Cabinet

1. Noted the requirements of Section 106 of the LGA 1992 Act as set out in Section 1 of this report

2. Noted the Medium Term Financial Position and the Budget setting process of the Council as set out in Section 3 of this report

3. Noted the key assumptions and risks to the 2025/26 budget as set out in Appendix A of this report

4. Noted the provisional local government finance settlement outcome as set out in Appendix B of this report;

5. Agreed the savings proposals as set out in Sections 3.15 and Appendix C of this report and of this report.

6. Agreed the proposed Fees and Charges schedule as set out in paragraph 3.16 and Appendix D and for officers to proceed with implementation of the proposed fees and charges, subject to consultation where required.

7. Agreed the proposed 2.99% increase in core Council Tax for 2025/26 as set out in paragraph 3.18;

8. Agreed the proposed additional 2% Council tax increase for the Adult Social Care Precept as set out in paragraph 3.18;

9. Agreed the proposed Council Band D basic amount of Council Tax for 2025/26 of £1823.17 being the amount calculated by the Council, in accordance with Section 31B(1) of the Act, as the basic amount of its council tax excluding the GLA precept for the year (as set out in section 3.17 of this report

10. Agreed the proposed Council Tax requirement for 2025/26 to be set at £164.361m as set out Appendix E of the report

11. Agreed the budgets proposed in this report and as set out in Appendix F

12. Noted the outcomes from the Public Consultation response as set out in Appendix G (to follow)

13. Noted the Schools budget and DSG as set out in Section 6 of this report which is presented as a separate paper to this cabinet but is an integral part of the budget process

14. Noted the S25 Statement of Robustness as set out in Appendix H of this report.

15. Agreed the Council Tax Support Scheme for 2025/26 as set out in Appendix I to this report (unchanged from 2024/25).

16. Agreed Council Tax discounts for early payment to be given at a rate of 1.5% as set out in Appendix J of this report.

17. Agreed to direct officers to disregard War Pension income in the assessment of Housing Benefit as detailed in see Section 11 and Appendix J and authorises the Chief Executive to approve any policy required to effect the same.

18. Noted the Equalities Impact Assessment in respect of the Council Tax Support Scheme as set out in Appendix K to this report and the overall Equalities impact assessment for the Council report set out in Appendix L

19. Noted that in the event the Capitalisation Direction is not awarded to the value requested before the emergency Full Council meeting on the 5th March, the

Strategic Director of Resources (S151 Officer) will be required to issue a S114 report.

20. Agreed the recommendations made in the Treasury Management strategy statement which is presented as a separate paper to this cabinet but is an integral part of the budget process

21. Agreed the recommendations made in the Capital Strategy which is presented as a separate paper to this cabinet but is an integral part of the budget process

Cabinet agreed to make the following recommendation to Full Council

·        That Full Council approves the proposals at 5 - 17 and 20-21 above

·        That Full Council notes the proposals at 1 -4 and 18- 19 above

·        That full Council resolves to authorise officers to proceed with the implementation of the fees and charges proposal once agreed by Full Council, subject to consultation where required.

·        Adopt the Council Tax Support Scheme for 2025/26 as set out in Appendix I of this report (unchanged from 2024/25);

·        Agree Council Tax discounts for early payment to be given at a rate of 1.5% as set out in Appendix J of this report.

·        To direct officers to disregard War Pension income in the assessment of Housing Benefit as detailed in see Section 10 and Appendix J and authorises the Chief Executive to approve any policy required to effect the same.

Cabinetagreed to delegate the following decisions:

·        Delegated to the Strategic Director of Resources (S151 Officer) the power to make further changes to the budget prior to full Council to reflect the final local government finance settlement and confirmation of final figures from the levying bodies

·        Delegated to the Strategic Director of Resources (S151 Officer) the power to accept on behalf of the Council all grant funding allocated to the Council by external bodies, including central government (but provided that any new application for grant funding shall be in accordance with the Council’s scheme of delegations).

·        Delegated to the Strategic Director of Resources (S151 Officer) in consultation with Service Directors the authority to make any necessary changes to service and the associated budgets relating to any subsequent specific grant funding announcements up to the value of £500k, to administer funding where delays may otherwise adversely impact on service delivery and/or budgetary control, subject to consultation with Cabinet Members as appropriate.

·        Delegated authority to the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Services and Health and the Leader to approve an annual expenditure plan for the Public Health grant, in consultation with the Strategic Director of Resources and the Director of Public Health.

·        Delegated to the Strategic Director of People and the Director of Starting Well authority to agree uplift / inflation increases with relevant social care providers for 2025/2026.