It was moved by Councillor Burton, seconded by Councillor Perry, that the recommendations of the Cabinet relating to the Medium-Term Financial Strategy and Budget Proposals 2024/25 be approved.

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

FOR (44)

Councillors Mrs Blackmore, Bryant, Burton, Cannon, Coates, Conyard, Cooke, Cooper, Cox, Eagle, English, Forecast, Fort, Garten, Mrs Gooch, Mrs Grigg, Harper, Hastie, Hinder, Jones, Mrs Joy, Khadka, Knatchbull, McKenna, Munford, Naghi, Newton, Parfitt-Reid, Perry, Reid, Riordan, Mrs Robertson, Rose, Round, Russell, J Sams, T Sams, Spooner, M Thompson, S Thompson, Trzebinski, Webb, D Wilkinson and T Wilkinson 

AGAINST (2)

Councillors Harwood and Jeffery

ABSTENTIONS (2)

Councillors Cleator and J Wilkinson

MOTION CARRIED

RESOLVED:

1.  That the revised Revenue Estimates for 2023/24, as set out in Appendix A to the report of the Cabinet, be agreed.

2.   That the first £139,000 of unringfenced government grant, comprising New Homes Bonus and the Funding Guarantee, be used for one-off support to financial inclusion and food larder services, with the balance transferred to the 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 Cabinet, be endorsed as the basis for future financial planning.

4.  That the proposed Council Tax of £292.95 Band D for 2024/25 be agreed.

5.  That the Revenue Estimates for 2024/25, as set out in Appendix A to the report of the Cabinet, be agreed.

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

7.  That the funding of the Capital Programme, as set out in Appendix A to the report of the Cabinet, be agreed.

8.  That the Capital Programme, as set out in Appendix A to the report of the Cabinet, be agreed

9.  That the Treasury Management Strategy, Investment Strategy and Capital Strategy, as set out in Appendix A to the report of the Cabinet, be agreed.

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

11.   That it be noted that the Council’s Council Tax base for the year 2024/25 has been calculated as 68,263.55 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 £64,147,618.

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 2024/25 (excluding Parish precepts) is £19,997,807.

15.  That the following amounts now be calculated by the Council for the year 2023/24 in accordance with Section 32-36 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 as amended by the Localism Act 2011:

  a)  £73,160,110 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)   £50,220,260 being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 32(3) of the Act.

  c)  £22,939,850 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)  £336.05 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)  £2,942,043 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)  £292.95 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 2024/25 Kent County Council (KCC), the Kent Police & Crime Commissioner (KPCC) and the Kent & Medway Fire & Rescue Authority (KMFRA) 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 2024/25 for each of the categories of dwellings shown.

18.  That it be agreed to implement with effect from 1 April 2025 the measures in the Regeneration and Levelling-up Act 2023 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.