Content

Council RESOLVED:
 

(1)    To agree an overall
4.99% increase in the Council’s element of Council Tax for
2024/25, with 2% as a precept for Adult Social Care and a 2.99%
general increase.

(2)    To agree the General
Fund revenue budget for 2024/25, as summarised in Appendices A and
B of the report.
 

(3)    To agree the savings
proposals for 2024/25 and 2025/26, as set out in Appendices C
(i) and C (ii) of the report.
 

(4)    To note the Equalities
Impact Assessments on the budget proposals, as set out in
Appendices C (iii) and C (iv) of the report.
 

(5)    To note the report from
the Budget Scrutiny Task Group in Appendix D of the report.
 

(6)    To note and agree
inclusion of the HRA budget and business plan in the overall
Council budget for 2024/25 as set out in section eight and appendix
Q of the report.
 

(7)    To agree the Dedicated
Schools Grant, as set out in section nine of the report.
 

(8)    To agree the changes to
the existing Capital Programme in relation to additions of new
schemes and reprofiling, as set out in section 11 and Appendix E of
the report and note the Capital Pipeline Schemes in Appendix F of
the report.
 

(9)    To agree the Capital
Strategy, the Investment Strategy, the Treasury Management Strategy
and the Minimum Revenue Provision Statement as set out in
Appendices G, H, I and J of the report.
 

(10)  To agree for a new loan and equity
facility of up to £40m to be made available to i4B Holdings
Ltd for the provision of PRS accommodation in line with the
Temporary Reform Accommodation plan as set out in section 11.40 of
the report.
 

(11)  To agree the Reserves Strategy and
schedule of reserves, as set out in Appendices K (i) and K (ii) of the report.
 

(12)  To note the action plan to
implement CIPFA’s Financial Management Code and conduct a
Financial Resilience Assessment, as set out in Appendix L of the
report.
 

(13)  To agree the schedule of fees and
charges, as set out in Appendix M of the report.
 

(14)  To note the results of the budget
consultation, as set out in section seven and detailed in
Appendices N (i) and N(ii) of the
report.
 

(15)  To note the legal advice from the
Corporate Director of Governance, as set out in Appendix O of the
report.
 

(16)  To agree the Pay Policy Statement
for 2024/25, as set out in Appendix P of the report.
 

Council Tax recommendations
 

(17)  In relation to the Council Tax for
2024/25:

        It was agreed
that the following amounts be now calculated as the Council’s
element by the Council for the year 2024/25 in accordance with
Sections 31 to 36 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 as
amended:

(a) £1,099,616,055    being the aggregate of the amount that
the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 31A(2) of
the Act.
 

(b) £937,554,302       being the aggregate
of the amounts that the Council estimates for the items set out in
Section 31A(3) of the Act.

(c) £162,061,753       being the amount by
which the aggregate at (a) above exceeds the aggregate at (b)
above, calculated by the Council, in accordance with Section 31A(4)
of the Act, as its Council Tax requirement for the year.

(d) £1,564.65           
being the amount at (c) above, divided by the amount for the tax
base of 103,577, agreed by the General Purposes Committee on the 11
December 2023, calculated by the Council, in accordance with
Section 31B of the Act, as the basic amount of its Council Tax for
the year.

(e)                           
Valuation Bands

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

£

£

£

£

£

£

£

£

1,043.10

1,216.95

1,390.80

1,564.65

1,912.35

2,260.05

2,607.75

3,129.30

being the amounts given by multiplying the amount at
(d) 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 number 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 valuation
bands.

(18)  That it be noted that for the year
2024/25 the proposed GLA precept issued to the Council, in
accordance with Section 40 of the Local Government Finance Act
1992, in respect of the GLA, for each of the categories of
dwellings are as shown below:

Valuation
Bands

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

£

£

£

£

£

£

£

£

314.27

366.64

419.02

471.40

576.16

680.91

785.67

942.80

(19)    That, having calculated the aggregate
of the amounts at 17(e) and (18) above the Council, in accordance
with Section 30(2) of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, hereby
sets the following amounts as the amounts of council tax for the
year 2024/25 for each of the categories of dwellings shown
below:

Valuation
Bands

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

£

£

£

£

£

£

£

£

1,357.37

1,583.59

1,809.82

2,036.05

2,488.51

2,940.96

3,393.42

4,072.10

(20)  That it be noted that the
Corporate Director of Finance and Resources has determined that the
Council element of the basic amount of Council Tax for 2024/25 is
not excessive in accordance with the principles approved under
Section 52ZB of the Local Government Finance Act 1992.

(a)        That the
Corporate Director of Finance and Resources be and is hereby authorised to give due notice of the said
Council Tax in the manner provided by Section 38(2) of the 1992
Act.
 

(b)        That the
Corporate Director of Finance and
Resources be and is hereby authorised when
necessary to apply for a summons against any Council Taxpayer or
non-domestic ratepayer on whom an account for the said tax or rate
and any arrears has been duly served and who has failed to pay the
amounts due to take all subsequent necessary action to recover them
promptly.
 

(c)        That the
Corporate Director of Finance and
Resources be and is hereby authorised to
collect revenues and distribute monies from the Collection Fund and
is authorised to borrow or to lend money in accordance with the
regulations to the maximum benefit of each fund.
 
In accordance with Standing
Order 43, as the above decisions related to the setting of the
Budget and Council Tax they were subject to a recorded
vote.
 
Prior to the above
recommendations being approved, the alternative budget proposals
moved as amendments to the budget report by the Conservative &
Liberal Democrats Groups were put to the vote and declared
LOST.
 
The voting recorded on the
amendment moved by the Conservative Group was as
follows:
 
For the Amendment (4):
Councillors Hirani, Kansagra, Maurice
& Mistry.
 
Against the Amendment (47):
Councillors Aden, Afzal, Agha, Ahmed, Ahmadi-Moghaddam, Akram,
Bajwa, Benea, M.Butt, S.Butt, Chan,
Chappell, Chohan, Choudry, Collymore, Conneely, Crabb, Dixon,
Donnelly-Jackson, Ethapemi, Farah,
Fraser, Gbajumo, Georgiou, Grahl, Hack,
Johnson, Kabir, Kelcher, Kennelly,
Knight, Long, Lorber, Mahmood, Matin, Miller, Mitchell,
Moeen, Molloy, Nerva, M.Patel, Rajan Seelan, Rubin, Ketan Sheth, Krupa
Sheth, Southwood and Tatler.
 
Abstentions to the Amendment
(2): Councillors Hylton (Mayor) and Dar (Deputy Mayor).
 
The voting recorded on the
amendment moved by the Liberal Democrats Group was as
follows:
 
For the Amendment (3):
Councillors Georgiou, Lorber and Matin
 
Against the Amendment (48):
Councillors Aden, Afzal, Agha, Ahmed, Ahmadi-Moghaddam, Akram,
Bajwa, Benea, M.Butt, S.Butt, Chan,
Chappell, Chohan, Choudry, Collymore, Conneely, Crabb, Dixon,
Donnelly-Jackson, Ethapemi, Farah,
Fraser, Gbajumo, Grahl, Hack, Hirani,
Johnson, Kabir, Kansagra, Kelcher, Kennelly, Knight, Long, Mahmood, Maurice,
Miller, Mistry, Mitchell, Moeen,
Molloy, Nerva, M.Patel, Rajan Seelan,
Rubin, Ketan Sheth, Krupa Sheth, Southwood and Tatler.
 
Abstentions to the Amendment
(2): Councillors Hylton (Mayor) and Dar (Deputy Mayor).
 
The substantive
recommendations, as detailed above, were then put to the vote and
declared CARRIED.  The voting recorded
was as follows:
 
For (45): Councillors Aden,
Afzal, Agha, Ahmed, Ahmadi-Moghaddam, Akram, Bajwa, Benea, M.Butt,
S.Butt, Chan, Chappell, Chohan,
Choudry, Collymore, Conneely, Crabb, Dixon, Donnelly-Jackson,
Ethapemi, Farah, Fraser, Gbajumo, Grahl, Hack, Johnson, Kabir, Kelcher, Kennelly, Knight, Long, Mahmood, Miller,
Mitchell, Moeen, Molloy, Nerva,
M.Patel, Rajan Seelan, Rubin, Ketan
Sheth, Krupa Sheth, Smith, Southwood and Tatler
 
Against (7): Councillors
Georgiou, Hirani, Kansagra, Lorber,
Matin. Maurice, & Mistry.
 
Abstentions (2): Councillors
Hylton (Mayor) and Dar (Deputy Mayor).
 
Eligible for call-in:
No