Agenda item

Members of the Council considered a report of the Executive Member (Transformation) seeking approval to the General Fund Revenue and Capital Budget and Council Tax level for 2011/12.

 

The report was presented by the Executive Member (Transformation) Councillor Kevin Joyce and set out the Executive’s overriding objective which was to protect frontline services and to deliver a budget strategy based on a number of key principles, including:

·         To continue to be a high performing Council

·         To contain Council Tax increases

·         To protect the Chorley community from the impact of the current economic situation

·         Continuing to provide value for money

·         Safeguarding frontline services and focusing on the removal of bureaucracy and managerial posts

·         Looking for opportunities to share services and generate additional revenue

·         Preparing for the future and the uncertainty over public finances

·         To look to reduce debt and the consequent financing charges.

 

The Council had already achieved budget savings of £0.903m from restructures which had previously been approved. The key proposals now were to achieve further savings in the 2011/12 budget amounting to £0.294m to enable additional investment in the town centre.

 

This would be achieved by the following initiatives:

1.    Uplifting fees and charges by an inflationary rate (excluding car parking and building control fees).

2.    Increasing income from planning fees.

3.    Realising cost savings by undertaking more work in house in policy and communications.

4.    Reducing the scope of the Mayoralty.

5.    Reducing the costs of providing Shared Assurance Services.

6.    Continuing to reduce borrowing and the subsequent impact on the budget.

7.    Introducing new car parking machines to maximise income received within the current price structure.

 

The report included a number of appendices with the detailed bases of the proposals. These were

Appendix A – Fees and Charges for 2011/12 and the Formal Council Tax Resolution.

Appendix B (1 - 4) – Capital Programme information

Appendix C – Treasury Strategy and Prudential Indicators

Appendix D – Statutory Finance Officer’s Report

Appendix E – Medium Term Financial Strategy

Appendix F – Significant Budget Movements

Appendix G – Special Expenses and Parish Precepts

Appendix H – Budget Consultation

Appendix I – Equality Impact Assessment

 

Councillor Alistair Bradley, Leader of the Labour Group circulated an alternative budget report which proposed no increase in Council tax; and included:

·         Further savings from the Council’s management and back office functions

·         More targeted investment in filling the vacant shop space in the town centre

·         A more flexible pricing and charging policy on car parking to promote town centre usage

·         Extra and significant investment in front line spending based on the principle of its “your money in your streets”

·         Reduction in Members Allowances

·         Investment to fund economic regeneration.

 

There was a lengthy debate on the proposals contained within both budgets, in particular,  the budget reductions for the Mayoralty and town centre investment including market rent rises, shop frontage improvements and car parking charges.

 

Councillor Alistair Bradley proposed and Councillor Peter Wilson seconded, the adoption of the Labour Group’s alternative budget.

 

The proposal was put to the vote which was recorded as follows

 

FOR: Councillors N Ball, J Berry, A Bradley, T Brown, D Edgerley, C France, A Gee, C Hoyle, H Khan, R Lees, L Lennox, A Lowe, M Lowe, J Molyneaux, B Murray, J Snape, R Snape, P Wilson.

 

AGAINST: Councillors E Bell, J Boothman, P Case, H Caunce, A Cullens, M Cullens, M Devaney, David Dickinson, P Goldsworthy, M Gray, A Hansford, P Haughton, H Heaton, K Iddon, K Joyce, P Malpas, G Morgan, S Moulton, M Muncaster, M Perks, A Platt, D Platt, G Russell, R Russell J Walker, S Walsh.

 

ABSTENTION : K Ball.

 

The Mayor declared the vote LOST.

 

The Executive Member (Transformation), Councillor Kevin Joyce then proposed and the Executive Leader, Councillor Peter Goldsworthy seconded, the adoption of the Executive’s budget proposed for 2011/12 and it was

 

RESOLVED -

 

1.         That it be noted that acting under delegated powers the Director of Finance calculated the amount of 35,565.80 as its Council Tax Base for the year 2011/12 in accordance with Regulation 3 of the Local Authorities (Calculation of Council Tax Base) Regulations 1992 made under Section 33(5) of the Local Government Finance Act 1992.

 

(a)        35,565.80 being the amount calculated by the Council, in accordance with Regulation 3 of the Local Authorities (Calculation of Council Tax Base) Regulations 1992, as its Council Tax Base for the year.

 

(b)        being the amounts calculated by the Council, in accordance with Regulation 6 of the Regulations, 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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2.         That the following amounts be now calculated by the Council for the year 2011/12 in accordance with Sections 32 to 36 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992:

 

(a)        £53,447,660 being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 32(2)(a) to (e) of the Act;

 

(b)        £39,704,540 being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 32(3)(a) to (c) of the Act;

 

(c)        £13,743,120 being the amount by which the aggregate at 2(a) above exceeds the aggregate at 2(b) above, calculated by the Council, in accordance with Section 32(4) of the Act, as its budget requirement for the year;

 

(d)        £6,766,960 being the aggregate of the sums which the Council estimates will be payable for the year into its general fund in respect of redistributed non-domestic rates, Revenue Support Grant, increased by the amount of the sums which the Council estimates will be transferred in the year from its collection fund to its general fund in accordance with Section 97(3) of the Local Government Finance Act 1988;

 

(e)        £196.15 being the amount at 2(c) above less the amount at 2(d) above, all divided by the amount at 1(a) above, calculated by the Council, in accordance with Section 33(1) of the Act, as the basic amount of its Council Tax for the year;

 

(f)         £1,286,015 being the aggregated amount of all special items referred to in Section 34(1) of the Act;

 

(g)        £159.99 being the amount at 2(e) above less the result given by dividing the amount at 2(f) above by the amount at 1(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 items relates;

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                            being the amounts given by adding to the amount at 2(g) above to 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 1(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;

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                            being the amounts given by multiplying the amounts at 2(g) and 2(h) 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.         That it be noted that for the year 2011/12 the Lancashire County Council, Lancashire Police Authority, and the Lancashire Combined Fire Authority have stated 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:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4.         That, having calculated the aggregate in each case of the amounts at 2(i) and 3 above, the Council, in accordance with Section 30(2) of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, hereby sets the following amounts as the amounts of Council Tax for the year 2011/12for each of the categories of dwellings shown below:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5.         That the Statutory Finance Officer and his officers be authorised to take any action necessary to ensure collection and recovery of the Council Tax and Non-Domestic Rates.