Agenda item

To consider a report of the Conservative Group.

Councillor Martin Boardman, Shadow Executive Member for Resources presented the Conservative Group’s Alternative Budget. The focus of the proposals was in line with the Alternative Corporate Strategy:

•           A place where people will ‘start well, live well and age well’;

•           A better place to shop and do business;

•           A better place for learning and earning;

•           A better place to visit; and

•           A better place to call home.

 

The proposed budget includes revenue investment totalling £1,030,000 in 2018/19, savings and additional income totalling £803,000 in 2018/19 as well as achieving a balanced budget.

 

Councillor Boardman noted that there are similarities in the two budgets, but there are key differences, including the introduction of a borough wide partnership grants fund, which will make available £300,000 per year to support a wide range of third sector projects across the borough.  In addition, there is no support for Crime Reduction & Social Disorder Prevention, Neighbourhood Preferred Projects and the LCC Transition Fund and a reduction in support for Core Funding Grants and the Chorley Council Events Programme. 

 

Councillor Boardman advised that the proposed budget will stop the market walk extension, reinstate the Flat Iron car park and propose to develop a smaller leisure and restaurant scheme on the Oak House and Gala Bingo site. Once developed and opened the scheme could deliver a net rental income, after borrowing costs, of approximately £150,000 per annum.

 

Councillor Alan Cullens, Leader of the Conservative Group, noted that the alternative budget develops the town centre, but with a reduced risk, developing the markets and investing in rural areas. 

 

In debating the proposals put forward by the opposition, Members raised issues around investment in rural areas, investment in PSCO's, the proposed grants fund, reduction in Neighbourhood Preferred Projects and the impact on community centres and bus routes, the proposed sixth form college, staffing reductions and housing plans.

 

AMENDMENT

 

The adoption of the Alternative Budget as set out in the report, was moved as an amendment by Councillor Martin Boardman, Shadow Executive Member (Resources) and seconded by Councillor Alan Cullens, Leader of the Conservative Group.

 

In line with the legal requirement for all budget decisions to be recorded, this proposal was put to the vote and recorded as follows:

 

FOR: Councillors E Bell, M Boardman, H Caunce, A Cullens, J Dalton, D Dickinson, K Iddon, P Leadbetter, S Long, G Morgan, M Muncaster, D Platt, J Walker. 

 

AGAINST: Councillors A Beaver, A Bradley, C Bromilow, T Brown, P Clark, J Cronshaw, G Dunn, J Fitzsimons, C France, G France, M France, A Gee, D Gee, T Gray, M Janell, H Khan, Z Khan, M Lees, R Lees, A Lowe, M Lowe, M Lynch, J Molyneaux, S Murfitt, B Murray, J Snape, K Snape, R Toon, P Walmsley, A Whittaker, P Wilson. 

 

ABSTAIN: Councillor Mark Perks.

 

The vote was LOST. 

 

SUBSTANTIVE MOTION

The substantive motion, as indicated in Agenda Item 5 and 7, and proposed by Councillor P Wilson, Executive Member (Resources) and seconded by Councillor Alistair Bradley, Executive Leader was then put to the vote and recorded as follows:

 

FOR: Councillors A Beaver, A Bradley, C Bromilow, T Brown, P Clark, J Cronshaw, G Dunn, J Fitzsimons, C France, G France, M France, A Gee, D Gee, T Gray, M Janell, H Khan, Z Khan, M Lees, R Lees, A Lowe, M Lowe, M Lynch, J Molyneaux, S Murfitt, B Murray, J Snape, K Snape, R Toon, P Walmsley, A Whittaker, P Wilson. 

 

AGAINST: Councillors E Bell, M Boardman, H Caunce, A Cullens, J Dalton, D Dickinson, K Iddon, P Leadbetter, S Long, G Morgan, M Muncaster, D Platt, J Walker.

 

ABSTAIN: Councillor Mark Perks.

 

The vote was CARRIED and it was therefore a DECISION –

1.         That the budget and proposals as set out in the report in item 5 and supporting appendices be approved to include:

a) The budget and proposals set out in this report including the Council Tax set out in the resolutions (at Appendix A). 

b) To note the Special Expenses and Parish Precepts (at Appendix B)

c) The Council’s Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) (Appendix C)

d) To note the Council’s cumulative budget deficit & budget strategy 2018-19 to 2020-21 (Appendix D)

e) To note significant budget movements from the 2017/18 budget (at Appendix E)

f) To note the general fund forecast assumptions (at Appendix F)

g) The capital programme for 2018/19 and note the indicative programme to 2020/21 (Appendices G1, G2 & G3)

h) The Treasury Management Strategy (Appendix H) and note the advice of the treasury management consultants (Appendix H1)

i) The Council’s Pay Policy (at Appendix I) and publication on the Council’s website from April 2018

j) To note the advice of the Statutory Finance Officer in relation to the robustness of the budget and the risks contained within it as set out in the Statutory Report (Appendix J).

k) To note the Budget Consultation 2018/19 Report (at Appendix K)

l) To note the Assessing the Impact of Budget Proposals 2018/19 Report (at Appendix L)

 

2.         Approval granted to

·  The fees and charges policy (attached as appendix 1) for the Council’s discretionary fees and charges

·  Amendments to the Council’s current fees and charges to be implemented as at 1 April 2018

·  Increases in the Council’s 2018/19 income budgets

3.         To note the full list of fees and charges given in Appendix 3 of the report.   This will be adjusted with any approved changes to the schedule of fees agreed in this report. 

 

The Council Tax set out in Appendix A1 be approved as follows:

 

1. It be noted that on 8 December 2017 the Chief Executive as Statutory Finance Officer calculated the Council Tax Base 2018/19

(a) for the whole Council area as 36,614.18 [Item T in the formula in Section 31B of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, as amended (the "Act")] ; and

(b) for dwellings in those parts of its area to which a Parish precept relates (as in the attached Table 2).

2. Calculate that the Council Tax requirement for the Council’s own purposes for 2018/19 (excluding Parish precepts) is £6,823,780

3. That the following amounts be calculated for the year 2018/19 in accordance with Sections 31 to 36 of the Act:

(a) £55,965,660 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) £48,470,420 being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 31A(3) of the Act.

(c) £7,495,240 being the amount by which the aggregate at 3(a) above exceeds the aggregate at 3(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) £204.71 being the amount at 3(c) above (Item R), all divided by Item T (1(a) above), calculated by the Council, in accordance with Section 31B of the Act, as the basic amount of its Council Tax for the year (including Parish precepts).

(e) £1,403,011 being the aggregate amount of all special items (Special Expenses and Parish precepts) referred to in Section 34(1) of the Act (as in the attached Table 1).

(f) £166.39 being the amount at 3(d) above less the result given by dividing the amount at 3(e) above by Item T (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 Parish precept relates.

4. To note that the County Council, the Police Authority and the Fire Authority have issued precepts to the Council in accordance with Section 40 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 for each category of dwellings in the Council’s area as indicated in the table below.

5. That the Council, in accordance with Sections 30 and 36 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, hereby sets the aggregate amounts shown in the tables below as the amounts of Council Tax for 2018/19 for each part of its area and for each of the categories of dwellings.

 

6. 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.

7. As the Council’s basic amount of Council Tax for 2018/19 has increased by 2.99% and is in line with the permitted increase for 2018/19, it is considered not excessive in accordance with principles approved under Section 52ZB Local Government Finance Act 1992.