Meeting documents

To approve as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 16 January, 2017, copy attached as an appendix.

RESOLVED –

That the Minutes of the meeting of Council held on 16 January, 2017, be approved as a correct record.

By the Chairman of the Council.

By the Leader/Cabinet Members.

The Leader of the Council

The Leader of the Council informed Members that following an extensive selection process the following Assistant Director appointments had recently been made:-

·                    Customer Fulfilment – Jeff Membery.

·                    Community Fulfilment – Will Rysdale.

·                    Business Support and Enablement – Isabel Edgar Briancon.

·                    Business Strategy and Digital – Andy Barton.

·                    Commercial Property and Regeneration – Teresa Lane.

Councillor Mordue

Cabinet Member for Finance, Resources and Compliance

To consider the budget report attached as an appendix.

Council received a report, similar to that submitted to Cabinet on 10 January, 2017, summarising the rationale behind Cabinet’s budget proposals for 2017/18 and beyond.  The report also contained the Chief Financial Officer’s report on the robustness of the budget proposals and the adequacy of reserves.  Both the Cabinet report and the Council report had been posted on the Council’s website.  The report covered:-

·                    The detail of Cabinet’s budget proposals and budget recommendation.

·                    The position with Government Grant.

·                    The New Homes Bonus position, including information on how the scheme would now work for the next 3-4 years.

·                    Retained Business Rates.

·                    Business Rates Pooling – to continue with the arrangement that had benefited the Council in the last financial year

·                    Budget Pressures (including information at Appendix E).

·                    Pension Fund.

·                    Aylesbury Vale Estates.

·                    Fees and charges changes (including information at Appendix F).

·                    Savings and Income identification options (including information at Appendix D).

·                    The position with reserves and working balances.

·                    The approach being taken regarding Commercial AVDC.

·                    The Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP): 2018/19 and after (including information at Appendices B1 and B2).

·                    Council Tax Strategy.

·                    Aylesbury Special Expenses (including information at Appendix G)..

·                    Risk Assessment and Scrutiny on budget proposals.

The Council report updated Members on the national policy regarding Council tax which had shifted away from the desire to see Council tax levels frozen to an acceptance of minimal tax increases.  The 4 year settlements offered to Councils now assumed that Council tax would be increased by Councils by the maximum permissible amount, short of requiring a referendum, and Government was reducing the amount of grant awarded to Councils by an equivalent amount.

While Councils with responsibility for adult social care were able to precept for an additional 2% above the existing 1.99%, District Councils had been given the flexibility to increase Council tax by 1.99% or £5, whichever was the greater.  The budget proposal included for a £5 increase at Band D, which represented a 3.59% increase in the Band D Council tax for AVDC to £144.06.

Having outlined the rationale behind the budget proposals, the Cabinet Member for Finance, Resources and Compliance proposed the adoption of the recommendations contained in the Council report.  This was seconded by Councillor Mrs Glover.

In accordance with Council Procedure Rules, each of the Leaders of the political groups represented on the Council made a statement in connection with the budget proposals after which the budget proposal was opened up for debate.  Councillor Hunter-Watts spoke on behalf of the Independent Group in the absence of Councillor Cooper.

Before the budget recommendations were opened up to debate Members were informed that Council Procedure Rules required the names of Members voting for, against or abstaining from voting on any decision at a budget meeting of the Council, including amendments, to be recorded in the Minutes.

It was thereupon proposed by Councillor Lambert and seconded by Councillor Stuchbury that the following recommendation be added to the budget recommendations:-

"That a report be prepared for this Council to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.