

£217,030,632

TOTAL INCOME INCLUDING GOVERNMENT SUPPORT AND THE COUNCIL’S SHARE OF ANY SURPLUS ON THE COLLECTION FUND

 

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

 

(c)

£56,404,595

BOROUGH AND PARISH PRECEPTS NET EXPENDITURE TO BE FINANCED FROM COUNCIL TAX

 

being the amount by which the aggregate at 3.3(a) above exceeds the aggregate at 3.3(b) above, calculated by the Council, in accordance with Section 31A(4) of the Act, as its council tax requirement for the year

 

(d)

£1,265.22

AVERAGE BAND "D" COUNCIL TAX FOR WHOLE BOROUGH

 

being the amount at 3.3(c) above, divided by the amount at 3.2(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)

£3,157,494

PARISH PRECEPTS

 

being the aggregate amount of all special items referred to in Section 34(1) of the Act

 

(f)

£1,194.39

BOROUGH COUNCIL TAX FOR BAND "D" PROPERTIES

 

being the amount at 3.3(d) above less the result given by dividing the amount at 3.3(e) above by the amount at 3.2(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 if there were an area of the Borough to which no special item relates

 

(g)	Part of the Council’s area	BOROUGH AND PARISH COUNCIL TAX FOR EACH PARISH FOR BAND “D”
		Binfield	£1,240.81
		Bracknell	£1,278.05
		Crowthorne	£1,267.24
		Sandhurst	£1,267.68
		Warfield	£1,230.00
		Winkfield	£1,263.35

being the amounts given by adding to the amount at 3.3(f) above the amounts of the special item or items relating to dwellings in those parts of the Council's area mentioned above divided in each case by the amount at 3.2(b) above, calculated by the Council, in accordance with Section 34(3) of the Act, as the basic amounts of its council tax for the year for dwellings in those parts of its area to which one or more special items relate

 

(h)

Part of the Council's area

BOROUGH AND PARISH COUNCIL TAX IN EACH PARISH FOR EACH VALUATION BAND

 

Parish	A	B	C	D	E	F	G	H
	£	£	£	£	£	£	£	£
Binfield	827.21	965.07	1,102.94	1,240.81	1,516.55	1,792.28	2,068.02	2,481.62
Bracknell	852.03	994.04	1,136.04	1,278.05	1,562.06	1,846.07	2,130.08	2,556.10
Crowthorne	844.83	985.63	1,126.44	1,267.24	1,548.85	1,830.46	2,112.07	2,534.48
Sandhurst	845.12	985.97	1,126.83	1,267.68	1,549.39	1,831.09	2,112.80	2,535.36
Warfield	820.00	956.67	1,093.33	1,230.00	1,503.33	1,776.67	2,050.00	2,460.00
Winkfield	842.23	982.61	1,122.98	1,263.35	1,544.09	1,824.84	2,105.58	2,526.70

being the amounts given by multiplying the amounts at 3.3(g) above by the number which, in the proportion set out in Section 5(1) of the Act, is applicable to dwellings listed in a particular valuation band divided by the number which in that proportion is applicable to dwellings listed in valuation band D, calculated by the Council, in accordance with Section 36(1) of the Act, as the amounts to be taken into account for the year in respect of categories of dwellings listed in different valuation bands

 

3.4       That it be noted that for the year 2017/18 the Police and Crime Panel have stated the following amounts in precepts issued to the Council regarding the Police and Crime Commissioner for the Thames Valley, in accordance with Section 40 of the Act, for each of the categories of dwellings shown below:-

 

	A	B	C	D	E	F	G	H
	£	£	£	£	£	£	£	£
Police and Crime Commissioner for the Thames Valley	113.52	132.44	151.36	170.28	208.12	245.96	283.80	340.56

 

 

3.5       That it be noted that for the year 2017/18 the Royal Berkshire Fire Authority have stated the following amounts in precepts issued to the Council, subject to confirmation by the Fire Authority on 27 February, in accordance with Section 40 of the Act, for each of the categories of dwellings shown below:-

      

	A		B	C	D	E	F	G	H
		£	£	£	£	£	£	£	£
Royal Berkshire Fire Authority		41.66	48.60	55.55	62.49	76.38	90.26	104.15	124.98

3.6       That, having calculated the aggregate in each case of the amounts at 3.3(H), 3.4, and 3.5 above, the Council, in accordance with Section 30(2) of the Act, hereby sets the following amounts as the amounts of Council Tax for the year 2017/18 for each of the categories of dwellings shown below:-

 

(a)  Part of the Council's area               TOTAL COUNCIL TAX FOR EACH VALUATION BAND
Parish	A	B	C	D	E	F	G	H
	£	£	£	£	£	£	£	£
Binfield	982.39	1,146.11	1,309.85	1,473.58	1,801.05	2,128.50	2,455.97	2,947.16
Bracknell	1,007.21	1,175.08	1,342.95	1,510.82	1,846.56	2,182.29	2,518.03	3,021.64
Crowthorne	1,000.01	1,166.67	1,333.35	1,500.01	1,833.35	2,166.68	2,500.02	3,000.02
Sandhurst	1,000.30	1,167.01	1,333.74	1,500.45	1,833.89	2,167.31	2,500.75	3,000.90
Warfield	975.18	1,137.71	1,300.24	1,462.77	1,787.83	2,112.89	2,437.95	2,925.54
Winkfield	997.41	1,163.65	1,329.89	1,496.12	1,828.59	2,161.06	2,493.53	2,992.24