Agenda item

Council Tax WBC21-008.

Minutes:

The Mayor set out the procedure to be adopted in determining the Council Tax for 2021-22 and the Recommendations of the Executive.  The Mayor would take the report on Council Tax first, together with the recommendations of the Executive on 4 February 2021 relating to the General Fund, Service Plans, Budgets and Prudential Indicators, Housing Revenue Account Budgets, the Investment Programme and the Capital, Investment and Treasury Management Strategies.

The remaining recommendations from the meetings of the Executive on 14 January 2021 and 4 February 2021 would be considered once the Council Tax for 2021-22 had been determined.  A procedure note had been prepared which clearly set out all the recommendations before the Council.

Councillor Ayesha Azad moved and Councillor Simon Ashall seconded the reception and adoption of the report and recommendations of the meeting of the Executive held on 14 January 2021 and 4 February 2021.

GENERAL FUND, SERVICES PLANS, BUDGETS AND PRUDENTIAL INDICATORS 2021-22, HOUSING REVENUE ACCOUNT BUDGETS 2021-22, INVESTMENT PROGRAMME 2020-21 TO 2024-25, CAPITAL, INVESTMENT AND TREASURY MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES AND COUNCIL TAX 2021-22

The Council had before it the recommendations of the Executive for the General Fund, Service Plans, Budgets and Prudential Indicators 2021-22, the Housing Revenue Account Budgets 2021-22, the Investment Programme 2020-21 to 2024-25, and the Capital, Investment and Treasury Management Strategies.  A report on the 2021-22 Council Tax was also before the Council.

The Leader of the Council, Councillor Azad, and Councillor Ashall made a statement on the Budget for 2021-22.  Councillor A-M Barker, Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group, Councillor T Aziz, Leader of the Labour Group, and Councillor J Bond, Leader of the Independent Group, were invited to respond to the budget statement.

Following the statements by the Group Leaders, there was an opportunity for Councillors to raise any points in respect of the Council Tax proposals and associated recommendations of the Executive.  Following discussion, the recommendations before the Council were agreed unanimously.

GENERAL FUND, SERVICE PLANS, BUDGETS AND PRUDENTIAL INDICATORS 2021-22

RESOLVED

That  (i)    the Revenue Estimates and Human Resource requirements for 2021/22 be approved;

          (ii)   a Band D Council Tax for the Borough of Woking for 2021/22 of £250.46 be approved; and

          (iii)  the Prudential Indicators at Appendix 3 to the report be approved, subject to any changes arising from consideration of the Investment Programme, revenue budgets and Final Government Settlement.

 

HOUSING REVENUE ACCOUNT BUDGETS 2021-22

RESOLVED

That  (i)    the Housing Revenue Account budget for 2021/22 as set out in Appendix 1 to the report be approved; and

          (ii)   with effect from 5 April 2021, rents be increased by 1.5%.

 

INVESTMENT PROGRAMME 2020-21 TO 2024-25

RESOLVED

That  (i)    the Investment Programme 2020/21 to 2024/25 be approved subject to reports on projects where appropriate;

          (ii)   the proposed financing arrangements be approved;

          (iii)  Thameswey Developments Ltd be authorised to take long term annuity funding, up to 50 years, for the Sheerwater project through its £115m facility with loans permitted to transfer to Thameswey Housing Ltd as the project progresses.  The total long term loans drawn by the Thameswey Group for the Sheerwater project should not exceed the long term facility of £290m previously agreed (excluding THL revolving facility and TEL facility); and

          (iv)  a capital grant of £300,000 and revenue grant of £150,000 for 2021/22 be approved for Brookwood Cemetery.

 

CAPITAL, INVESTMENT AND TREASURY MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES

RESOLVED

That  (ii)   the Capital and Investment Strategies for 2021/22 be approved; and

          (iii)  the Treasury Management Prudential Indicators set out in table 1 of Section 4 of the Treasury Management Strategy and the MRP policy set out in Appendix A be approved, subject to any changes arising from consideration of the Investment Programme, revenue budgets and Revenue Support Grant Settlement.

 

COUNCIL TAX 2021-22

            RESOLVED

That  (i)    the revenue estimates for 2021/22, as submitted, be approved.

          (ii)   it be noted that the Chief Financial Officer, in accordance with the terms of his delegated authority, has calculated the following amount for the year 2021/22 in accordance with regulations made under Section 31B (3) of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 as amended (the Act) as:-

a)    40,343.00 being the amount calculated by the Council, in accordance with regulation 3 of the Local Authorities (Calculation of Council Tax Base) Regulations 1992, as its Council Tax base for the year;

          (iii)  the Council calculates that the Council Tax requirement for the Council’s own purposes for 2021/22 is £10,104,461.

          (iv)  the following amounts be now calculated by the Council for the year 2021/22 in accordance with Sections 31 to 36 of the Act:-

a)    £159,616,895 being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 31A (2) of the Act;

b)    £149,512,434 being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 31A (3) of the Act;

c)    £10,104,461 being the amount by which the aggregate at 4 a) above exceeds the aggregate at 4 b) above, calculated by the Council, in accordance with Section 31A(4)  of the Act, as its council tax  requirement for the year;

d)    £250.46 being the amount at 4 c) above divided by the amount at 2 a) above, calculated by the Council, in accordance with section 31 B  of the Act, as the basic amount of its Council Tax for the year;

          (v)   it be noted for the year 2021/22 Surrey County Council and Surrey Police and Crime Commissioner have issued precepts to the Council, in accordance with Section 40 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, for each of the categories of dwellings in the Council’s area as shown in the table below.

          (vi)  the Council, in accordance with Section 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 the year 2021/22 for its area and for each of the categories of dwellings :-

Valuation Band

Surrey County Council Basic

Adult Social Care

Total          Surrey County Council

Surrey Police and Crime Commissioner

Woking Borough Council

Aggregate of Council Tax Requirements

 

£

£

£

£

£

£

A

940.05

92.67

1,032.72

190.38

166.97

1,390.07

B

1,096.72

108.12

1,204.84

222.11

194.80

1,621.75

C

1,253.40

123.56

1,376.96

253.84

222.63

1,853.43

D

1,410.07

139.01

1,549.08

285.57

250.46

2,085.11

E

1,723.42

169.90

1,893.32

349.03

306.12

2,548.47

F

2,036.77

200.79

2,237.56

412.49

361.78

3,011.83

G

2,350.12

231.68

2,581.80

475.95

417.43

3,475.18

H

2,820.14

278.02

3,098.16

571.14

500.92

4,170.22

 

          (vii) the Council’s basic amount of Council Tax for 2021/22 is not excessive in accordance with the principles approved under Section 52 ZB of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 as amended.

Supporting documents: