Decision details

To recommend the revenue budget to full Council.  Report or separate reports to include all aspects of the revenue budget and associated policies and documents including Council Tax Support Scheme, Dedicated Schools Grant, Hardship Fund and Section 25 Report.

The Cabinet resolved to:

Recommend to full Council the following:

1.  Approval of the 2022/23 budget to enable the Council Tax for 2022/23 to be set;

2.  Approval of the Model Council Tax Resolution 2022/23 as set out in Appendix B;

3.  Delegate authority to the Director of Finance, to place a notice in the local press of the amounts set under recommendation 2 within a period of 21 days following the Council's decision;

4.  Approve the Medium-Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) as based on the estimated financial deficit in the Capitalisation Direction and to be funded by capitalisation of:

a. £223.1m up to 2021/22

b. £84.1m for 2022/23

c. £171.1m for beyond 2022/23

5.  Approve the Capital Receipts Flexibility Strategy as agreed in 2021/22.

6.  Approve the overall General Fund revenue budget of £191.7m, to include:

a. growth for pressures for contract inflation and pay inflation of £8.178m

b. proposed savings by directorate of £19.959m

7.  Approval of the Members Allowances Scheme for 2022-23 at Appendix I

The noted the following:

8.  The balanced budget position for 2022/23 requiring savings of £19.959m and the projected financial deficit between 2023/24 to 2028/29

9.  The inclusion within the Capitalisation Direction of £1m per year from 2022/23 onwards as a means to rebuild the General Fund and Earmarked Reserves balance

10.The intention to increase Council Tax by 1.99% in 2022/23

11.The intention to increase Council Tax by a further 1% in 2022/23 in respect of the Adult Social Care Precept

12.The assumed funding for the protection of social care 2022/23 through the Better Care Fund

13.That due regard has been had to the s.25 report by the Director of Finance at Appendix H

To agree the following:

14.Approval of the Fees and Charges Policy Framework, with a recommendation that Council approve this for non-executive functions

The Cabinet considered an Addendum set out in the Supplementary Agenda and agreed to:

Recommend to full Council:

i.  Acceptance of the capitalisation direction of £223m up to 31.03.22

ii.  Acceptance of the capitalisation direction of £84.1m for the 2022/23 financial year

iii.  Acceptance of the accompanying conditions set out in the report.

Noted:

i.  The capitalisation direction is not a grant.  The Council needs to fund the revenue expenditure capitalised from disposing of assets to repay the resulting debt.

ii.  The Council is in a precarious state and will be required to request future capitalisation directions to balance future years budgets, estimated at an additional £172m, £479m in total

iii.  The minded to directions will be converted into actual directions on an annual basis as the accounts for each year are closed and audited