A To consider the report of Cabinet on 16 February 2022 (attached)

B To note the decision of the Greater London Authority on its budget and precept for 2022/23 and the effect thereof on the Council’s budget

C To agree a budget for 2022/23 and then

D To set the Council Tax for 2022/23

NOTE: ALL RELEVANT REPORTS FROM THE CABINET MEETING OF 16 FEBRUARY 2022 ARE ATTACHED.

Following debate, amendment on behalf of the Residents’ and Upminster and Cranham Residents Associations’ Groups NOT CARRIED by 22 votes to 21 with 6 abstentions.

Amendment on behalf of the North Havering Residents Association Group AGREED by 8 votes to 6 with 35 abstentions.

Report of Cabinet, as amended by North Havering Residents Association Group AGREED by 28 votes to 8 with 13 abstentions.

Council had before it a report of Cabinet incorporating the budget proposals for 2022/23. This referred to reports presented to Cabinet at its meeting on 16 February 2022 which were also included in the agenda papers for the Council meeting. A report of the Chief Executive proposed the Members’ Allowances Scheme 2022/23.

This included an additional recommendation regarding the approval of a decision by Audit Committee as shown in the supplementary agenda. This also included a slight alteration to recommendation 12 as shown in the second supplementary agenda.

Deemed motion on behalf of the Administration

That the reports be adopted and their recommendations carried into effect.

Amendment by the Residents and Upminster and Cranham Residents Associations’ Groups

That the Members’ Allowances Scheme be amended in line with figures on the right-hand column under ‘Alternative Budget’ as shown in appendix 1 to these minutes.

Any resultant savings to be allocated to Street Cleaning and road and pavement maintenance.

Explanatory note: The business of the Adjudication and Review Committee would be transferred to the Governance Committee.

Amendment by the North Havering Residents Associations’ Group

Given the enormous pressure the Council’s budget is under and the asks being made of staff to deliver more productivity within a reduced overall salary budget next year, it is proposed that councillors are asked to do the same. It is therefore proposed that all Special Responsibility Allowances are reduced by 15% reducing the overall budget requirement for Special Responsibility Allowances by at least £77,000. It is further proposed that, given the need to focus the Council’s scarce resources on delivering priority services to residents, the resulting saving of £77,000 is transferred from the oneSource Democratic Services budget to the Neighbourhoods Street Cleansing budget to fund the lease for a glutton street cleansing unit (for at least 18 months as this is the recommended length of lease given the procurement) at a cost of approximately £7,000 per annum and additional staffing costs of around £70,000 per annum for the same period including oncosts, equipment and uniform costs, a total cost of around £77,000 per annum.

Recommendations:-

·       That Special Responsibility Allowances are reduced by 15% across the board to deliver a saving of at least £77,000 from 2022/23.

·       That a permanent budget virement of £77,000 is made from the oneSource Democratic Services budget to the Neighbourhoods Street Cleansing Budget from 2022/23.

Following debate, the amendment on behalf of the Residents’ and Upminster and Cranham Residents Associations’ Groups was NOT CARRIED by 22 votes to 21 with 6 abstentions (see division 3).

The amendment on behalf of the North Havering Residents Association Group was AGREED by 8 votes to 6 with 35 abstentions (see division 4).

The report of Cabinet, as amended by the North Havering Residents Association Group was AGREED by 28 votes to 8 with 13 abstentions (see division 5).

RESOLVED:

1.             That the following as submitted in the report to Cabinet of 16 February 2022 be approved:

·        The General Fund budget for 2022/23

·        The Council Tax for Band D properties and for other Bands of properties, all as set out in Appendix G of the Cabinet report.

·        The Delegated Schools’ Budget for 2022/23, as set out in section 5.9 of the Cabinet report.

·        The Capital Programme for 2022/23 as set out in the Capital Strategy and Programme Report reported to Cabinet on 16 February 2022.

2.             The Council delegate authority to the Chief Financial Officer to adjust the Corporate Risk Budget to account for any further variations that may arise.

3.             That, in accepting recommendation 1, Council is mindful of the advice of the Chief Finance Officer as set out in section 13 of the report to Cabinet.

4.             That it be noted that under delegated powers the Chief Finance Officer has calculated the amount of 89,390 (called T in the Act and Regulations) as its Council Tax base for the year 2022/23 in accordance with regulation 3 of the Local Authorities (Calculation of Council Tax Base) Regulations 1992 (as amended) made under Section 31B of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 as amended.

5.             That the amount of £140,823,218 be now calculated as the Council Tax requirement for the Council’s own purposes for 2022/23, with £17,048,461 of that amount being ringfenced for Adult Social Care.

6.       That the following amounts be now calculated by the Council for the year 2022/23 in accordance with Sections 31 to 36 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 as amended:

7.       That the Council, in accordance with Sections 30 and 36 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, hereby sets the amounts shown in the table below as the amounts of Council Tax for 2022/23 for each of the categories of dwellings.

8        That it be noted for the year 2022/23 the major precepting authority (the GLA) has stated the following amounts in precepts issued to the Council, in accordance with Section 40 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, for each of the categories of the dwellings shown below as proposed by the Mayor.

9.       That, having calculated the aggregate in each case of the amounts at 7 and 8 above, the Council, in accordance with Sections 30 and 36 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, hereby sets the following amounts as the amounts of Council Tax for the year 2022/23 for each of the categories of dwellings shown below:

10.     That Council having considered the principles approved under the Local Government Finance Act 1992 by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government concludes that the Council’s basic relevant amount of Council Tax for 2022/23 is not excessive.

11.          That any Council Tax payer who is liable to pay an amount of Council Tax to the Authority in respect to the year ending on 31 March 2023, who is served with a demand notice under Regulation 20(2) of the Council Tax (Administration and Enforcement) Regulations 1992 as amended and who makes payment to the Authority of the full balance of the estimated amount shown on that demand by 1 April 2022, may deduct a sum equivalent to 1.5% of and from the estimated amount and such reduced amount shall be accepted in full settlement of that estimated amount.

12. That Council agrees that the Havering Council Tax Support Scheme for the financial year 2022/23, as set out in Appendix F of the Cabinet report, will make provision for the Government’s Energy Rebate Scheme 2022, as required by regulation 16 of the Council Tax Reduction Schemes (Prescribed Requirements) (England) Regulations 2012 (as amended).

13.That Council approves the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) Major Works Capital Programme, detailed in Appendix 1a of the HRA Budget for 2022/2023 and HRA Major Works Capital Programme 2022/23 – 2026/27 report to Cabinet of 16 February 2022.

14.That Council approves the HRA Capital expenditure and financing for the 12 Sites Joint Venture, detailed in paragraphs 4.1 to 4.26 and Appendix 1b of the of the HRA Budget for 2022/2023 and HRA Major Works Capital Programme 2022/23 – 2026/27 report to Cabinet of 16 February 2022.

15.That Council approves the Treasury Management Strategy Statement, Prudential Indicators, and the Minimum Revenue Provision Statement for 2022/23 as shown in the separate report to Cabinet of 16 February 2022.

16.That Council approves the Capital Strategy and Programme for 2022/23 as shown in the separate report to Cabinet of 16 February 2022.

17.Council approves the decision of Audit Committee to procure an external audit contract through the PSAA for both the London Borough of Havering and the Havering Pension Fund.

RESOLVED:

Given the enormous pressure the Council’s budget is under and the asks being made of staff to deliver more productivity within a reduced overall salary budget next year, it is proposed that councillors are asked to do the same. It is therefore proposed that all Special Responsibility Allowances are reduced by 15% reducing the overall budget requirement for Special Responsibility Allowances by at least £77,000. It is further proposed that, given the need to focus the Council’s scarce resources on delivering priority services to residents, the resulting saving of £77,000 is transferred from the oneSource Democratic Services budget to the Neighbourhoods Street Cleansing budget to fund the lease for a glutton street cleansing unit (for at least 18 months as this is the recommended length of lease given the procurement) at a cost of approximately £7,000 per annum and additional staffing costs of around £70,000 per annum for the same period including oncosts, equipment and uniform costs, a total cost of around £77,000 per annum.

Recommendations:

·       That Special Responsibility Allowances are reduced by 15% across the board to deliver a saving of at least £77,000 from 2022/23.

·       That a permanent budget virement of £77,000 is made from the oneSource Democratic Services budget to the Neighbourhoods Street Cleansing Budget from 2022/23.