Decision details

To recommend to Council the interim General Fund Budgets for 2024-25, and to receive output from the public consultation on Council services.

The recommendations of the Executive in respect of the General Fund Budget for the coming year were debated and two additional recommendations were proposed as follows:

“(iv)   in accordance with paragraph 12.4, a hardship co-ordinator post is proposed. Subject to final agreement with Citizens Advice Woking the role will be employed by them.  This post would be employed by CAW and funded by the Council.  It would support the transition of CAW’s business model and create a network of support and advice, utilising the voluntary capacity in other charities and voluntary organisations across the borough.  This will be funded to the value of £50,000 for 2024/25 from the provision made for hardship as a result of the level of Council Tax increase proposed.

(v)     this Council agrees to ask residents to voluntarily contribute to the Woking Community Fund to support the Borough’s voluntary sector.  The Woking Community Fund is managed independently by the Community Foundation for Surrey and works closely with the Council to understand resident needs.  Residents will be asked to indicate whether their donation should go to particular priorities such as hardship advice, transport for the vulnerable or more general priorities.”

The recommendations were agreed as follows: 

(i)      the £8.4m of savings set out in Appendix 3b to the report be agreed;

(ii)     the Equality Impact Assessment and public consultation processes on the savings proposals that are summarised in Appendix 5 to the report, with detailed reports on each resident facing saving proposal, be noted as part of the decision-making process;

(iii)     it be noted a further report to Full Council on 4 March 2024 will receive a final report from the Director of Finance to finalise the treatment of the Council’s debt and Council Tax in 2024/25;

(iv)    in accordance with paragraph 12.4, a hardship co-ordinator post is proposed. Subject to final agreement with Citizens Advice Woking the role will be employed by them.  This post would be employed by CAW and funded by the Council.  It would support the transition of CAW’s business model and create a network of support and advice, utilising the voluntary capacity in other charities and voluntary organisations across the borough.  This will be funded to the value of £50,000 for 2024/25 from the provision made for hardship as a result of the level of Council Tax increase proposed; and

(v)     this Council agrees to ask residents to voluntarily contribute to the Woking Community Fund to support the Borough’s voluntary sector.  The Woking Community Fund is managed independently by the Community Foundation for Surrey and works closely with the Council to understand resident needs.  Residents will be asked to indicate whether their donation should go to particular priorities such as hardship advice, transport for the vulnerable or more general priorities.