Agenda, decisions and minutes

Councillor N Heslop declared an Other Significant Interest in the item on Review of Fees and Charges in respect of charges for concessionary users of Tonbridge Castle Chamber on the grounds of membership of the Board of the Bridge Trust.  He withdrew from the meeting during consideration of this matter and the chair was taken by Councillor Coffin.

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 2017/18.  It also highlighted adjustments made to the Revenue Estimates presented to the Advisory Board and Committee. 

The Director of Finance and Transformation explained that the final local government settlement would not be received until after being debated by Parliament on 22 February but was not expected to be significantly different from the provisional settlement.  However, this meant that the recommended budget was based on provisional figures and the council tax would also need to be set on that basis.  Reference was made to the Council’s decision to accept the four year funding settlement offered by the Government and to the referendum threshold for 2017/18 which had been set at the higher of 2% or £5 (subject to ratification of the final settlement).  Illustrative allocations up to 2019/20 were presented and a comparison of the Council’s Settlement Funding Assessment for the period 2017/18 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 2017 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 2017/18 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 remainder of 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 2017/18.  Members were advised of the implications of the special expenses scheme for the way in which the council tax was expressed.

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”.  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 £1.6m would be delivered. 

RECOMMENDED:  That

(1)                                                    the fees  ...  view the full minutes text for item CB 17/19

The joint report of the Chief Executive, Director of Finance and Transformation, Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Finance, Innovation and Property set out the requirements under the Local Government Finance Act 1992 for a billing authority to set an amount of council tax for each category of dwelling in its area.  Members were advised of the position concerning the determination of their respective precepts for 2017/18 by the major precepting authorities.

Consideration was given to a draft resolution identifying the processes to be undertaken in arriving at the levels of council tax applicable to each part of the Borough.  The resolution and further information regarding the precepts of the other authorities would be reported to the full Council on 14 February 2017.  The Director of Finance and Transformation explained that there would be a basic level of council tax to which any charges under the special expenses scheme would be added, giving a notional “average” Band D charge for official reporting purposes.  An explanatory leaflet regarding the introduction of special expenses would be included with council tax bills together with usual financial information on the website.

RECOMMENDED:  That the resolution be noted and the Council be recommended to approve a £5 per annum increase in the Borough Council’s element of the council tax for 2017/18, representing an annual charge at Band D of £181.61 plus special expenses where applicable (giving a notional “average” charge of £197.51).

*Referred to Council

Item SSE 16/11 referred from Street Scene and Environment Services Advisory Board minutes of 7 November 2016

Decision Notice D170010CAB

Item CH 16/21 referred from Communities and Health Advisory Board minutes of 14 November 2016

Decision Notice D170011CAB

Item CH 16/22 referred from Communities and Health Advisory Board minutes of 14 November 2016

Decision Notice D170012CAB

Item FP 17/5 referred from Finance, Innovation and Property Advisory Board minutes of 4 January 2017

Decision Notice D170013CAB

Item FP 17/6 referred from Finance, Innovation and Property Advisory Board minutes of 4 January 2017

Decision Notice D170014CAB

Item FP 17/7 referred from Finance, Innovation and Property Advisory Board minutes of 4 January 2017

Decision Notice D170015CAB

Decision Notice D170016CAB

The Chairman to move that the press and public be excluded from the remainder of the meeting during consideration of any items the publication of which would disclose exempt information.

There were no items considered in private.

LGA 1972 Sch 12A Paragraph 3 – Financial or business affairs of any particular person

Annexes containing exempt information

(LGA 1972 Sch 12A Paragraph 3 – Financial or business affairs of any particular person)

Supplementary report and Annexes 2, 3(i) – (iv), 4, 6 and 7 containing exempt information in respect of item at Decision Notice D170016CAB.