Issue - meetings

RESOLVED:

That Cabinet:

1.      Approve the draft revenue General Fund and Housing Revenue Account budgets and capital programme proposals for 2016/17 and beyond as the basis for consultation with Policy Overview Committees and other stakeholders.

2.      Request the comments of individual Policy Overview Committees on the draft budget proposals relating to their areas of responsibility, to be collated into a single report back to Cabinet from the Corporate Services and Partnerships Policy Overview Committee.

3.      Approve the proposed Fees and Charges, included at Appendix 8, as the basis for consultation with Policy Overview Committees and other stakeholders.

4.      Authorise the Corporate Director of Finance, in consultation with the Leader of the Council, to respond on behalf of the Council to the consultation on the provisional Local Government Finance Settlement and to the Mayor of London’s budget consultation.

5.      Following the completion of a public consultation, agree to recommend to Council for approval in January the following amendments to the Council's local Council Tax Reduction Scheme effective from 1 April 2016:

a.      the maximum amount of reduction a working age household can receive is reduced to 75% of the council tax liability;

b.      the maximum amount of reduction a vulnerable household can receive is reduced to 90% of the council tax liability;

c.       to align the scheme with recent and impending welfare reforms, including changes to Housing Benefit.

Reasons for decision

Cabinet put forward for consultation its budget proposals. This included the Council’s Medium Term Financial Forecast, the draft General Fund revenue budget for 2016/17 along with indicative projections for future years, the Housing Revenue Account, fees and charges proposals and the draft capital programme for 2016/17 and beyond.

Through robust management of the Council's finances and an established efficiency programme, Cabinet again confirmed that Council Tax would be frozen for all residents. It was noted that proposals for upcoming fees and charges would be competitive with neighbouring local authorities. Cabinet also made some amendments to the Council Tax Reduction Scheme to align it with other local authorities.

Other welcomed proposals were the continued capital investment in the flagship school expansion programme, new youth centres and a theatre and museum in St. Andrew's Park.

In recommending the budget proposals, which had been carefully developed to put residents first, Cabinet agreed for them to go out for the required public consultation, including the Policy Overview Committees before being re-considered in February 2016.

Alternative options considered and rejected

The Cabinet could have chosen to vary the proposals in its budget before consultation. However, to comply with the Budget and Policy Framework, the Cabinet was required to publish a draft budget for consultation at the meeting. 

Officers to action:

Paul Whaymand, Finance

Classification: Public

The report and any background papers relating to this decision by the Cabinet are available to view on the Council's website or by visiting the Civic Centre, Uxbridge.

Urgency Provisions

This report had been circulated less than 5 working days before the Cabinet meeting and was agreed by the Chairman to be considered as urgent.