Corporate Policy and Resources Committee
Decisions taken at the meeting held on Monday, 10 February 2025.
Meeting Time:
7.00 pm
Meeting Venue:
Council Chamber, Council Offices, Knowle Green, Staines-upon-Thames TW18 1XB
PRESENT:
4. Proposed Fees and Charges for 2025-26
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The Committee resolved to agree the Fees and Charges for 2025-26. |
5. Detailed Budget for 2025/26
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The Committee resolved to recommend that Council consider and approve the following:
1. To approve a 2.9% increase on the Spelthorne Borough Council element of the Council Tax for 2025-26. Moreover:
a. The Revenue estimates as set out in Appendix 1 be approved.
b. £400,100 as et out in this report are to be appropriated from Earmarked Reserves other than sinking fund reserves in support of Spelthorne’s local Council Tax for 2025-26.
c. Net use of £5,037,300 of Earmarked Sinking Funds reserves.
d. To agree that the Council Tax Base for the year 2025-26 is 40,620 Band D equivalent dwellings calculated in accordance with Regulation 3 of the Local Authorities (Calculation of Council Tax Base) Regulations 1992, as amended, made under Section 35(5) of the Local Government Finance Act 1992.
2. Continuing the Council’s Local Council Tax Support Scheme with the current rules and regulations.
3. Continuing the complete disregard of war pension/armed forces pension from benefit calculations.
4. To note the Chief Finance Officer’s commentary in Section 4 of the report on the robustness of budget estimates and levels of reserves under Section 25 and 26 of the Local Government Act 2003.
5. The Council Tax Base for the whole Council area for 2025-26. (Item T in the formula in Section 31b(3) of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, as amended (the ‘act’)) should be 40,620 band D equivalent dwellings and calculate that the Council Tax requirement for the Council’s own purpose for 2025-26 is £228.86 Per Band D equivalent dwelling.
That the following sums be now calculated by the Council for the year 2025-26 in accordance with Section 31 to 36 of the Local Government Act 1992.
That the following amounts be calculated for the year 2025-26 in accordance with Sections 31 to 36 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 as amended by the Localism Act 2011.
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6. Capital Strategy 2025/26 to 2026/27
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Committee resolved to recommend that Council approves the Capital Strategy as set out in the report.
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7. Estimated 2025/26 to 2028/29 Capital Programme
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The Committee resolved to recommend that Council approves the proposed Capital Programme for 2025/26 to 2028/29.
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8. Car Park Management system award*
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The Committee resolved to:
1. Approve the tender award as set out in this report; and
2. Delegate authority to the Group Head of Corporate Governance to enter into necessary legal documentation to formalise the appointment of the preferred contractor. |
9. Pay Policy 2025/26
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The Committee resolved to recommend to Council that the Pay Policy Statement is approved. |
10. Corporate Plan Progress Report |
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The Committee resolved to:
1. Note the update on progress with the planned actions under each of the Corporate Plan priorities, which are summarised in Appendix A; and
2. Agree to a review of the planned actions under the Corporate Plan to take account of the factors outlined in this report, in particular the proposed reorganisation of Local Government in Surrey and for progress with any revised prioritisation of actions to be reported back to the next meeting of this Committee.
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11. Urgent Actions
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The Committee resolved to note the two urgent actions that had been taken since the last meeting. |
12. Forward Plan
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The Committee resolved to note the contents of the Forward Plan.
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NOTES:-
(1) Members are reminded that the “call-in” procedure as set out in Part 4b of the Constitution, shall not apply to the following matters:
(a) Urgent decisions as defined in Paragraph 9. of the Call-in Scrutiny Procedure Rules;
(b) Decisions to award a contract following a lawful procurement process;
(c) Those decisions:
i. reserved to full Council
ii. on regulatory matters
iii. on member conduct issues.
(2) Those matters to which Note (1) applies, if any, are identified with an asterisk [*] in the above Minutes.
(3) Within three working days of the date on which this decision is published, not less than three members from two or more political groups by submission of the standard call-in pro-forma, may ask for that decision to be referred to a meeting of the Corporate Policy and Resources Committee for review (call-in). The completed pro-forma must be received by the Proper Officer by 5pm three working days after publication of the decision.
(4) The members exercising the right of call-in must not be members of the Committee which considered the matter.
(5) When calling in a decision for review the members doing so must demonstrate the following exceptional circumstances:
a. Evidence which suggests that the decision maker, did not take the decision in accordance with the principles set out in Article 11 (Decision Making); or
b. Evidence that the decision fails to support one or more of the Council’s Corporate Plan priorities to the detriment of the majority of the Borough’s residents; or
c. Evidence that explicit Council Policy or legal requirements were disregarded.
(6) Once the request for ‘call-in’ has been deemed valid by the Monitoring Officer the matter will be suspended until the call-in procedure has been exhausted.
(7) The Chief Executive, in consultation with the relevant officer, will determine if the interests of the Council or Borough would be prejudiced by a delay in implementing a decision such that the call-in cannot wait until the next ordinary meeting of the Corporate Policy and Resources Committee.
(8) Where the call-in cannot wait until the next ordinary meeting, the Monitoring Officer will arrange an extraordinary meeting of the Corporate Policy and Resources Committee to review the decision subject to call-in at the earliest possible opportunity.
(9) In exceptional cases, where there is clear evidence that a delay to the implementation of a decision would lead to a specific and significant financial or reputational harm to the Council, a call-in request may be refused by the Chief Executive following consultation with the Chair and Vice-Chair of Corporate Policy and Resources Committee.
(10) In reviewing a matter referred to it under the call-in scrutiny procedure rules, the Corporate Policy and Resources Committee shall follow the procedure for dealing with call-in scrutiny at its meetings as set out in Part 4b of the Constitution.
(11) The deadline of three working days for "call in" in relation to the above decisions by the Committee is the close of business on 13 February 2025.