Agenda item

RECOMMENDED that Council: -

(a)  Undertakes a recorded vote in relation to the following items as required by the Local Authorities (Standing Orders) (England) (Amendments) Regulations 2014.

i.      Agrees that a net budget of £356.9m, resulting in a total council tax requirement of £258.6m, is set for 2024/25 based on the draft local government financial settlement figures published by government in December 2023.

ii.     Agrees an increase in council tax of 2.99% for 2024/25 in respect of the basic annual threshold and the collection of the additional social care precept of 2%.

iii.    Confirms the key assumptions and provisions made in the budget as proposed and as set out in Appendix 3.

iv.    Agrees the allocations to service areas in the budget as set out in Appendix 5.

v.     Agrees the implementation of £41m of savings as set out in Appendix 5a.

vi.    Approves the flexible use of capital receipts efficiency strategy as set out in Appendix 6.

vii.   Approves the asset management plan as set out in Appendix 8.

viii.  Agrees the treasury management strategy (TMS) and prudential indicators as set out in paragraphs 74 to 79 and Appendix 9.

ix.    Accepts and supports the formal advice of the chief finance officer on the robustness of the budget and the adequacy of the reserves as set out in paragraphs 95 to 101 and Appendix 10.

(b)  Approves the implementation of a freeze on all non-essential expenditure from 1 April 2024 and until such time as the Corporate Management Board have provided Cabinet Members with assurance that all the £41m of 2024/25 budget savings have been delivered.

(c)  Delegate to the Chief Executive, in consultation with the Director of Finance, Leader, and Portfolio Holder for Finance, the allocation of any additional resources that become available through the final 2024/25 local government finance settlement or any other means.

(d)  Requests that the Corporate Director for Children’s Services produces for the April Cabinet a detailed delivery plan to limit the high needs expenditure projections to those included within the DSG management plan presented to the Department for Education and Schools Forum in January 2024. 

(e)  Approves the chief officers’ pay policy statement 2024/2025 for consideration and approval by the council in accordance with the provisions of the Localism Act 2011 as set out in paragraphs 103 to 105 and Appendix 12.

(f)   Requests that the Director of Finance provides Council with a schedule setting out the rate of council tax for each category of dwelling further to councillors’ consideration of the decision required in respect of (1) above and after taking account of the precepts to be levied by the local police and fire authorities, neighbourhood, town and parish councils, and chartered trustees once these have been determined prior to the Council meeting on the 20 February 2024.

Note – in respect of recommendation (f) above the schedule setting out the rate of council tax for each category of dwelling after taking account of the precepts to be levied by the local police and fire authorities, neighbourhood, town and parish councils, and charter trustees is appended to this agenda.

The decision taken on the Council Tax Resolution and Council Tax levels for 2023/24 will also be the subject of a recorded vote for each Councillor present in accordance with The Local Authorities (Standing Orders) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2014.

 

Councillor M Cox presented the report and recommendations as set out on the agenda.

 

The proposal was seconded by Councillor D Brown.

 

Councillor P Broadhead moved an amended budget, seconded by Councillor J Beesley.

 

Conservative Group – Amendment (1) to the 2024/24 Budget

 

Funding Source:

 

(a)  To only be implemented if the specific one-off contingency set aside to manage the risk of delivery or delay in the £41.2m in savings, efficiencies and additional resources is not needed.

 

£1.177m Use of funds from the one-off contingency budget if not required

 

(b)  Ongoing resources from not disposing of an income generating asset.

 

£0.160m Net operating income from cancelling sale of Christchurch Bypass Car Park

 

Application of the one-off resources set out as follows.

 

Amount £000s	Service Area	Description
642	Operations	Town Centre Improvement Fund (in addition to £358k allocated by the substantive budget)
300	Commercial Operations	Air Festival funding for 2025
150	Environment	Play Park Boost
85	Commercial Operations	Defer Kings Park Plant Nursery closure – Subsidy. (budgeted saving)
1,177	Total – One Off Resources

 

Application of the ongoing resources set out as follows.

 

Amount £000s	Service Area	Description
153	Housing & Communities	Additional investment in CSAS and Community Safety
7	Commercial Operations	Littledown Paddling Pool (budgeted saving)
160	Total – Ongoing Resources

 

Councillors C McCormack and M Tarling declared a non-pecuniary interest in that they were members of the Christchurch Premises Committee which was debating the future of the Christchurch By-pass car park. Councillors McCormack and Tarling left the room while the amendment was debated.

 

Councillors M Cox and Cllr P Hilliard declared a non-pecuniary interest in that they were members of Christchurch Town Council but not members of the Premises Committee. The Councillors confirmed that they would remain in the room and deliberate on the item.

 

Following debate on the amendment, Council moved to a vote, as follows:

For – 13; Against – 42;  Abstentions – 16.

The amendment was lost.

 

Councillor P Broadhead moved a second amended budget, seconded by Councillor J Beesley.

 

Conservative Group – Amendment (2) to the 2024/24 Budget

 

Funding Source:

 

To only be implemented if the specific one-off contingency set aside to manage the risk of delivery or delay in the £41.2m in savings, efficiencies and additional resources is not needed.

 

£1.537m Use of funds from the one-off contingency budget if not required

£1.537m Total

 

Application of these one-off resources set out as follows.

 

Amount £000s	Service Area	Description
684	Commissioning & Procurement	Defer savings from the review of day services proposals for one-year. (budgeted saving)
396	Children’s Services	Defer Education Revised delivery models for one-year. (budgeted saving)
57	Children’s Services	Defer Early Years Workforce for one-year. (budgeted saving)
300	Children’s Services	Create one-off Mental Health support in schools fund
100	Children’s Services	Create a one-off Youth Centre Fund
1,537	Total – One Off Resources

 

Cllr Slade declared a non-pecuniary interest as she was the Chair and lead Member for youth clubs, and left the room for the duration of the amendment.

 

Following debate on the amendment, Council moved to a vote, as follows:

For – 14;  Against – 43;  Abstentions – 15.

The amendment was lost.

 

Council considered the substantive budget proposals.

 

Following debate, Council moved to a named vote where the motion as follows was carried.

 

Recommendations A – E:

 

For
Marcus Andrews	Stephen Bartlett	David Brown
Olivia Brown	Richard Burton	Brian Castle
Adrian Chapmanlaw	Brian Chick	Mike Cox
Lesley Dedman	Millie Earl	Jackie Edwards
Matthew Gillett	Crispin Goodall	Andy Hadley
Jeff Hanna	Emily Harman	Richard Herrett
Paul Hilliard	Brian Hitchcock	Mark Howell
Marion Le Poidevin	Sandra Mackrow	Rachel Maidment
Andy Martin	David Martin	Chris Matthews
Simon McCormack	Pete Miles	Sandra Moore
Bernadette Nanovo	Lisa Northover	Margaret Phipps
Dr Felicity Rice	Judy Richardson	Vanessa Ricketts
Peter Sidaway	Paul Slade	Vikki Slade
Michael Tarling	Tony Trent	Oliver Walters
Clare Weight	Kieron Wilson

 

Against
Cameron Adams	Sue Aitkenhead	Hazel Allen
Julie Bagwell	John Beesley	Philip Broadhead
Judy Butt	Patrick Canavan	Sharon Carr-Brown
Eleanor Connolly	Peter Cooper	David d'Orton-Gibson
Bobbie Dove	Michelle Dower	George Farquhar
Duane Farr	Anne Filer	May Haines
Gillian Martin	Jamie Martin	Anne-Marie Moriarty
Karen Rampton	Lawrence Williams

 

Abstention
Sara Armstrong	Simon Bull	Alasdair Keddie
Chris Rigby	Joe Salmon	Kate Salmon

 

Recommendation F:

For
Cameron Adams	Bobbie Dove	Gillian Martin
Sue Aitkenhead	Michelle Dower	Jamie Martin
Hazel Allen	Millie Earl	Chris Matthews
Marcus Andrews	Jackie Edwards	Simon McCormack
Julie Bagwell	George Farquhar	Pete Miles
Stephen Bartlett	Duane Farr	Sandra Moore
John Beesley	Anne Filer	Anne-Marie Moriarty
Philip Broadhead	David Flagg	Bernadette Nanovo
David Brown	Matthew Gillett	Lisa Northover
Olivia Brown	Crispin Goodall	Margaret Phipps
Richard Burton	Andy Hadley	Karen Rampton
Judy Butt	May Haines	Dr Felicity Rice
Patrick Canavan	Jeff Hanna	Judy Richardson
Sharon Carr-Brown	Emily Harman	Vanessa Ricketts
Brian Castle	Richard Herrett	Peter Sidaway
John Challinor	Paul Hilliard	Paul Slade
Adrian Chapmanlaw	Brian Hitchcock	Vikki Slade
Brian Chick	Mark Howell	Michael Tarling
Jo Clements	Alasdair Keddie	Tony Trent
Eleanor Connolly	Marion Le Poidevin	Oliver Walters
Peter Cooper	Sandra Mackrow	Clare Weight
Mike Cox	Rachel Maidment	Lawrence Williams
Lesley Dedman	Andy Martin	Kieron Wilson
David d'Orton-Gibson	David Martin

 

Abstention
Sara Armstrong	Simon Bull	Chris Rigby
Joe Salmon	Kate Salmon

 

 

RESOLVED that Council: -

(a)       Undertakes a recorded vote in relation to the following items as required by the Local Authorities (Standing Orders) (England)(Amendments) Regulations 2014.

 

i.        Agrees that a net budget of £356.9m, resulting in a total council tax requirement of £258.6m, is set for 2024/25 based on the draft local government financial settlement figures published by government in December 2023;

ii.      Agrees an increase in council tax of 2.99% for 2024/25 in respect of the basic annual threshold and the collection of the additional social care precept of 2%;

iii.    Confirms the key assumptions and provisions made in the budget as proposed and as set out in Appendix 3;

iv.    Agrees the allocations to service areas in the budget as set out in Appendix 5;

v.      Agrees the implementation of £41m of savings as set out in Appendix 5a;

vi.    Approves the flexible use of capital receipts efficiency strategy as set out in Appendix 6;

vii.    Approves the asset management plan as set out in Appendix 8;

viii.Agrees the treasury management strategy (TMS) and prudential indicators as set out in paragraphs 74 to 79 and Appendix 9;

ix.    Accepts and supports the formal advice of the chief finance officer on the robustness of the budget and the adequacy of the reserves as set out in paragraphs 95 to 101 and Appendix 10.

 

(b)       Approves the implementation of a freeze on all non-essential expenditure from 1 April 2024 and until such time as the Corporate Management Board have provided Cabinet Members with assurance that all the £41m of 2024/25 budget savings have been delivered.

 

(c)       Delegate to the Chief Executive, in consultation with the Director of Finance, Leader, and Portfolio Holder for Finance, the allocation of any additional resources that become available through the final 2024/25 local government finance settlement or any other means.

 

(d)       Requests that the Corporate Director for Children’s Services produces for the April Cabinet a detailed delivery plan to limit the high needs expenditure projections to those included within the DSG management plan presented to the Department for Education and Schools Forum in January 2024.

 

(e)       Approves the chief officers’ pay policy statement 2024/2025 for consideration and approval by the council in accordance with the provisions of the Localism Act 2011 as set out in paragraphs 103 to 105 and Appendix 12.

 

(f)         Requests that the Director of Finance provides Council with a schedule setting out the rate of council tax for each category of dwelling further to councillors’ consideration of the decision required in respect of (1) above and after taking account of the precepts to be levied by the local police and fire authorities, neighbourhood, town and parish councils, and chartered trustees once these have been determined prior to the Council meeting on the 20 February 2024.

 

The Chair amended the running order to next determine agenda item 19: Recruitment of Chief Operations Officer.