Purpose

To consider the Budget and make recommendations to Council as appropriate.

Decision

The Executive RESOLVED to RECOMMEND that Council:

(i)            agree a 2.99% increase in Waverley’s Band D Council Tax Charge

for 2025/26 with resultant increases to the other council tax bands;

(ii)           agree to continue the Council’s existing Council Tax Support Scheme at the current levels;

(iii)          agree (a) to a general inflationary increase to Fees and Charges for

2025/26 except for car parking charges and some limited other exceptions as proposed in Annexe 4.1, (b) agree the increase to car parking charges as proposed in Annexe 4.2;

(iv)          approve a general inflationary increase of 2.5% to the weekly charge for all garages from 1 April 2025;

(v)           approve the General Fund Budget for 2025/26 as summarised in Annexe 2, incorporating the baseline net service cost variations detailed at Annexe 1 and Annexe 3;

(vi)          approve the General Fund Capital Programme as detailed in Annexe 5; and,

(vii)        approve the reserve movements as set out in Annexe 6 and to agree a delegation to the S151 Officer to agree draw down from the reserves if the use is in line with the approved purpose.

(viii)       approve that from 1 April 2025, the Council varies its determination of 12 February 2019 under Section 11B of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, so that the long-term empty dwelling levy starts after a property has been empty and unfurnished for one year.

(ix)          Approve that, from 1 April 2026, the Council will charge a premium(levy) of 100% on periodically used dwellings as defined by section 11C of the Local Government Act 1992.