Agenda item

Before calling upon Councillor Mrs Wilson to move the recommendations of the Policy and Resources Committee relating to the Medium Term Financial Strategy 2017/18 onwards, the Mayor reminded Members that, in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 19.4, each Group Leader could speak for up to ten minutes when moving his/her Group’s budget proposals.

It was moved by Councillor Mrs Wilson, seconded by Councillor Mrs Gooch, that the recommendations of the Policy and Resources Committee relating to the Medium Term Financial Strategy 2017/18 onwards be approved.

Amendment moved by Councillor Mrs Wilson, seconded by Councillor Mrs Gooch, that the recommendations of the Policy and Resources Committee relating to the Medium Term Financial Strategy 2017/18 onwards be approved with the addition of the following and the consequential changes as indicated in the papers circulated:

4.  That a 20% increase in planning fees effective from 1st July 2017 be agreed with a corresponding increase in the revenue estimates in the Strategic Revenue Projection and a corresponding increase in planning expenditure of £180,000 in 2017/18 and a further £70,000 in 2018/19.

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

FOR (53)

Councillors Adkinson, Barned, Mrs Blackmore, Boughton, Brice, D Burton, M Burton, Butler, Clark, Cox, Cuming, Daley, Ells, English, Fermor, Fissenden, Fort, Garland, Garten, Mrs Gooch, Greer, Harper, Harvey, Harwood, Hastie, Hemsley, Mrs Hinder, Mrs Joy, Lewins, McLoughlin,

B Mortimer, D Mortimer, Munford, Naghi, Newton, Perry, Pickett, Powell, Prendergast, Revell, Mrs Ring, Mrs Robertson, Round, J Sams, T Sams, Springett, Mrs Stockell, Vizzard, Webb, de Wiggondene, Wilby, Willis and

Mrs Wilson

AGAINST (0)

ABSTENTIONS (0)

AMENDMENT CARRIED

Amendment moved by Councillor Mrs Blackmore, seconded by Councillor D Burton, that the recommendations of the Policy and Resources Committee relating to the Medium Term Financial Strategy 2017/18 onwards (as amended) be approved subject to the following and the consequential changes as indicated in the papers circulated:

That the revenue estimates set out in the Strategic Revenue Projection at Appendix A are amended to delete growth for the Museum in 2017/18 and 2018/19, reduce the provision for Contingency from £200,000 to £100,000 in 2017/18 and to create an earmarked reserve for Planning Enforcement of £150,000 to enable direct action should a case require escalated enforcement and add £100,000 to the Contingency provision in 2018/19 to make a total of £200,000.

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

FOR (23)

Councillors Barned, Mrs Blackmore, Boughton, Brice, D Burton, M Burton, Butler, Cuming, Fort, Garland, Garten, Greer, Hemsley, Mrs Hinder, McLoughlin, Perry, Prendergast, Revell, Mrs Ring, Round, Springett, Mrs Stockell and de Wiggondene

AGAINST (30)

Councillors Adkinson, Clark, Cox, Daley, Ells, English, Fermor, Fissenden, Mrs Gooch, Harper, Harvey, Harwood, Hastie, Mrs Joy, Lewins,

B Mortimer, D Mortimer, Munford, Naghi, Newton, Pickett, Powell,

Mrs Robertson, J Sams, T Sams, Vizzard, Webb, Wilby, Willis and

Mrs Wilson

Abstentions (0)

AMENDMENT LOST

Amendment moved by Councillor Harper, seconded by Councillor Adkinson, that the recommendations of the Policy and Resources Committee relating to the Medium Term Financial Strategy 2017/18 onwards (as amended) be approved with the addition of the following and the consequential changes as indicated in the papers circulated:

That an amount of £30,000 be allocated in the General Fund Balance as a Community Development Fund.  The purpose of the fund being to help develop local charities and not for profit organisations with one-off small funding up to a maximum of £5,000 to aid in the development of projects to encourage community cohesion and develop arts based projects to celebrate the cultural diversity of Maidstone, and to celebrate Maidstone.

Detailed proposals of how to allocate the fund be submitted to a future meeting of the Heritage, Culture and Leisure Committee.

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

FOR (3)

Councillors Adkinson, Harper and Newton

AGAINST (41)

Councillors Barned, Mrs Blackmore, Boughton, Brice, D Burton, M Burton, Butler, Clark, Cox, Cuming, Daley, Ells, Fermor, Fissenden, Fort, Garland, Garten, Mrs Gooch, Greer, Harvey, Harwood, Hastie, Hemsley,

Mrs Hinder, Mrs Joy, Lewins, McLoughlin, D Mortimer, Munford, Perry, Powell, Prendergast, Revell, Mrs Ring, Round, Springett, Mrs Stockell, Webb, de Wiggondene, Wilby and Mrs Wilson

ABSTENTIONS (9)

Councillors English, B Mortimer, Naghi, Pickett, Mrs Robertson, J Sams,

T Sams, Vizzard and Willis

AMENDMENT LOST

The substantive 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 substantive motion as follows:

FOR (31)

Councillors Adkinson, Barned, Clark, Cox, Daley, Ells, English, Fermor, Fissenden, Mrs Gooch, Harper, Harvey, Harwood, Hastie, Mrs Joy, Lewins,

B Mortimer, D Mortimer, Munford, Naghi, Newton, Pickett, Powell,

Mrs Robertson, J Sams, T Sams, Vizzard, Webb, Wilby, Willis and

Mrs Wilson

AGAINST (20)

Councillors Mrs Blackmore, Boughton, Brice, D Burton, M Burton, Butler, Fort, Garland, Garten, Greer, Hemsley, McLoughlin, Perry, Prendergast, Revell, Mrs Ring, Round, Springett, Mrs Stockell and de Wiggondene

ABSTENTIONS (2)

Councillors Cuming and Mrs Hinder

SUBSTANTIVE MOTION CARRIED

RESOLVED:

1.  That the revised revenue estimates for 2016/17, as set out in Appendix A to the report of the Policy and Resources Committee (circulated separately), be agreed.

2.  That the minimum level of General Fund Balances be set at £2m for 2017/18. 

3.  That the proposed Council Tax of £245.61 at Band D for 2017/18 be agreed.

4.  That a 20% increase in planning fees effective from 1st July 2017 be agreed with a corresponding increase in the revenue estimates in the Strategic Revenue Projection and a corresponding increase in planning expenditure of £180,000 in 2017/18 and a further £70,000 in 2018/19.

5.  That the revenue estimates for 2017/18 incorporating the growth and savings items 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 Capital Programme, as set out in Appendix A to the report of the Policy and Resources Committee, be agreed. 

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

9.  That the Medium Term Financial Strategy statements for revenue and capital, as set out in Appendix A to the report of the Policy and Resources Committee, be agreed.

10.  That the amended Strategic Revenue Projection, circulated at the meeting, be endorsed as the basis for future financial planning. 

11.  That it be noted that the Council’s Council Tax Base for the year 2017/18 has been calculated as 59,439.3 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 £56,789,676. 

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 2017/18 (excluding Parish precepts) is £14,598,886. 

15.  That the following amounts now be calculated by the Council for the year 2017/18 in accordance with Sections 32-36 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 as amended by the Localism Act 2011:- 

16.  That it be noted that for the year 2017/18 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 2017/18 for each of the categories of dwellings shown.