It was moved by Councillor Burton, seconded by Councillor Purle, that the recommendations of the Policy and Resources Committee relating to the Medium-Term Financial Strategy and Budget Proposals 2022/23 be approved.

Amendment moved by Councillor Harper, seconded by Councillor Cox, that the recommendations of the Policy and Resources Committee relating to the Medium-Term Financial Strategy and Budget Proposals 2022/23 be approved subject to the addition of the following:

18.  That a further £40,000 be added to the Museum Development Plan in the Capital Programme, and Capital Programme funding be increased by the same amount, to enable an improved programme of gallery refurbishment at the Museum.

Note: Councillor Harper had indicated that the revenue cost of the additional capital funding, amounting to £1,600 per annum, would be contained within the Museum’s revenue budgets.

As a consequence of the Local Authorities (Standing Orders) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2014, a named vote was taken on the amendment as follows:

FOR (16)

Councillors Clark, Coates, Cox, English, Harper, Harwood, Khadka, Kimmance, Mortimer, Naghi, Newton, Mrs Robertson, M Rose, J Sams,

T Sams and Wilby

AGAINST (28)

Councillors Mrs Blackmore, Brice, Brindle, Burton, Cooke, Cuming, Eves, Fort, Garten, Mrs Gooch, Mrs Grigg, Hastie, Hinder, Mrs Joy, McKenna, Munford, Parfitt-Reid, Perry, Purle, Mrs Ring, D Rose, Round, Russell, Spooner, Springett, Trzebinski, S Webb and Young

ABSTENTIONS (0)

AMENDMENT LOST

Amendment moved by Councillor English, seconded by Councillor Harwood, that the recommendations of the Policy and Resources Committee relating to the Medium-Term Financial Strategy and Budget Proposals 2022/23 be approved subject to the addition of the following:

18.  That £70,000 be transferred from General Fund Balances to contribute towards the potential rewilding of Willington Street Car Park, should the Park and Ride service not be reinstated by the end of 2022.  

Note: Councillor English had indicated that the ongoing revenue costs of maintaining the additional open space would be contained within current Parks and Open Spaces budgets.

As a consequence of the Local Authorities (Standing Orders) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2014, a named vote was taken on the amendment as follows:

FOR (17)

Councillors Clark, Coates, Cox, English, Mrs Grigg, Harper, Harwood,

Mrs Joy, Khadka, Kimmance, Mortimer, Naghi, Mrs Robertson, M Rose,

J Sams, T Sams and Wilby

AGAINST (26)

Councillors Mrs Blackmore, Brice, Brindle, Burton, Cooke, Cuming, Eves, Fort, Garten, Mrs Gooch, Hastie, Hinder, McKenna, Munford, Parfitt-Reid, Perry, Purle, Mrs Ring, D Rose, Round, Russell, Spooner, Springett, Trzebinski, S Webb and Young

ABSTENTIONS (1)

Councillor Newton

AMENDMENT LOST

The original motion was then put to the vote.

As a consequence of the Local Authorities (Standing Orders) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2014, a named vote was taken on the original motion as follows:

FOR (32)

Councillors Mrs Blackmore, Brice, Brindle, Burton, Cooke, Cox, Cuming, Eves, Fort, Garten, Mrs Gooch, Mrs Grigg, Hastie, Hinder, Mrs Joy, McKenna, Munford, Newton, Parfitt-Reid, Perry, Purle, Mrs Ring, D Rose, Round, Russell, J Sams, T Sams, Spooner, Springett, Trzebinski, S Webb and Young

AGAINST (9)

Councillors Clark, English, Harwood, Khadka, Kimmance, Mortimer, Naghi, Mrs Robertson and Wilby

ABSTENTIONS (3)

Councillors Coates, Harper and M Rose

RESOLVED:

1.  That the revised Revenue Estimates for 2021/22, as set out in Appendix A to the report of the Policy and Resources Committee, be agreed.    

2.  That the first £1 million of 2022/23 New Homes Bonus be allocated for strategic policy and planmaking, with the balance transferred to a Housing Investment Fund, to be used to subsidise the Council’s Affordable Housing Programme.

3.  That the Strategic Revenue Projection, as set out in Appendix A to the report of the Policy and Resources Committee, be endorsed as the basis for future financial planning.

4.  That the proposed Council Tax of £276.30 at Band D for 2022/23 be agreed.

5.  That the Revenue Estimates for 2022/23, set out in Appendix A to the report of the Policy and Resources Committee, be agreed.

6.  That the Statement of Earmarked Reserves and General Fund Balances, as set out in Appendix A to the report of the Policy and Resources Committee, be agreed.    

7.  That the funding of the Capital Programme, as set out in Appendix A to the report of the Policy and Resources Committee, be agreed.    

8.  That the Capital Programme, as set out in Appendix A to the report of the Policy and Resources Committee, be agreed.

9.  That the Treasury Management, Investment and Capital Strategies,  as set out in Appendix A to the report of the Policy and Resources Committee, be agreed.    

10.  That the Medium-Term Financial Strategy as set out in Appendix A to the report of the Policy and Resources Committee, be agreed.    

11.  That it be noted that the Council’s Council Tax base for the year 2022/23 has been calculated as 65,896.22 in accordance with Regulation 3 of the Local Authorities (Calculation of Council Tax Base) Regulations 1992.

12.  That it be noted that in accordance with Government guidance the yield from business rates has been calculated as £51,455,907.    

13.  That it be noted that the individual parish area tax bases set out in Appendix B are calculated in accordance with Regulation 6 of the Regulations and are the amounts of the Council Tax Base for the year for dwellings in those parts of the Council’s area to which a special item relates.      

14.  That the Council Tax requirement for the Council’s own purposes for 2022/23 (excluding Parish precepts) is £18,207,126.    

15.  That the following amounts now be calculated by the Council for the year 2022/23 in accordance with Section 32-36 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 as amended by the Localism Act 2011:-

a)  £76,752,996 being the aggregate of 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)  £56,104,497 being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 32(3) of the Act.

c)  £20,648,499 being the amount by which the aggregate at 15(a) above exceeds the aggregate at 15(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)  £313.35 being the amount at 15(c) above (Item R), all divided by the figure stated at 11 above (Item T in the formula in section 33(1) of the Act), calculated by the Council, in accordance with Section 33 of the Act, as the basic amount of its Council Tax for the year (including parish precepts).    

e)  £2,441,373 being the aggregate amount of all special items (Parish precepts) referred to in Section 34(1) of the Act (as per the attached Appendix B).    

f)  £276.30 being the amount at 15(d) above less the result given by dividing the amount at 15(e) above by the tax base given in 11 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.

16.  That it be noted that for the year 2022/23 Kent County Council, the Kent Police & Crime Commissioner and the Kent & Medway Fire & Rescue Authority have stated the following amounts in precepts issued to the Council, in accordance with Section 40 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, for each of the categories of dwellings shown below:-

17.  That, having calculated the aggregate in each case of the amounts at 15 (d), and 16 above, the Council, in accordance with Section 30 (2) of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, hereby sets out in Appendix C, the amounts of Council Tax for the year 2022/23 for each of the categories of dwellings shown.