Agenda, decisions and minutes

Venue: Remote - Virtual Meeting. View directions

Contact: Democratic Services (01737 276182)  Email: Democratic@reigate-banstead.gov.uk

Media

Items
No. Item

62.

Minutes

To approve the minutes of the meeting of the Executive held on 17 December 2020.

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting of the Executive held on 17 December 2020 be approved.

63.

Apologies for absence

To receive any apologies for absence.

Minutes:

Apologies for absence were received Councillor Bramhall.

64.

Declarations of interest

To receive any declarations of interest.

Minutes:

There were none.

65.

Budget & Capital Programme 2021/2022

Deputy Leader and Executive Member for Finance and Governance.

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Deputy Leader and Executive Member for Finance and Governance, Councillor Schofield, introduced the final revenue and capital budget proposals for 2021/22, which included a Council Tax increase of £5 for the average Band D property, for recommendation to Council; this being an increase of less than 10 pence per week for the average household.

 

The proposals were based on a full and robust assessment of the work of the Council and how services were funded. The assessment had been carried out by Executive members supported by the Management Team. The proposals had been reviewed by Members of the Budget Scrutiny Panel and the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

 

Councillor Schofield highlighted that:

·       The Council had not received a revenue support grant from the Government for several years. This continued to present a short-term shortfall in income until regeneration and income generation projects become operational. Ring-fenced reserves had been established in recent years to respond to this challenge.

·       Following significant budget growth for services in 2020/21 and the challenges of the global pandemic, 2021/22 would be a year of consolidation. Budget growth was modest and there was a reduction on the net budget requirement due to changes in how the Council managed Central expenses. This had put the Council in a strong position as it continued to plan for further challenges over the medium term.

·       The Council held a healthy level of Reserves which would be available to help manage future budget risks and opportunities.

·       The Council’s capital investment plans demonstrated the breadth of activity to improve and enhance the Council’s asset base. The capital growth proposals were modest but there had been significant investment in the Capital Programme last year.

 

The Chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, Councillor Harrison, explained that the Overview and Scrutiny Committee had met on 21 January to scrutinise the proposals. It was recognised that the current pressures would continue into 2021/22. The Committee were satisfied with the proposals and had no further comments to offer to the Executive.

 

The Leader of the Council, Councillor Brunt, thanked Councillor Schofield and officers for their work on the proposals, and Councillor Harrison and the Overview and Scrutiny Committee for their observations.

 

RECOMMENDED to Council:

 

1.               The latest Medium-Term Financial Plan forecast at Annex 1

 

2.               A Revenue budget requirement of £17.395 million for 2021/22, as set out in the report and at Annex 2 of the report, which reflects:

a.     Service budget growth of £0.695 million (net); plus

b.    Central budget savings of (£1.554) million (net)

 

3.               An increase in Reigate & Banstead’s Band D Council Tax of £5.00 (2.15%) and a final taxbase of 60,720 Band D equivalents;

 

4.               The forecast for Revenue Reserves (Annex 3) and the recommended use of £0.477 million from Reserves in 2021/22 comprising:

a.     Drawing £0.104 million from the Government Funding Risks Reserve to fund reduced housing benefit subsidy; and

b.    Drawing £0.138 million from the Commercial Risks Reserve to fund reduced income from rents and trading activities; and

c.     Drawing £0.235  ...  view the full minutes text for item 65.

66.

Council Tax 2021/2022

Deputy Leader and Executive Member for Finance and Governance.

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Deputy Leader and Executive Member for Finance and Governance, Councillor Schofield, introduced the report and explained that the proposed Council Tax for 2021/22 would be recommended to the February meeting of Council. That meeting would receive confirmation of the final precept levels from the Police and the County Council together with any necessary adjustments required.

 

 

RECOMMENDED to Council:

 

1.     It be noted that on 16 January 2021 the Council calculated:

a.     the Council Tax base 2020/21 for the whole Council as 60,720.0 [Item T in the formula in Section 31B(3) of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, as amended (the “Act”)] and,

b.    for dwellings in those parts of its area to which a Parish precept relates: Horley Town Council 10,313.3 Salfords & Sidlow Parish Council 1,413.3

The ‘tax base’ is the number of Band D equivalent dwellings in a local authority area.

Detailed calculations of the Council Tax are set out in Annexes 1, 2 & 3 of the report.

 

2.     Calculate that the Council Tax requirements for the Council’s own purposes for 2021/22 (excluding Parish precepts) is £14,418,580.

 

3.     The following amounts be calculated for the year 2021/22 in accordance with Sections 31 to 36 of the Act:

 

a.     £70,229,263 – being the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 32(2) of the Act taking into account all precepts issued to it by Parish Councils

b.    £55,105,575 – being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 32(3) of the Act.

c.     £14,888,688 – being the amount which the aggregate at 3(a) above exceeds the aggregate at 3(b) above, calculated by the Council in accordance with Section 32(4) of the Act as its Council Tax requirement for the year (item R in the formula in Section 32(4) of the Act).

d.    £245.20 – being the amount at 3(c) above (Item R), all divided by Item T (1(a) above), calculated by the Council, in accordance with Section 33(1) of the Act, as the basic amount of its Council Tax for the year (including Parish Precepts).

e.     £470,108 – being the aggregate amount of all special items (Parish precepts) referred to in Section 34(1) of the Act (as per the attached Appendix).

f.      £237.46 – being the amount at 3(d) above less the result given by dividing the amount at 3(e) above by item T (1(a) above), calculated by the Council, in accordance with Section 34(2) of the Act, as the basic amount of its Council Tax for the year for dwellings in those parts of its area to which no Parish precept relates.

g.    Horley Town Council £278.97. Salfords & Sidlow Parish Council £267.18

Being the amounts given by adding to the amount at 3(f) above the amounts of the special items relating to dwellings in those parts of the Council’s area mentioned above divided in each case by the amount at 1(b) above, calculated by the Council, in accordance with Section 34(3) of the Act, as the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 66.

67.

Local Character & Distinctiveness Design Guide Supplementary Planning Document for Consultation

Executive Member for Planning Policy and Place Delivery.

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Executive Member for Planning Policy and Place Delivery, Councillor Biggs, introduced the report by explaining that officers had updated the Local Character and Distinctiveness Design Guide Supplementary Planning Document to reflect changes in national and local planning policy.

 

The Executive noted that the draft revised Supplementary Planning Document:

·       Updated the policy context and sought to address gaps in current guidance

·       Included appropriate linkages to National Planning Policy Framework, Planning Practice Guidance and National Design Guide and removed references to obsolete documents

·       Included guidance relating to taller buildings in Redhill which had not had information to guide their design

 

Consultation documents would be available on the Council’s website and interested parties would be invited to submit comments in writing or by email. Following consultation, the draft document would be amended to take account of the responses received and any further relevant information. The final document would be brought to the Executive to agree approval and adoption.

 

 

RESOLVED:

 

1.     To approve the revised draft Local Character and Distinctiveness Design Guide for public consultation.

 

2.     That the Head of Planning in consultation with the Executive Member for Planning Policy be authorised to make any necessary minor factual or typographic amendments to the draft revised Supplementary Planning Document prior to consultation.

68.

Calendar of Meetings 2021/22

Leader of the Council.

Supporting documents:

Minutes:

The Leader of the Council, Councillor Brunt, presented a report with a proposed Calendar of Meetings for the 2021/22 Municipal Year. The draft calendar had been produced in consultation with Members and Officers. Feedback had been received from the Overview and Scrutiny Committee as detailed in the addendum to the agenda. The Executive endorsed the proposed adjustments to the meeting dates for the Planning Committee, the Overview and Scrutiny Committee and the Budget Scrutiny Panel. Due to a revised Government deadline for the approval of the 2020/21 statement of accounts and external auditor’s report, it was proposed that the September meeting of the Audit Committee be moved to align with the revised deadline.

 

RECOMMENDED to Council:

 

That the draft Calendar of Meetings for the 2021/22 Municipal Year, incorporating the changes proposed by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, and revising the date of the Audit Committee from 8 September to 28 September, be approved.

 

Note: for certainty, the Calendar of meetings for 2021/22, incorporating the changes agreed by the Executive, will be appended to the minutes of the meeting.

69.

Statements

To receive any statements from the Leader of the Council, Members of the Executive or the Interim Head of Paid Service.

Minutes:

There were none.

70.

Any other urgent business

To consider any item(s) which, in the opinion of the Chairman, should be considered as a matter of urgency – Local Government Act 1972, Section 100B(4)(b).

 

(Note:  Urgent business must be submitted in writing but may be supplemented by an oral report).

Minutes:

There was none.

71.

Exempt business

RECOMMENDED that members of the Press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 on the grounds that:

(i)            it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act; and

(ii)          the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

Minutes:

There was none.