Agenda item

REOLVED:

That Cabinet endorsed the following recommendations to proceed to Council for approval:

1.     

the Vision Statement, Priority Themes, Corporate Priorities and Outcomes for 2022/23

2.     

the proposed revisions to Service Revenue Budgets (Policy Changes) (Appendix C);

3.     

the sum of £74,584 be applied from Council Tax Collection Fund surpluses in reducing the Council Tax demand in 2022/23

4.     

the sum of £1,200,215 be applied to Business Rates Collection Fund deficits in 2021/22, in part offset by a transfer from the Business Rates reserve of £939,376 (Appendix E);

5.     

that on 2nd December 2021, the Cabinet calculated the Council Tax Base 2022/23 for the whole Council area as 22,968 [Item T in the formula in Section 31B(3) of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, as amended (the "Act")];

6.     

that the Council Tax requirement for the Council’s own purposes for 2022/23 is £4,407,330 (Appendix E);

7.     

the following amounts as calculated for the year 2022/23 in accordance with Sections 31 to 36 of the Act:

a. £48,399,016 being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 31A(2) of the Act (Outgoings excluding internal GF Recharges);

b. £43,991,686 being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 31A(3) of the Act (Income excluding internal GF Recharges);

c. £4,407,330 being the amount by which the aggregate at 7(a) above exceeds the aggregate at 7(b) above, calculated by the Council in accordance with Section 31A(4) of the Act as its Council Tax requirement for the year (Item R in the formula in Section 31A(4) of the Act);

d. £191.89 being the amount at 7(c) above (Item R), all divided by Item T (at 5 above), calculated by the Council, in accordance with Section 31B(1) of the Act, as the basic amount of its Council Tax for the year;

8.     

the Council Tax level for the Borough Council for 2022/23 of £191.89 (an increase of £5 (2.68%) on the 2021/22 level of £186.89) at Band D;

9.     

an aggregate Council Tax (comprising the respective demands of the Borough Council, Staffordshire County Council, Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Fire and

Rescue Authority) of £1,922.11 at Band D for 2022/23 be noted (£1,864.86 in 2021/22) (Appendix H);

10. 

the Council Tax levels at each band for 2022/23 (Appendix H);

11. 

the sum of £257,591 be transferred from General Fund Revenue Balances in 2022/23 (Appendix E);

12. 

the Summary General Fund Revenue Budget for 2022/23 (Appendix E);

13. 

the Provisional General Fund Budgets for 2023/24 to 2024/25, summarised at Appendix G, as the basis for future planning;

14. 

minimum level for balances of £500k to be held for each of the General Fund, Housing Revenue Account, General Capital Fund and Housing Capital Fund;

15. 

Cabinet be authorised to release funding from the General Contingency budget and that the release of funding for Specific Contingency items be delegated to the Corporate Management Team in consultation with the Leader of the Council;

16. 

proposed HRA Expenditure level of £16,640,270 for 2022/23 (Appendix D);

17. 

rents for Council House Tenants in General Accommodation for 2022/23 be set at an average of £92.87 (2021/22 £89.21), over a 48 week rent year (including a 4.1% increase);

18. 

rents for Council House Tenants due for 52 weeks in 2022/23 be collected over 48 weeks;

19. 

the HRA deficit of £1,950,690 be financed through a transfer from Housing Revenue Account Balances in 2022/23 (Appendix D);

20. 

the proposed 5 year General Fund Capital Programme of £18.837m, as detailed in Appendix I to the report;

21. 

the proposed 5 year Housing Capital Programme of £46.454m, as detailed in Appendix J to the report;

22. 

to delegate authority to Cabinet to approve/add new capital schemes to the capital programme where grant funding is received or there is no net additional cost to the Council;

23. 

the Treasury Management Strategy Statement, the Treasury Management Policy Statement, Minimum Revenue Provision Strategy and Annual Investment Statement 2022/23 (as detailed at Appendix N);

24. 

the Prudential and Treasury Indicators and Limits for 2022/23 to 2024/25 contained within Appendix N;

25. 

adoption of the Treasury Management Practices contained within ANNEX 8;

26. 

the detailed criteria of the Investment Strategy 2022/23 contained in the Treasury Management Strategy within ANNEX 4; and

27. 

the Corporate Capital Strategy and associated Action Plan (as detailed at Appendix O).

(Moved by Councillor J Oates and seconded by Councillor R Pritchard)