Members considered the council’s budget for 2017/18, for recommendation to Full Council.

 

The Lead Member explained that the majority of councils were opting for the default position of increasing council tax by 4.99% (3% adult social care precept and 1.99%, the highest increase without the requirement for a referendum). The borough was proposing an increase of 3.95% (3% adult social care precept and 0.95% increase in core council tax). The Lead Member highlighted that 0.95% was broadly half of the reference inflation figure for September 2016.

 

The council was committing to substantial and meaningful investment in areas of importance to residents, including:

 

•     £1m for adult social care additional demand

•     Meeting increased costs such as National Minimum Wage: £350,000

•     Increasing costs in residential care homes: £200,000

•     More children’s social workers to reduce work loads: £180,000

•     Rising home to school transport for special needs pupils: £330,000

•     Increasing early years pupil premium spend: £120,000 over 3 years

•     Expanding the practical support for homeless Residents: £400,000

•     Expanding the planning team’s expertise and capacity: £196,000

•     Increasing the care and maintenance of public trees: £100,000

•     More grants for voluntary organisations: £160,000

 

Band D council tax would be set at £961.46. In 16/17 this was £373 less than the average unitary, £213 less than any other Berkshire unitary and £189 less than any other unitary. The 3% adult social care precept at band D of £27.75, added to the 2% in 16/17 of £18.14. The 0.95% increase in council tax at band D, added £8.62 to the £906.95 which did not increase from 15/16 to 16/17. Fees and charges were either not increased, or were increased at or below 2.0%, or were aligned to other councils.

 

The Lead Member explained that over recent years the council had chosen to fund capital projects from cash balances avoiding £200,000 in interest fees. However, cash reserves were not a bottomless pit. In anticipation of substantial capital receipts from the five development sites in which the council had a controlling interest, the council would borrow up to £73m in the short term to fund capital projects including:

 

•      Consolidating the St Clouds Way development site: £4.5m

•      Stage one expansion Broadway Car Park: £9.4m net: total £17.8m

•      Stage one new leisure centre: £14.5m: total £29.0m

•      Other property and parking improvements: £8.3m

 

The Lead Member thanked all officers and Members involved in putting the budget together.

 

The Lead Member for Highways and Transport highlighted details of spending in his area, totalling £5.438m:

 

·         £1,65m - resurfacing roads

·         £1.6m - replacement LED street lights

·         £450,000 - bridge works

·         £400,000 - flood prevention and drainage

·         £400,000 - traffic management and road safety

·         £285,000 – cycling, reducing congestion and the Thames Flood Alleviation Scheme.

·         £60,000 – public transport

·         £80,000 – Pave Dedworth scheme.

 

The Lead Member proposed an additional recommendation to agree the final element in relation to ‘Pave Dedworth’.

 

The Lead Member for Adult Services and Health highlighted that the 3% precept for 17/18, combined with the 2% the previous year enabled him to confirm that there would be no cut to services in his area. The increase equated to less than £1 per week for a Band D property. He highlighted the imminent move to a shared adult social care services company with Wokingham. This had been embarked upon, not to save money but to get better services through scale.

 

The Head of Finance confirmed that it was not legally possible to set a deficit budget.

 

The Lead Member for Economic Development and Regeneration highlighted that the council had some discretion in setting business rates discounts. The successful retail re-occupation relief scheme would be extended to commercial and industrial premises in 17/18.

 

The Principal Member for Maidenhead and Maidenhead Regeneration commented hat he was pleased to see that charges at the Nicholson’s car park had not been increased; the council had listened to local businesses. A Development Manager had been appointed so plans to redevelop the car park could get underway.

 

The Lead Member for Environmental Services highlighted that he had taken a report on parking provision to Cabinet the previous month, which demonstrated that the council was looking at parking provision across the borough, but in particular the need for parking during the regeneration phase.

 

The Lead Member for Culture and Communities highlighted the extension of the car park  at Ockwells park, investment in Datchet, Eton and Old Windsor libraries and the delivering differently programme that would include £50,000 investment to put service hubs in the three main libraries. The new leisure centre at Braywick had already been referred to; in addition £400,000 had been allocated for the borough’s other leisure centres. The amount of funding available for grants to voluntary organisations had also been increased.

 

The Lead Member for Customer and Business Services highlighted that the council was number one in the country for the processing of new benefits, which helped the most vulnerable residents. Council tax collection rates were above 99%; debt had been reduced by £10m in the last 18 months. There was continued investment in IT security and the digital channel.

 

The Principal Member for Neighbourhood Planning and Sunning & the Ascots commented on the roundabout that had been put in after 20 years at the Berystede crossroads, which had been welcomed by all.  The regeneration of Ascot high street was a key issue. The delivering differently project would see increased services at Ascot library. Following the Cabinet meeting at Charters where issues of road safety were highlighted, she was pleased to see funding included for a footbridge over the Windle stream and pedestrian lights at a narrow bridge.

 

The Lead Member for Planning highlighted continued investment in the planning function which would be important as new developments were brought forward.

 

The Lead Member for Children’s Services explained that every single recipient of home to school transport for Special Educational Needs had been reviewed to ensure appropriate provision was in place. An additional £330,000 had been added to the budget for 17/18 as a result. The Lead Member highlighted that £762,000 of savings had been identified and approved at Cabinet in 2016; she assured Members that there was no cut to frontline services. In the main the savings had been achieved through the deletion of vacant posts and better value commissioning.

 

The Deputy Lead Member for Ascot Regeneration he highlighted that the council collected council tax and business rates totalling £160m. The cost of collection was £500,000 supported by government grant, totalling £1.3-1.5m, which represented less than 1% of the amount collected. This was indicative of the efficient and effective services lead by the Lead Member for customer and Business Services.

 

Councillor Jones welcomed the investment in toilets at Old Windsor library.

 

In response to questions, it was confirmed that the £80,000 for the Pave Dedworth project would be an addition to the capital programme. The Lead Member also confirmed that the proposed budget covered all known estimated costs for service provision.

 

Councillor Jones commented that she had asked at several of the Overview & Scrutiny Panels for sight of the trend evidence over the last five years for the 3% adult social care precept. She requested this be provided before full Council on 21 February 2017. The Lead Member responded that he had received the data himself earlier that evening and intended to forward it to Councillor Jones in the next few hours. If Councillor Jones had any questions as a result, she was directed to contact the Managing Director.

 

Councillor Jones registered her concern about some of the operations savings. She had been looking for comparative cost data per team, including lot 1, to enable analysis of the savings and future monitoring. She had not yet received this information and requested it be provided to her prior to Full Council on 21 February 2017. Councillor Jones also raised a concern about resourcing at the Customer Service Centre as she had recently had to wait some time on the phone, in some cases up to 10 minutes.

 

The Interim Strategic Director for Operations and Customer Services agreed to provide the information requested in relation to lot 1. He confirmed that the staffing in the CSC was sufficient for the call coverage. Details of phase 2 of the new Customer Experience model would be reported to Cabinet in early autumn.

 

The Chairman commented that the proposed budget protected the vulnerable, particularly in a time of growth in demand. The council had no wish to increase council tax and it had in fact been reduced in real terms over the previous seven years. The change in direction was a result in a reduction in government grant funding and growth in the needs of the most vulnerable. He highlighted that the borough had the lowest council tax outside London. He thanked officers and Lead Members for their work on the budget.

 

The Lead Member for Finance commented that he had been involved in numerous big budgetary processes in his professional life; this budget had been one of the most competent and focussed experiences of his career. In a BBC Radio Berkshire interview it had been commented that the council had only increased council tax because it had not charged enough in the past. The Lead Member questioned why the council would take money off people in the past when it did not need to do so? Tax should only be taken when it was truly needed. The fact it had been increased this year by 3.95% was a direct and legitimate response to service needs in the current year.

 

RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY: That Cabinet recommend to Council that they note the report and approve the:

 

i)          Detailed recommendations contained in Appendix A which includes a Council Tax at band D of £915.57, including a 0.95% increase of £8.62.

 

ii)         Adult Social Care Precept of 3% (an increase of £27.75 on the £18.14 precept included in the 2016/17 budget) to be included in the Council’s budget proposals, making this levy the equivalent of £45.89 at band D.

 

iii)       Fees and Charges contained in Appendix D are approved.

 

iv)       Capital Programme, shown in appendices F and G, for the financial year commencing April 2017.

 

v)        Prudential borrowing limits set out in Appendix L.

 

vi)       Business rate tax base calculation, detailed in Appendix O, and its use in the calculation of the Council Tax Requirement in Appendix A.

 

vii)      Head of Finance in consultation with the Lead Members for Finance and Children’s Services is authorised to amend the total schools budget to reflect actual Dedicated School Grant levels.

 

viii)    Head of Finance in consultation with the Lead Member for Finance is authorised to make appropriate changes to the budget to reflect the impact of the transfer of services to Achieving for Children and Optalis.

 

ix)       Responsibility to include the precept from the Berkshire Fire andRescue Authority in the overall Council Tax charges is delegated to the Lead Member for Finance and Head of Finance once the precept is announced.

 

x)        £80,000 to be added to the capital programme for the ‘Pave Dedworth’ project