Agenda item

The Mayor set out the procedure to be adopted in determining the Council Tax for 2020-21 and the Recommendations of the Executive.  The Mayor would take the report on Council Tax first, together with the recommendations of the Executive on 6 February 2020 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 meeting of the Executive on 6 February 2020 would be considered once the Council Tax for 2020-21 had been determined.  A procedure note had been prepared which clearly set out all the recommendations before the Council.

Councillor D J Bittleston moved and Councillor A Azad seconded the reception and adoption of the report and recommendations of the meeting of the Executive held on 6 February 2020.

GENERAL FUND, SERVICES PLANS, BUDGETS AND PRUDENTIAL INDICATORS 2020-21, HOUSING REVENUE ACCOUNT BUDGETS 2020-21, INVESTMENT PROGRAMME 2019-20 TO 2023-24, CAPITAL, INVESTMENT AND TREASURY MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES AND COUNCIL TAX 2020-21

The Council had before it the recommendations of the Executive for the General Fund, Service Plans, Budgets and Prudential Indicators 2020-21, Housing Revenue Account Budgets 2020-21, Investment Programme 2019-20 to 2023-24, and Capital, Investment and Treasury Management Strategies.  A report on the 2020-21 Council Tax was also before the Council.

The Leader of the Council, Councillor D J Bittleston, made a statement on the Budget for 2020-21.  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.

The recommendations before the Council were agreed unanimously.

General Fund, Service Plans, Budgets And Prudential Indicators 2020-21

RESOLVED

That   (i)    the Revenue Estimates and Human Resource requirements for 2020/21 be approved;

          (ii)   a Band D Council Tax for the Borough of Woking for 2020/21 of £245.46 be approved;

          (iii)  the charge for overnight car parking in the town centre car parks be amended to apply from 6pm from 1 April 2020;

          (iv)  a long-term empty premium of 200% be added to the Council Tax payable for properties empty and substantially unfurnished for between 5 and 10 years from April 2020, and of 300% to be added to the Council Tax payable for properties empty and substantially unfurnished for over 10 years from April 2021;

          (v)   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;

          (vi)  the Service Plans for 2020/21 at Appendix 4 to the report be approved; and

          (vii) the Food Safety Plan and Health and Safety Plan at Appendix 4a and 4b to the report be approved.

Housing Revenue Account Budgets 2020-21

RESOLVED

That  (i)    the Housing Revenue Account budget for 2020/21 as set out in Appendix 1 to the report be approved; and

          (ii)   with effect from 6 April 2020, rents be increased by 2.7%.

Investment Programme 2019-20 to 2023-24

RESOLVED

That  (i)    the Investment Programme 2019/20 to 2023/24 be approved subject to reports on projects where appropriate;

          (ii)   the proposed financing arrangements be approved;

          (iii)  additional loan facility of £500,000 to Thameswey Energy Ltd be approved on the same basis as previous loans; and

          (iv)  capital and revenue grants for Brookwood Cemetery for 2021/22 be approved.

Capital, Investment And Treasury Management Strategies

RESOLVED

That  (i)    the Capital and Investment Strategies for 2020/21 be approved; and

          (ii)   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 2020-21

RESOLVED

That  (i)    the revenue estimates for 2020/21, 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 2020/21 in accordance with regulations made under Section 31B (3) of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 as amended (the Act) as:-

a)    41,579.79 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 2020/21 is £10,206,334.

          (iv)  the following amounts be now calculated by the Council for the year 2020/21 in accordance with Sections 31 to 36 of the Act:-

a)       £158,729,706 being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 31A (2) of the Act;

b)      £148,523,372 being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 31A (3) of the Act;

c)      £10,206,334 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)      £245.46 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 2020/21 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 2020/21 for its area and for each of the categories of dwellings :-

          (vii) the Council’s basic amount of Council Tax for 2019/20 is not excessive in accordance with the principles approved under Section 52 ZB of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 as amended.