RESOLVED: That

1.  The outcomes of consideration of budget proposals by the Policy Advisory Committees be noted;

2.  The Budget Growth and Savings Proposals set out in Appendix A of the report, be agreed;

3.  £139,000 of the unringfenced government grant described in paragraphs 2.5 and 2.6 of the report be used for one-off support to financial inclusion and food larder services, be agreed, and that the call on on-off funding for financial inclusion by £59,000 is reduced in recommendation 15, be noted;

4.  The maximum use is of made of other residual one-off funding from other relevant council budgets to further sustain financial inclusion and food larder services, be agreed, and the position to be kept under review so that the Council can respond to changes in circumstances and future funding opportunities;

5.  The balance of the unringfenced government grant described in paragraphs 2.5 and 2.6 of the report be transferred to the Housing Investment Fund, to be used to subsidise the Council’s Affordable Housing programme, be agreed;

6.  The updated Strategic Revenue Projection set out in Appendix B of the report, be agreed;

7.  A £8.46 annual increase in Band D Council Tax for 2024/25 be recommended to Council;

8.  The Revised Estimates for 2023/24 and the Budget Estimates for 2024/25 set out in Appendix C of the report be recommended to Council;

9.  The Capital Programme set out in Appendix D of the report be recommended to Council;

10.The Treasury Management Strategy, Investment Strategy and Capital Strategy set out in Appendix E of the report be recommended to Council;

11.The projected level of General Fund balances in Appendix F of the report exceeds the agreed minimum level of £4 million, be noted;

12.The updated Medium Term Financial Strategy set out in Appendix G, be agreed;

13.The appropriate matters for decision to set a balanced budget for 2024/25 and the necessary level of Council Tax in accordance with the Local Government Finance Act 1992 and the Localism Act 2011 including the decisions made above, be recommended to Council;

14.The measures in the Regeneration and Levelling-up Act to reduce the period before charging a Council Tax premium on empty property from two years to one and to charge a Council Tax premium on second homes, be recommended to Council to be implemented from 1 April 2025;

15.It utilises the £92,000 budget surplus referenced in paragraph 2.34 for financial inclusion (Welfare Officer and dashboard for tracking low income families - £59,000) and at least one issue per annum of Borough Insight (£33,000);

16.An amendment to the repayment date for the loan to Kent Savers referenced on Page 97 from 2027 to 2032, be noted.

17.The officers be thanked for their work on the Budget over the last year.