Issue - meetings

Item CB 20/9 referred from Cabinet minutes of 13 February 2020

Item CB 20/9 referred from Cabinet minutes of 13 February 2020

It was proposed by Councillor Coffin and seconded by Councillor Heslop that the recommendations at Minute CB 20/9 be adopted.  In accordance with Council Procedure Rule No 8.5 voting was recorded as follows:

Members voting for the motion:

Cllr Mrs J A Anderson, Cllr M C Base, Cllr Mrs P A Bates, Cllr R P Betts, Cllr T Bishop, Cllr J L Botten, Cllr M D Boughton, Cllr V M C Branson, Cllr G C Bridge, Cllr C Brown, Cllr R I B Cannon, Cllr M A Coffin, Cllr D J Cooper, Cllr R W Dalton, Cllr N Foyle, Cllr N J Heslop, Cllr P M Hickmott, Cllr F A Hoskins, Cllr S A Hudson, Cllr A P J Keeley, Cllr D Keers, Cllr Mrs F A Kemp, Cllr A Kennedy, Cllr D W King, Cllr K King, Cllr J R S Lark, Cllr D Lettington, Cllr Mrs R F Lettington, Cllr B J Luker, Cllr P J Montague, Cllr Mrs A S Oakley, Cllr W E Palmer, Cllr M R Rhodes, Cllr H S Rogers, Cllr R V Roud, Cllr J L Sergison, Cllr T B Shaw, Cllr K B Tanner, Cllr Mrs M Tatton, Cllr M Taylor, Cllr Miss G E Thomas, Cllr D Thornewell, Cllr F G Tombolis and Cllr C J Williams

Total 44

Members voting against the motion:

None

Members abstaining:

Cllr A E Clark, Cllr M A J Hood and Cllr N G Stapleton

Total 3

RESOLVED:  That the recommendations at Minute CB 20/9 be approved. 

Further to reports to the Finance, Innovation and Property Advisory Board and Overview and Scrutiny Committee earlier in the cycle, this report updates the Cabinet on issues relating to the Medium Term Financial Strategy.  It also takes Members through the necessary procedures in order to set the Budget for 2020/21.

Further to the reports to the Finance, Innovation and Property Advisory Board and the Overview and Scrutiny Committee earlier in the cycle, the joint report of the Chief Executive, Director of Finance and Transformation, the Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance, Innovation and Property updated the Cabinet on issues relating to the Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) and gave details of the necessary procedure to be followed in order to set the budget for 2020/21.

Members noted that all figures contained in the report were based on the provisional local government financial settlement received in December 2019.  Although the final settlement figures had been notified to local authorities by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, a debate and vote regarding the final financial settlement had been deferred by Government until after the Parliamentary recess. It was noted that the final settlement figures for Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council were the same as the provisional settlement figures.  As the full Council meeting to set the council tax for 2020/21 was due to take place on 18 February, before the reconvening of Parliament, the Director of Finance and Transformation advised that there was a very small risk that the approved final settlement figures might differ from those included in the report. 

It was also noted that the settlement figures included funding in 2020/21 for “Negative RSG” and funding for New Homes Bonus remained for 2020/21 although its long term future was uncertain.  The Cabinet was also reminded that the Fair Funding Review had been delayed and a consultation was now expected in the Spring 2020.

Attention was drawn to recommendations from Advisory Boards and the decision of the Licensing and Appeals Committee regarding the levels of fees and charges to be implemented from 1 April 2020 which had been incorporated in the draft Estimates.  Particular reference was made to the recommendation of the Finance, Innovation and Property Advisory Board that the budget for Borough Christmas Lighting be capped at £40,000.

The report then described the remaining procedure to be followed in setting the budget for 2020/21 and calculating the council tax.  For the purposes of updating the MTFS a council tax increase of £5 in 2020/21 had been assumed and for each year thereafter.

The Cabinet deliberated on the most appropriate guidance to offer the Council as to the way forward for updating the MTFS for the next ten year period and setting the council tax for 2020/21.  Members were advised of details of special expenses for the same period.

An updated copy of the Savings and Transformation Strategy was presented, including revised outline targets and timescales to be revisited and aligned with the latest projected “funding gap”.   Members were also reminded that the funding gap set out in the report assumed that all the recommendations made by Advisory Boards and Committees, such as the transfer of public conveniences to parish councils, were delivered.  If for whatever reason these were found not to be deliverable, the funding gap and therefore  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9