Agenda item

The Committee considered the report.

 

Councillor Ross Houston noted the overall target for new homes of 2,313 for 2017-18 as set out in Appendix N, page 687 of the agenda report pack, and queried whether the affordable homes target of 122 represented 4% of that. The Commissioning Director Growth and Development clarified that the figures represented a phasing of big schemes rather than an overall representation.

 

Councillor Barry Rawlings requested that the Regeneration and Investment in Infrastructure targets set out in the Corporate Plan also include a target for 2018-19. The Commissioning Director Growth and Development agreed to develop a range figure for the 2018-19 year, noting this would be indicative.

 

The Director of Resources noted that amendments to recommendations 1.16 and 1.19 had been made to update the figures in recommendation 1.16a and 1.16b and to reference additional housing fees and charges in 1.19. The committee noted the updates which had been tabled.

 

The Director of Resources provided an update on which reserves were deleted to balance the MTFS as follows:

 

·         Risk Reserve;

·         London Borough Grants Scheme underspend;

·         Business Rates Deficit Reserve, as this is now being funded from CF surplus;

·         Welfare Reserve, as this will now be funded through an on-going budget rather that a reserve;

·         Grahame Park Reserve; being held to fund library which is no longer needed;

·         Area Committee – Non-CIL; corporate grants programme in place to partly mitigate impact;

·         Benefit Subsidy Error Mitigation Reserve; and

·         Underspend on other smaller specific reserves

On the recommendations in the report as amended being put to the vote the votes were declared as follows:

 

For	7
Against	0
Abstain	5
Absent	0

 

RESOLVED – That the Committee

 

1.1      Consider the issues that have emerged from the consultation when making their decisions. That the committee are also mindful of the equalities impact assessments, including the cumulative equalities impact assessments, when making the decision below;

 

1.2      Recommend to Council for approval the MTFS attached as Appendix A and the detailed revenue budgets in Appendices B1 and B2. The MTFS sets out all of the budget changes over the period 2017-20, including assumptions around inflation, changes to levies, pressures, savings and grant funding. It is the model around which the council’s financial strategy is based. Taking the consultation responses and the equality impact assessments into consideration;

 

1.3      Recommend to Council that the budget for 2017/18 is prepared on the basis of no increase to council tax in 2017/18, other than for the increase set out below in 1.4;

 

1.4      Recommend to Council applying a social care precept at 3% in 2017/18 – to help fund care for the elderly;

 

1.5      Note that the Chief Finance Officer, under their delegated powers in accordance with para 4.3.2 of the Financial Regulations, has calculated 139,049 (band D equivalents) as the amount for the Council Tax base for the year 2017/18 [item T in the formula in Section 31B (1) of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, as amended (the “Act”)];

 

1.6      Recommend to Council for approval, the following amounts calculated for the year 2017/18 in accordance with Sections 31(A) and (B), 34, 35 and 36 of the Act:

 

a)     £936,231,444 being the aggregate of the amounts which the council estimates for the items set out in Section 31A(2) (a) to (f) of the Act;

b)     £775,671,564 being the aggregate of the amounts which the council estimated for the items set out in Section 31A(3) (a) to (d) of the Act;

c)     £160,559,880 being the amount by which the aggregate at 1.6(a) above exceeds the aggregate at 1.6(b) above, calculated by the council in accordance with Section 31A(4) of the Act as its Council Tax requirement for the year (Item R in the formula section 31A(4) of the Act);

d)     £1,154.70 being the amount at 1.6(c) above (item R), divided by Item T (Item 1.5 above), calculated by the council, in accordance with Section 31B(1) of the Act, as the basic amount of its Council Tax for the year;

 

London Borough of Barnet Valuation Bands (£)

A	B	C	D	E	F	G	H
769.80	898.10	1,026.40	1,154.70	1,411.30	1,667.90	1,924.50	2,309.40

 

Being the amounts given by multiplying the amounts at 1.6(d) above by the number which, in proportion set out in Section 5(1) of the Act, is applicable to dwellings listed in valuation band D, calculated by the council, in accordance with Section 36(1) of the Act, as the amounts to be taken into account for the year in respect of categories of dwellings listed in different valuation bands;

 

1.7      Recommend to Council, on the advice of the Chief Finance Officer, that it determines that the council’s basic amount of Council Tax for 2017/18 as set out in 1.6(d) above is not excessive in accordance with the principles approved under section 52ZB and 52ZC of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, set out in the Referendums Relating to Council Tax Increases (Principles)(England) Report 2017/18 - subject to any changes to that Report; which at the time of publication of this report was still in draft; 

 

1.8      Note that for the year 2017/18 the Greater London Authority has provisionally indicated that the following amounts in precepts will be issued to the council, in accordance with Section 40 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, for each of the categories of the dwellings shown below:

 

Greater London Authority Valuation Bands (£)

A	B	C	D	E	F	G	H
186.68	217.79	248.91	280.02	342.25	404.47	466.70	560.04

 

1.9      Recommend that having calculated the aggregate in each case of the amounts at 1.6(d) with the amounts at 1.8, the council, in accordance with Section 30(2) of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, sets the following amounts as the amounts of Council Tax for the year 2017/18 for each of the categories dwellings shown below:

 

Council Tax for Area (£)

A	B	C	D	E	F	G	H
956.48	1,115.89	1,275.31	1,434.72	1,753.55	2,072.37	2,391.20	2,869.44

 

1.10   Recommend to Council for approval the Barnet Council Tax Support Scheme, adopted in January 2015, remain unchanged except for uprating in line with Department for Work and Pension changes for housing benefit (see 1.11 below).

 

1.11   Notes that the working age non-dependent (ND) charges be uprated as set out in paragraph 1.7.13

 

1.12   Recommend to Council that in accordance with Section 38(2) of the Act the Chief Executive be instructed to place a notice in the local press of the amounts set under recommendation 1.9 above within a period of 21 days following the Council’s decision;

 

1.13   Recommend to Council for approval the capital programme as set out in Appendix C1 and C2, and the capital budget changes as set out in Appendix C3 and that the Chief Officers be authorised to take all necessary actions for implementation;

 

1.14   Recommend to Council that the Chief Finance Officer be authorised to adjust capital project budgets and financing in 2017/18 throughout the capital programme after the 2016/17 accounts are closed and the amount of slippage and budget carry forward required are known;

 

1.15   Recommend to Council the approval of the Treasury Management Strategy for 2017/18 as set out in Appendix I;

 

1.16   Approve the following in relation to the Housing Revenue Account:

 

a)     The proposed rent decrease by 1% for council dwelling as set out in paragraph 1.10.3 to take effect from 1 April 2017;

b)     The proposed increase to service charges for council dwelling as set out in paragraph 1.10.9 to take effect from 1 April 2017; and

c)     The proposed rent increase of 2.2% for council garages as set out in paragraph 1.10.9 to take effect from 1 April 2017.

 

1.17   Approve the Housing Revenue Account estimates for 2017/18 as set out in Appendix D;

 

1.18   Note the submission of the Authority Proforma Tool in relation to the Dedicated Schools Budget as set out in Appendix E;

 

1.19   Approve the fees and charges for hire of Hendon Town Hall as detailed in Appendix F2 and note the Adult’s, Children’s, Environment and Housing fees and charges that were approved at their relevant Theme Committee as detailed in Appendix F1 and F3;

 

1.20   Note the summary equality impact assessment (EIA) and cumulative assessment set out in section 5.6. Appendix H provides the cumulative impact and individual Delivery Unit assessments where significant changes to service delivery are proposed;

 

1.21   Recommend to Council approval of the reserves and balances policy as set out in Appendix K and indicative amounts as set out in para 1.12 and the Chief Finance Officer’s assessment of adequacy of reserves in section 1.12. The Committee recommend to Council that the CFO be authorised to adjust balances in 2017/18 after 2016/17 accounts are closed  and the amount of balances carry forward required are known;

 

1.22   Approve revenue budget movements as set out in para 1.14;

 

1.23   Note the progress of the transformation programme as detailed in Appendix J;

 

1.24   Recommend to Council to approve the debt write offs as detailed in Appendix L and summarised in para 1.14.11;

 

1.25   Note the corporate risk register and recommend it to Council as set out in Appendix M; and

 

1.26   Recommend to Council for approval the Corporate Plan – 2017/18 addendum attached as Appendix N.