Agenda item

All Members are requested to bring with them to the meeting their copies of the Director of Resources’ reports on the following:

·  2013/14 Council Tax

·  Capital Programme Monitoring Q3 2012/13 & Annual Capital Review 2013 to 2017

1)  2013/14 Council Tax

 

The recommendations of the Executive meeting on 6^th February 2013, amended by updated information on levies, were agreed.

 

A 1.89% increase in Bromley’s Council Tax for 2013/14 (including levies) compared with 2012/13 and a 1.21% reduction in the GLA precept.  This resulted in an overall increase (including GLA precept) of 1.16% which for Band D Council Tax will be as set out below – full detail of the decision are set out in the Minutes.

 

 

	2012/13 £	2013/14 £	Increase/decrease (-) %
Bromley	991.31	1,010.07	1.89
GLA	306.72	303.00	-1.21
Total	1298.03	1313.07	1.16

 

2.  Capital programme Monitoring Q3 2012/13 & annual Capital Review 2013 - 2017

 

The recommendation was agreed.

1)  2013/14 Council Tax

 

The Finance Director circulated further changes to the levies, as set out below, and the consequent proposed amendments to be made to the recommendations of the Executive meeting on 6^th February 2013.  It was noted that there were no changes to the final Mayoral precept that had been accepted by the London Assembly on 25^th February 2013. 

 

 

	£’000
London Pension Fund Authority	489
London Boroughs Grant Committee	341
Environment Agency (Flood Defence etc.)	237
Lee Valley Regional Park	401
Total	1,468

 

A Motion to receive and adopt the recommendations, including the revised recommendations of the Executive, was proposed by Councillor Carr and seconded by Councillor Arthur.

 

The following amendment to the recommendations of the Executive (as amended by the Finance Director) was proposed by Councillor Papworth and seconded by Councillor Adams –

 

‘The following changes be made to the recommended budget for 2013/14:

 

 

New Recommendation (3)

 

Council to agree:

 

(a) That the following revenue savings in 2013/14 do not proceed: 

 

Dept	No.	Service Area	2013/14
ECS	25	Care Link	£ 50,000
ECS	29	Tightening of FACs criteria	£100,000
ECS	30	Contracts – disabled children	£ 35,000
ECS	35	Older people’s day care	£500,000
ECS	54	Support planning and brokerage for ineligible service users	£ 50,000
ECS	55	Mental Health day and support services	£ 75,000
			£810,000

 

 

(b)   In recognition of "red" rag status for minimising the use of temporary accommodation, reported previously to Care Services PDS Committee, to agree that a sum of £8.1m be utilised in 2013/14 for the provision for temporary accommodation to reduce the use of nightly paid accommodation to meet statutory housing duties. Based on savings already reported to Executive from the utilisation of Bellegrove (Executive, 9 January 2013), potential savings of £810k may be realised which can be utilised to offset the impact of the above savings not progressing. 

(c)   The additional costs arising from any delays in acquiring the sites and achieving the savings will be met from general fund balances.  

 

(d)  To agree the utilisation of funding as follows:

 

(i)  £8.1 million from use of invest to save fund;

(ii)  A sum of £0.3m is set aside from general fund balances to reflect any delay in implementation of the proposals in 2013/14.’

 

On being put to the vote this Amendment was LOST.

 

Councillor Fookes advised that he would not be submitting alternative budget recommendations on behalf of his Party but made a speech on the issues that he was most concerned about.

 

The Recommendations of the Executive (as amended) were, after debate, put to the vote and CARRIED as follows:

 

Amended Recommendation (2.1)

 

(f)  Reduce the provision for unallocated inflation by £123k;

 

(g)  Approve a contingency sum of £13,022k. 

 

  To note that, since the meeting of the Executive, the Council has received notification of two further government grants.  £76k of funding relates to the transfer of financial responsibility for remands to youth detention accommodation which takes place on the 1^st April 2013. £698k has been allocated for the Adoption Reform Grant to target funding at the adoption process and the specialist support that children need and to address structural reform of adopter recruitment. Both of these grants have been allocated to the central contingency and any drawdown will require the approval of the Executive.

 

(h)  The revised provisions for levies, as shown in the table above, be included in the budget for 2013/14;

 

(l)  The final position on the GLA precept, as accepted by the London Assembly on 25^th February 2013 be noted;

 

(n)   A 1.89% increase in Bromley’s Council Tax for 2013/14 (including levies) be set compared with 2012/13 and a 1.21% reduction in the GLA precept. This results in an overall increase (including GLA precept) of 1.16%.

 

Amended Recommendation (2.2)

 

Council Tax 2013/14 – Statutory Calculations and Resolutions (as amended by the Localism Act 2011).

 

  Subject to 2.1 above, the formal Council Tax Resolution as detailed below be approved, with the total Band D Council Tax as follows:

 

	2012/13 £	2013/14 £	Increase/decrease (-) %
Bromley	991.31	1,010.07	1.89
GLA	306.72	303.00	-1.21
Total	1298.03	1313.07	1.16

 

 

Amended Recommendation (2.3)

 

1.  It be noted that, as detailed in section 15 of the report, the Council Tax Base for 2013/14 is 122,140;

 

2.  Calculate that the Council Tax requirement for the Council’s own purposes for 2013/14 is £123,370k.

 

3.  That the following amounts be calculated for the year 2013/14 in accordance with Sections 31 to 36 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, as amended (the Act):

 

(a)  £562,346k being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 31A(2) of the Act.

 

(b)  £438,976k being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 31A(3) of the Act.

 

(c)  £123,370k 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.

 

(d)  £1010.07 being the amount at 3(c) above, divided by (1) above, calculated by the Council in accordance with Section 31B of the Act, as the basic amount of its Council Tax for the year. 

 

4.  To note that the Greater London Authority (GLA) has issued a precept 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 table below as the amounts of Council Tax for 2013/14 for each part of its area and for each of the categories of dwellings.

 

 

LONDON BOROUGH OF BROMLEY

Valuation Bands
A	B	C	D	E	F	G	H
£	£	£	£	£	£	£	£
673.38	785.61	897.84	1,010.07	1234.53	1458.99	1683.45	2,020.14

 

 

 

GREATER LONDON AUTHORITY

Valuation Bands
A	B	C	D	E	F	G	H
£	£	£	£	£	£	£	£
202.00	235.67	269.33	303.00	370.33	437.67	505.00	606.00

 

 

 

AGGREGATE OF COUNCIL TAX REQUIREMENTS

Valuation Bands
A	B	C	D	E	F	G	H
£	£	£	£	£	£	£	£
875.38	1021.28	1167.17	1313.07	1604.86	1896.66	2188.45	2626.14

 

 

6.  That the Council hereby determines that its “relevant” basic amount of Council Tax for the financial year 2013/14, which reflects an increase of 1.97%, is not excessive.  The Referendums Relating to Council Tax Increases (Principles) Report (England) 2013/14 sets out the principles which the Secretary of State has determined will apply to local authorities in England in 2013/14.  The Council is required to determine whether its “relevant” basic amount of Council Tax is excessive in accordance with the principles approved under Section 52ZB of the Local Government Finance Act 1992. Taking into account the changes to levies {see 2.1.(h)}, the Council’s basic amount of council tax increases by 1.89%. 

 

 

2.  Capital programme Monitoring Q3 2012/13 & Annual Capital Review 2013 - 2017

 

A Motion to approve the recommendations on the Capital Programme was duly proposed and seconded.

 

  The Motion was CARRIED.