Content

RESOLVED

 

That the Council Tax Base for 2025/26 be approved as set out
below;

 
a.    
for the whole Council area as 65,389.2 (Item T in the formula in
section 31B of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, as amended
(the “Act”) and

 
b.    
for dwellings in those parts of its area to which a Parish Precept
or Special Expenses relates as shown below:
 
 

Parish

2025/26 tax base

 

 

Amberley

                            344.8

Ashington

                        
1,174.9

Ashurst

                           
148.5

Billingshurst

                        
4,570.3

Bramber

                           
414.9

Broadbridge Heath

                        
2,339.5

Coldwaltham

                           
476.0

Colgate

                        
2,074.9

Cowfold

                           
865.5

Henfield

                        
2,732.2

Itchingfield

                           
772.6

Lower Beeding

              
             562.2

North Horsham

                        
8,977.7

Nuthurst

                        
1,108.4

Parham

                           
130.8

Pulborough

                        
2,595.5

Rudgwick

                        
1,451.6

Rusper

                            929.9

Shermanbury

                           
314.8

Shipley

                           
637.4

Slinfold

                           
986.0

Southwater

                         
4,871.6

Steyning

                         
2,572.8

Storrington & Sullington

                         
3,355.7

Thakeham

                         
1,183.6

Upper Beeding

                         
1,442.3

Warnham

                         
1,011.9

Washington

                         
1,122.9

West Chiltington

                         
2,220.4

West Grinstead

                         
1,307.8

Wiston

                            
106.8

Woodmancote

                            
271.8

Horsham Town

                       
12,313.2

 

 

                       
Total

                       
65,389.2

 

 

 
 
 
RECOMMENDED TO
COUNCIL
 
i)              
That the level of Council Tax for 2025/26 increases from
£170.28 by £4.67 (2.74%) to £174.95 at Band
D.

 
ii)             
That the net revenue budget set out in Appendix A for 2025/26 of
£15.780m is approved.
 
iii)            
That £112,000 of the Green Reserve tree replacement funds are
used to extend the Community Climate Fund grants over the next
three years instead.
 
iv)            
That £0.9m of the £3.36m Funding Floor grant received
in 2025/26 is used in Revenue to balance the budget, with the
£2.46m remainder earmarked to help smooth the future costs of
food waste collection.
 
v)             
That £0.34m of the £2.32m of the Extended Producer
Responsibility for Packaging payments be used in revenue in 2025/26
with the remaining £1.98m earmarked to help smooth the future
costs of the food waste collection.
 
vi)            
That the £306,643 funding for food waste implementation costs
received in 2024/25 is put into the food waste collection earmarked
reserve for use during implementation of food waste in 2025/26.
 
vii)          
Approve a revenue budget of £0.738m for the project costs
incurred on the Capitol Theatre in 2024/25 to date, to be funded
from the Environment and Infrastructure earmarked reserve.
 
viii)         
That Special Expenses of £499,800 set out in Appendix C and
an increase of £3.38 (9.1%) in the Band D charge to
£40.59 are agreed in respect of the unparished area for
2025/26.
 
ix)            
That the £13.8m capital programme for 2025/26 set out in
Appendix D be approved and that the indicative capital budgets in
the programme for future years be noted.
 
x)             
That the projected future budgets on the revenue account in 2026/27
to 2029/30 are noted and the Medium-Term Financial Strategy
continues to be reviewed and refined to ensure that decisions are
taken in 2025 to set a balanced budget in 2026/27.
 
xi)            
That the Minimum Revenue Provision Statement set out in Appendix E
is approved.
 
xii)          
That the Capital Strategy, Treasury Strategy, Investment Strategy
and prudential indicators and limits for 2025/26 to 2028/29 set out
in Appendix F are approved.
 
xiii)         
To note the statement on the robustness of the level of reserves in
Appendix G.
 
xiv)         
That a) the increases to fees and charges set out in Appendix H
and, (b) all remaining fees and charges as previously set are
approved.
 
 
REASON
 
To meet the Council’s
statutory requirement to approve the budget and the prudential
indicators before the start of a new financial year.
 
 
ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS CONSIDERED BUT REJECTED AS
IDENTIFIED IN THE REPORT
 
Making cuts to popular non-statutory services
such as parks and countryside, planning enforcement and cultural
and leisure services was considered. This was rejected because the
scale of the proposed deficits in the future is uncertain, and the
Council is able to set a balanced budget in 2025/26 using the
temporary Floor Funding grant.
 
It is a legal requirement to set council tax
and a balanced budget, so not setting council tax or budget or
medium-term financial strategy is not a viable option.