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the Council;

·      
agreed that the Waltham Forest basic amount of council
tax, including the levying bodies, will be increased by 2.99% in
2024/25;

·      
agreed that the 2% permitted increase for
Adult Social Care will be applied bringing the total increase to
4.99% and resulting in a council tax of £1,702.32 per Band D
property in 2024/25;

·      
noted that the element of council tax charged by the Greater
London Authority will be £471.40 per Band D property in
2024/25 which reflects an increase of £37.26
(8.58%);

·      
agreed that the overall council tax to be set for 2024/25
will be £2,173.72 per Band D property, which represents an
overall increase of 5.75%;

·      
agreed that the projected budget (as set out in Appendix 1)
for 2024/25 of £474.984 million is approved;

·      
considered and noted the whole of the Strategic Director of
Resources report made under Section 25 of the Local Government Act
2003 as set out in Appendix 2 and, in particular, their
determination in the Financial Implications of this report on
“the robustness of the estimates made for the purposes of the
calculations, and the adequacy of the proposed financial
reserves”;

·      
noted the amount of 81,322 (an increase of 1,201 over the
previous year), as the Council Tax Base for the Council for
2024/25, in accordance with Regulation 3 of the Local Authorities
(Calculation of Council Tax Base) Regulations 1992 made under the
Local Government Finance Act 1992 (as amended);

·      
agreed that the following
amounts to be approved for 2024/25 in accordance with sections 31
to 36 of the Local Government Act 1992, as amended (the
Act);

·      
Gross Expenditure
£1,044.581 million – being the
aggregate of the amounts which the council estimates for the items
in Sections 31A (2) of the Act;

·      
Gross Income
£906.145 million – being the aggregate of the
amounts which the council estimates for the items in Sections 31A
(3) of the Act;

·      
Net Expenditure
£138.436 million – being the amounts by which the
aggregate at 2.8.1, exceeds the aggregate ate 2.8.2 above,
calculated by the Council in accordance with Section 31A (4) pf the
Act as its council tax requirement for the year.

·      
LBWF Basic Amount of Council Tax including the Adult Social Care
Precept
£1,702.32 – being the amount at 2.8.3 above, divided
by 81,322 (the Council Tax Base), calculated by the Council in
accordance with Section 31B(1) of the Act, as the basic amount of
its council tax for the year and includes the Adult Social Care
Precept of £246.00.

§ 
 Valuation Bands

Band

 

   
A

   
B

   
C

   
D

   
E

   
F

   
G

   
H

Basic

£

    
970.88

 
1,132.70

 
1,294.51

 
1,456.32

 
1,779.94

 
2,103.58

 
2,427.20

 
2,912.64

Social Care

£

    
164.00

    
191.33

    
218.67

    
246.00

    
300.67

    
355.33

    
410.00

    
492.00

Total LBWF

£

 
1,134.88

 
1,324.03

 
1,513.18

 
1,702.32

 
2,080.61

 
2,458.91

 
2,837.20

 
3,404.64

Being the
amounts given by multiplying the amount at 2.8.4 above by the
number which, in the proportion set out in Section 5(1) of the 1992
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 1992 Act, as the amounts to
be taken into account for the year in respect of categories of
dwellings listed in different valuation bands;

·      
Noted that’s for 2024/25 the Greater London Assembly
(GLA) has stated that (with formal ratification on 22 February
2024) that the following amounts in precepts be issued to the
Council in accordance with Section 40 of the Local Government Act
1992 for each of the categories of dwellings shown
below;

Band

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

Total

£

314.27

366.64

419.02

471.40

576.16

680.91

785.67

 942.80

·      
Agreed that, having calculated the aggregate in each case of
the amounts at 2.8.5 and 2.8.6 above, the Council, in accordance
with Section 30(2) of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 sets
the following amounts of council tax for 2024/25 for each of the
categories of dwellings shown:

Band

 

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

Total

£

1,449.15

1,690.67

1,932.20

2,173.72

2,656.77

3,139.82

3,622.87

4,347.44

·      
noted that the relevant basic amount of council tax for a
Band D property (excluding precepts but now including levies) for
the financial year 2024/25 be £1,702.32, which reflects a
2.99% increase, plus 2% Adult Social Care precept permitted
increase for 2024/25 and therefore does not require a
referendum;

·      
agreed that the Strategic Director of Resources and the
officers nominated by him be authorised to finalise the necessary
publicity as required by Section 38 of the Local Government Finance
Act 1992 and to promote the first day of the month instalment
dates, and the six date options within each month for Direct Debit
payers, as previously agreed;

·      
noted that in order to ensure the required period of notice
is given, council taxpayers will be requested to pay their
instalments on the first of each month commencing on 1 April
2024;

·      
agreedin accordance
with the Council Tax (Empty Dwellings) Act 2018 to continue to
maintain the maximum percentage allowed by current legislation for
the empty home’s premium from 1 April 2024;

·      
agreed in accordance with the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023 (Clause
76) to charge a premium of 100% on dwellings that have been empty
for one year from 1 April 2024;

·      
agreed in accordance with the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023 (Clause
77) to give notice of the intention to charge a premium of 100%
on dwellings which are “substantially furnished”
but have no “resident” (e.g., second homes) from 1
April 2025;

·      
agreed for the purposes of calculating
entitlement to Housing Benefit, any war disablement pension, war
widow’s or war widower’s pension which would otherwise
be treated as income for the purposes of calculating entitlement to
housing benefit should be disregarded in its entirety.

·      
agreed to the inclusion of collection fund surpluses and
deficits (as per paragraphs 6.21 and 6.22) within the budget from
1st April 2024 which have previously been transferred to
the taxation fluctuation reserve;

·      
agreed the Capital Programme for 2023-2034 as set
out in Appendix 9;

·      
agreed the reserves strategy at Appendix 6 and note
that the Strategic Director of Resources has delegated
responsibility for the use of reserves throughout the year;

·      
agreed
the amended fees and
charges for 2024/25 as shown in Appendix 5;