Agenda item

The Budget Book (green cover) accompanies the Council agenda and reflects the recommendations to be considered at the meeting of the Cabinet on 24 February 2016.

The Council considered the recommendation of the Cabinet on the detailed Revenue Budget for 2016-17 and the proposed Council Tax for 2016-17. The Mayor referred councillors to the Budget Book (green cover) reflecting the decisions and recommendations made by the Cabinet on 24 February 2016, including the precepts being levied by Surrey County Council and the Surrey Police.

The outgoing portfolio holder for Finance, Councillor Tim Evans, made a statement on the Budget and the Council Tax and moved the recommendations on the detailed Budget for 2016-17 as set out in the Budget Book (green cover). This was seconded by Councillor Ian Harvey, Leader of the Council. The Leader of the Liberal Democrats, Councillor Ian Beardsmore, also made a statement.

Copies of Councillors Evans and Beardsmore’s speeches are attached to these minutes as Appendices A and B.

The Mayor explained that under the Local Authorities (Standing Orders) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2014, relevant authorities are required to record in the minutes of the proceedings, immediately after any vote is taken at a budget decision meeting of an authority, the names of the persons who cast a vote for the decision or who abstained from voting.

The voting was as follows:

RESOLVED:

1. To approve the growth and savings items as set out in the report’s appendices.

2. The Council tax Base for the whole council area for 2016-17. [Item T in the formula in Section 31b (3) of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, as amended (the “act”)] should be 38,308.40 band D equivalent dwellings and,

2.1 Calculate that the Council tax requirement for the Council’s own purpose for 2016-2017 is £187.44 per Band D equivalent dwelling.

3. To approve a 2.7% increase in the Spelthorne Borough Council element of the Council tax for 2016-17. Moreover:

a) The revenue estimates as set out in Appendix 1 be approved.

b) No Money, as set out in this report is appropriated from General Reserves in support of Spelthorne’s local Council tax for 2016/17.

c) To agree that the council tax base for the year 2016/17 is 38,308.40 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.

That the following sums be now calculated by the Council for the year 2016/17 in accordance with Section 31 to 36 of the Local Government Act 1992.

All newly built commercial property completed between 1st October 2013 and 30 Sept 2016 will be exempted from empty property rates for the first 18 months, up to the state aid limit.

A 50 per cent business rates relief for 18 months between 1st April 2014 and 31st March 2017 for businesses that move into retail premises (excluding banks, building societies and betting shops) that have been empty for a year or more.

That the following amounts be calculated for the year 2016/17 in accordance with Sections 31 to 36 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 as amended by the Localism Act 2011.

A           B          C         D          E         F         G          H

£            £             £         £          £          £          £          £

124.96 145.79 166.61 187.44 229.09 270.75 312.40 374.88

Being the amounts given by multiplying the amount at (e) above by the number which in the proportion set out in Section 5(1) of the Act, is applicable to dwellings listed in a particular valuation band divided by the sum which in that proportion 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 band.

That it be noted that for the year 2016/17 Surrey County Council and Surrey Police and Crime Commissioner have stated the following amounts in precepts issued to Spelthorne Borough Council in accordance with Section 40 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 for each of the categories of dwellings shown below:

Precepts issued to the Council

                                         A      B      C       D      E       F       G      H

                                         £      £       £       £       £       £        £       £

1) Surrey County Council 845.52 986.44 1127.36 1268.28 1550.12 1831.96 2113.80 2536.56

2)Surrey Police               146.79 171.26   195.72   220.19   269.12   318.05   366.98   440.38

That, having calculated the aggregate in each case above the Council in accordance with Sections 30 and 36 of the Local Government Finance Act

1992 as amended by the Localism Act 2011, hereby sets the amounts set out in Appendix 6 as the amounts of Council tax for the year 2016/17 for each of the categories of dwellings on Appendix 3.

The Council has determined that its relevant basic amount of Council Tax for

2016/17 is not excessive in accordance with the principles approved under

Section 52ZB Local Government Finance Act 1992.

As the billing authority, the Council has not been notified by a major precepting authority that its relevant basic amount of Council Tax for 2016/17 is excessive and that the billing authority is not required to hold a referendum in accordance with Section 52ZK Local Government Finance Act 1992.