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RESOLVED:
 

a)    
To make recommendations to Council on the budget

b)    
To note the consultation on the budget

c)    
To note the following recommendations for Cabinet to approve to
council:
 
i.                
To note and have regard to the section 25 report in Appendix A when
considering the budget for 2025/26
ii.               
To approve the commercial strategy of 2025/26 detailed in Appendix
B
iii.              
To note the key risks and assumptions set out at paragraph in the
Medium Term Financial Strategy detailed in Appendix C
iv.             
To approve the Medium Term Financial Strategy 2025/26 to 2029/30
detailed in Appendix C
v.               
To agree the revenue growth bids as detailed in the Appendix C
paragraph 65
vi.             
To approve the Treasury Management Strategy Statement 2025/26
detailed in Appendix D
vii.            
To approve Capital Strategy 2025/26 detailed in Appendix E
viii.          
To approve the Capital Programme 2025/26 to 2029/30 detailed in
Appendix F
ix.             
To agree the capital growth bids as detailed in Appendix F
x.               
To delegate to the Section 151 Officer to increase the Capital
budget to match the 30 Year HRA Programme once it is approved to
enable the delivery of new homes in the HRA.
xi.             
To approve the Housing Revenue Account Budget as detailed in
Appendix G
xii.            
To approve the General Fund budget as detailed in Appendix H
xiii.          
To note the Government’s intent to provide forward certainty
over the HRA rental increases allowed to be 1% above CPI, which is
an increase of 2.7% for 2025/26. (Appendix G)
xiv.          
To recommend the 2.7% increase in social housing revenue rents
within the Housing Revenue Account. The average increase in HRA
weekly rents would be £3.52, leading to an average weekly
rent payable by council tenants of £129.61. (Appendix G)
xv.            
To recommend the council tax increase of 2.99% council tax for
2025/26. The Band D equivalent (for Uttlesford’s share of the
bill) would be £182.02, which would be an increase of
£5.28 (Appendix H).
xvi.          
To note the provisional council taxbase of 40,552.16 and the
continued assumption of a maximum increase in the council tax of
2.99% over the lifetime of the Medium Term Financial Plan to
2029/30 (Appendix H)
xvii.         
To approve the Council Tax requirement for 2025/26 of £7.381m
(Appendix H)
xviii.       
To approve the fees and charges schedule as set out in Appendix
K
xix.          
To approve the Minimum Revenue Provision Statement 2025/26 detailed
in Appendix L
xx.            
To resolve that the council tax premium of 100% shall be charged to
properties that have been empty and furnished for one year or more,
with effect from 1 April 2025 (Appendix M).
xxi.          
That Council approves the implementation of a second homes council
tax premium of 100% from 1 April 2025. (Appendix M)
xxii.         
To approve the Ethical Investment Policy (Appendix N)
xxiii.       
To note the change in the discretionary rates policy as detailed in
the accompanying report on Discretionary Rates