A.    To consider the report of Cabinet dated 5 February 2025.

B.    To note the decision of the Greater London Authority on its budget and precept for 2025/26 and the effect thereof on the Council’s budget.

C.   To agree a budget for 2025/26 and then:

D.   To set the Council Tax for 2025/26.

NOTE: ALL RELEVANT REPORTS FROM THE CABINET MEETING OF 5 FEBRUARY 2025 ARE ATTACHED.

Amendments by Residents’ Association Independent Group and Conservative Group (attached, at end of budget papers).

Following debate, amendment on behalf of the Residents’ Association Independent Group NOT CARRIED by 30 votes to 18 with 0 abstentions.

Amendment on behalf of Conservative Group NOT CARRIED by 30 votes to 18 with 0 abstentions.

Amendment on behalf of Labour Group NOT CARRIED by 25 votes to 24 with 0 abstentions on casting vote of Mayor.

Report of Cabinet and deemed motion on behalf of Administration AGREED by 25 votes to 24 with 0 abstentions on casting vote of Mayor.

Council had before it a series of reports covering the Council’s Budget, Capital Programme and Treasury Management Strategy Statement. Reports also the Housing Revenue Account and business plans for Bridge Close Regenration LLP, Havering and Wates Regeneration LLP and Mercury Land Holdings.

Deemed Motion on behalf of the Administration

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

Amendments on behalf of the Residents’ Association Independent Group, Conservative Group and Labour Group

As appended to these minutes.

Following debate, the amendment on behalf of the Residents’ Association Independent Group was NOT CARRIED by 30 votes to 18 with 0 abstentions (see division 1).

The amendment on behalf of the Conservative Group was NOT CARRIED by 30 votes to 18 with 0 abstentions (see division 2).

The amendment on behalf of the Labour Group was NOT CARRIED by 25 votes to 24 with 0 abstentions on the casting vote of Mayor (see division 3).

The report of Cabinet and deemed motion on behalf of the Administration were AGREED by 25 votes to 24 with 0 abstentions on casting vote of Mayor (see division 4).

RESOLVED:

1.             That Council agree and endorse the recommendations in the report to Cabinet of 5 February 2025 titled Bridge Close Regeneration LLP Business Plan Refresh 2025-2026.

2.             That Council agree and endorse the recommendations in the report to Cabinet of 5 February 2025 titled Havering and Wates LLP Business Plan and Budget Update 2024/2025.

3.             That Council agree and endorse the recommendations in the report to Cabinet of 5 February 2025 titled Mercury Land Holdings Business Plan and Budget Update 2025/26.

4.             That Council approves the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) Business Plan update, Budget for 2025/26 & Capital Programme for 2025/26-2029/30 and all recommendations, as set out in the report to Cabinet of 5th February 2025.  

5.             That Council approves the Capital Strategy and Programme for 2025/26 as shown in the separate report to Cabinet of 5 February 2025.

6.             That Council approves the Treasury Management Strategy Statement, Prudential Indicators, and the Minimum Revenue Provision Statement for 2025/26 as shown in the separate report to Cabinet of 5 February 2025.

7.             That the following as submitted in the report to Cabinet of 5 February 2025 be approved:

·        The General Fund budget for 2025/26

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

·        The Delegated Schools’ Budget for 2025/26, as set out in section 6 of the Cabinet report.

·        The Capital Programme for 2025/26 as set out in the Capital Strategy and Programme Report reported to Cabinet on 5 February 2025.

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

9.             That, in accepting recommendation 1, Council is mindful of the advice of the Chief Finance Officer as set out in Appendix H of the report to Cabinet.

10.          That it be noted that under delegated powers the Chief Finance Officer has calculated the amount of 90,151 (called T in the Act and Regulations) as its Council Tax base for the year 2025/26 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.

11.          That the amount of £164,361,000 be now calculated as the Council Tax requirement for the Council’s own purposes for 2025/26, with £26,147,000 of that amount being ringfenced for Adult Social Care.

12.      That the following amounts be now calculated by the Council for the year 2024/25 in accordance with Sections 31 to 36 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 as amended:

13.     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 2025/26 for each of the categories of dwellings.

14.      That it be noted for the year 2025/26 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.

15.      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 2025/26 for each of the categories of dwellings shown below:

16.     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 2025/26 is not excessive.

17.          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 2025, 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 2025, 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.

18.          That Council approves that the Council Tax Support Scheme 2025/26 is adopted for 2025/26 as set out in Section 10 of the Cabinet report of 5 February 2025.