Issue - meetings

RESOLVED:

That Cabinet:

1)    Approve the draft General Fund and Housing Revenue Account budgets and capital programme proposals for 2018/19 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 amendments to 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 amendments to the Council's local Council Tax Reduction Scheme effective from 1 April 2018 in order to align the scheme with recent 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 2018/19 along with indicative projections for future years, the Housing Revenue Account, fees and charges proposals and the draft capital programme for 2018/19 and beyond.

It was welcomed that through effective management of the Council's finances and its well-established transformation programme, the Cabinet was yet again able to propose a zero increase in Council Tax for all residents, which would be for the tenth successive year, and for the over 65s for the twelfth successive year. It was noted that this would again be without reducing front-line services to residents, not making use of the Social Care precept or by making major increases to fees and charges which would continue to be kept 10% cheaper than neighbouring boroughs.

The Leader of the Council highlighted the budget priorities for next year and beyond, which included a new state-of-the-art leisure and swimming pool complex in the Yiewsely & West Drayton area, a new civic amenity site in the south of the Borough, a free bulky waste collection service for all residents and continued support to older people.

Notably, Cabinet expressed concern at the closure of Uxbridge Police Station by the Mayor of London despite local protestations. In light of this, Cabinet set out its offer to the Mayor’s Office to purchase the Police Station and provide financial support for its running costs to try and safeguard the Town’s vital policing service to residents.

The Leader of the Council also confirmed a new approach to youth service provision going forward, with greater emphasis on local youth voluntary organisations. It was confirmed that the previously proposed Youth Centre in Harefield would not go ahead and the site concerned would soon benefit from a new children’s playground instead. Additionally, new accommodation would be built for at least one uniformed voluntary group in the Harefield area.

The wider proposed capital programme presented by Cabinet included £386 million of planned local infrastructure works over the coming years, increased maintenance of the Borough's roads, continued investment in bowls clubs, the re-provision of the Hillingdon Outdoor Activity Centre in response to High Speed 2 and a rolling Borough-wide programme of library and leisure centre refurbishment.

In terms of its proposals for tenants in council accommodation, Cabinet proposed a 1% reduction in rent alongside greater investment in existing and new housing stock, including for 545 new affordable homes for residents.

In recommending the budget proposals, which had been carefully developed to put residents first, Cabinet agreed for them to go out for public and business sector consultation, including the Council’s Policy Overview Committees, before being re-considered in February 2018.

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.