Issue - meetings

Item CB 16/4 referred from Cabinet minutes of 11 February 2016

Item CB 16/4 referred from Cabinet minutes of 11 February 2016

It was proposed by Councillor M Coffin and seconded by Councillor N Heslop that the recommendations at Minute CB 16/4 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 O C Baldock, Cllr M A C Balfour, Cllr Mrs S M Barker, Cllr M C Base, Cllr Mrs S Bell, Cllr R P Betts, Cllr T Bishop, Cllr P F Bolt, Cllr J L Botten, Cllr V M C Branson, Cllr Mrs B A Brown, Cllr T I B Cannon, Cllr M A Coffin, Cllr D J Cure, Cllr R W Dalton, Cllr D A S Davis, Cllr M O Davis, Cllr Mrs T Dean, Cllr B T M Elks, Cllr Mrs S M Hall, Cllr S M Hammond, Cllr Mrs M F Heslop, Cllr N J Heslop, Cllr S R J Jessel, Cllr D Keeley, Cllr Mrs F A Kemp, Cllr S M King, Cllr R D Lancaster, Cllr D Lettington, Cllr Mrs S L Luck, Cllr B J Luker, Cllr D Markham, Cllr P J Montague, Cllr Mrs A S Oakley, Cllr L J O'Toole, Cllr M Parry-Waller, Cllr M R Rhodes, Cllr H S Rogers, Cllr R V Roud, Cllr Miss S O Shrubsole, Cllr C P Smith, Cllr Ms S V Spence, Cllr A K Sullivan, Cllr M Taylor, Cllr F G Tombolis, Cllr B W Walker and Cllr T C Walker

Total 48

Members voting against the motion:

None

Members abstaining:

None

RESOLVED:  That the recommendations at Minute CB 16/4 be approved.

The holding report of the Chief Executive and Director of Finance and Transformation updated the Cabinet on issues relating to the setting of the Budget for 2016/17 together with the outcome of the examination of the draft Revenue Estimates and the Capital Plan review process undertaken by the Finance, Innovation and Property Advisory Board and the Overview and Scrutiny Committee. 

A more detailed supplementary report prepared in liaison with the Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance, Innovation and Property was circulated in advance of the meeting.  It highlighted adjustments made to the Revenue Estimates presented to the Advisory Board and Committee.  The report examined the situation in relation to the Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) and gave details of the necessary procedure to be followed in order to set the budget for 2016/17. 

The Director of Finance and Transformation explained the components of the final local government settlement confirmed on 8 February 2016 and the changes made by the Secretary of State as a result of the responses to the consultation, previously reported to the Finance, Innovation and Property Advisory Board.  It was noted that transitional funding would now be provided for 2016/17 and 2017/18 and the tariff adjustment in 2017/18 and 2018/19 removed.  The Government would also offer a four year funding settlement and the referendum threshold would be set at the higher of 2% or £5.  However, Members were advised that whilst this represented a short term respite, the financial baseline for the future remained the same.  Illustrative allocations up to 2019/20 were presented and a comparison of the Council’s Settlement Funding Assessment for the period 2016/17 to 2019/20 with those of the other Kent district councils demonstrated that Tonbridge and Malling continued to receive one of the lowest, if not the lowest, Assessment both in total and per head.

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 2016 which had been incorporated in the draft estimates.  Members were reminded of the approach to preparation of the Capital Plan, an updated summary of which was set out at Annex 7 to the report.

The report then described the remaining procedure to be followed in setting the budget for 2016/17 and calculating the council tax.  Consideration was given to the updated MTFS based on a council tax increase of £5 (the upper limit for referendum purposes) for the four year settlement period.  The Cabinet also 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 2016/17.  Finally, the Director of Finance and Transformation explained the basis on which the statement as to the Robustness of the Estimates and Adequacy of the Reserves had been made, including an understanding that the savings target based on latest projections of £1.825m would be delivered. 

Members recorded their thanks to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4