Issue - decisions

Meeting of Cabinet 15^th February 2023 – Consolidated Budget

At the invitation of the Mayor, Councillor Gold, Cabinet Member for Finance and Communities, made a statement on the Budget for 2024/25.

(i)          It was moved by Councillor Gold and seconded by Councillor O’Brien that the recommendations contained in Minute CA.125 of the Cabinet meeting held on 14th February 2024 be approved and adopt the budget for 2023/24, and Council:

1. Approved the Medium-Term Financial Strategy for 2024/ 2025, 2026 / 2027 and the assumptions regarding resources and spending requirements.
2. Approved the Council Tax base for Bury Council for 2024/ 25 of 57,409 Band D equivalent dwellings, this is the basis on which the Council Tax funding has been calculated.
3. Approved the net revenue budget of £209.608m for 2024/2025.
4. Approved the Council tax requirement of £110.198m and the increase in Council Tax in 2024 – 25 of 2.99% in terms of General Council Tax and a further 2% for the Adult Social Care precept for 2024/2025.
5. Approved the budget assumptions £37.111m in 2024/25.
6. Approved the use of £15.131m of reserves from the budget smoothing reserve and £4.629m from the collection fund smoothing reserves.
7. Noted the forecast position on reserves (paragraph 22.2).
8. Noted the Chief Executive as Director of BMBC Townside Fields Limited will draw down annual dividends from the Company and annual dividends will be reflected in the MTFS.
9. Approved the recommendations set out in the Treasury Management Strategy (Appendix 2):
   • Approved the Treasury Management Strategy including the associated Prudential Indicators and Annual Investment Strategy.
   • Approved the Treasury Management Policy Statement.
   • Approved the Minimum Revenue Provision (MRP) Policy Statement.
10. Approved the Capital Strategy and the Programme for 2024/25 - 2026/27 (Appendix 3).
11. Approved the Dedicated Schools Grant budget for 2024/2025 at £228.326m and approve the allocations between the four funding blocks as set out in appendix 4 to this report:
    • The Schools and Academies 2024/25 funding unit values as recommended by Schools Forum and detailed at Annex 1 to appendix 4.
    • Approved the 2024/25 hourly rates for all early year's providers as follows:
      • £5.28 per hour, for 3- and 4-year-olds.
      • £7.52 per hour, for 2-year-olds; and.
      • £10.00 per hour, for under 2s
12. Noted the position on the Dedicated Schools Grant deficit and Project Safety Valve.
13. Agreed to the following amendments to the treatment of military compensation as set out in Appendix 7:
    • Exclude military compensation for Discretionary Council Tax Support calculations - These are short to mid-term additional credits made to those in receipt of Council Tax Support as a top up towards their Council Tax.
    • Exclude military compensation for Discretionary Housing Payments calculations - These are short to mid-term additional payments made to those in receipt of Housing Benefit or Universal Credit as a top up towards their rent.

(ii)         An amendment was moved by Councillor R Bernstein and seconded by Councillor McBriar that:

The suite of budget reports submitted to the Council should be approved, with the following amendments:

Proposed change in budget allocation:

£6.6 million Real Living Wage Increase not implemented TOTAL AVAILABLE £6.6 Million

0% increase in Council Tax (cost £3.588 million)

0% increase in Social Care Precept (cost £2.4 million)

Additional Grit Bin Fund (£10k) grit bin cost £170 each from caseworker enquiry

Reintroduction of Caddy Liners (75K)

Free Swimming Feasibility Study for Pensioners and Primary School Students (£75k)

Bury Six Town Amenity Fund (£300K £50k for each Township)

Total proposals £6,448,000

Note:

1. Proposal to implement 0% Council Tax and 0% Social Care Precept would by via a rebate  scheme to manage implementation 
2. £152,000 into Reserves

On being put the result of the vote was as follows:

For the Amendment:- S Arif; Bernstein, Brown, Dean, Gartside, Harris, Hussain, Lancaster, McBriar, Rydeheard, Vernon, voting for;

A Arif, Bayley, Berry, Birchmore, Boles, Boroda, Booth, Cummins,  Farooq, FitzGerald, Frith, Gold, Green, Grimshaw, Haroon, Hayes, Ibrahim, Marsden, McGill, Morris, Moss, O’Brien, Pilkington, A Quinn, D Quinn, Rafiq, Rizvi, Rubinstein, Ryder, L Smith, M Smith, Staples-Jones, Thorpe, Whitby, Y Wright, voting against

 Abstaining from the Vote:- The Worshipful the Mayor.

The Mayor declared the amendment lost.

(iii)       An amendment was moved by Councillor M Smith and seconded by Councillor C Birchmore that:

The suite of budget reports submitted to the Council should be approved, with the following amendments:

FTE Licensing Officer

To explore the options around the HMO scheme approved at January Council.

Reduction in pest control costs

Encourage the use of Council Resource to map and clear vermin hotspots.

Tree maintenance backlog

The increasing frequency of storms in the UK leave our tree teams firefighting rather than supplying preventative maintenance.

Skip Placement

This relatively low cost scheme was both popular and successful in reducing fly tipping incidents when last available.

Incorrect waste service

To create a new start point for waste management and clear areas of unemptied domestic waste bins.

Park Entrances

A fund to protect Park and Walking networks from off road Motorcycle access.

On being put:

For the Amendment:- Berry, Birchmore, Booth, Marsden, M Smith, Y Wright voting for;

A Arif, Bayley, Boles, Boroda, Booth, Cummins,  Farooq, FitzGerald, Frith, Gold, Green, Grimshaw, Haroon, Hayes, Ibrahim, McGill, Morris, Moss, O’Brien, Pilkington, A Quinn, D Quinn, Rafiq, Rizvi, Rubinstein, Ryder, L Smith, Staples-Jones, Thorpe, Whitby, S Arif; Bernstein, Brown, Dean, Gartside, Harris, Hussain, Lancaster, McBriar, Rydeheard, Vernon, voting against

And the Mayor abstaining.

The Mayor declared the amendment lost.

The substantive motion (as set out in i) was put to the vote which was as follows:-

A Arif, Bayley, Berry, Birchmore, Boles, Boroda, Booth, Cummins,  Farooq, FitzGerald, Frith, Gold, Green, Grimshaw, Haroon, Hayes, Ibrahim, Marsden, McGill, Morris, Moss, O’Brien, Pilkington, A Quinn, D Quinn, Rafiq, Rizvi, Rubinstein, Ryder, L Smith, M Smith, Staples-Jones, Thorpe, Walmsley, Whitby, Y Wright voting for.

And S Arif; Bernstein, Brown, Dean, Gartside, Harris, Hussain, Lancaster, McBriar, Rydeheard, Vernon, voting against.

The Mayor declared the substantive Motion carried.