Agenda item

Before calling upon Councillor Garland to move the recommendations of the Cabinet relating to the Budget Strategy - Corporate Revenue and Capital Budgets 2011/12 onwards, the Mayor reminded Members that, in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 16.4, each Group Leader could speak for up to ten minutes when moving his/her Group’s budget proposals.

It was moved by Councillor Garland, seconded by Councillor Mrs Ring, that the recommendations of the Cabinet relating to the Budget Strategy - Corporate Revenue and Capital Budgets 2011/12 onwards be approved.

Amendment moved by Councillor Ash, seconded by Councillor Garland, that on Page 132 of Appendix A to the Record of Recommendation of the Cabinet, under Revenue Savings 2011/12 in the Leisure and Culture Portfolio, the saving for Parks and Open Spaces – Mote Park Parking of £15,000 be deleted and Parks and Open Spaces – Increased Income from Other Events of £15,000 be inserted.

AMENDMENT CARRIED

Amendment moved by Councillor Mrs Wilson, seconded by Councillor English, that the recommendations of the Cabinet to the Council relating to the Budget Strategy - Corporate Revenue and Capital Budgets 2011/12 onwards, as amended, be approved subject to the following amendments:-

1.  That £40,000 be provided from revenue for the continuation of the Disabled Travel Voucher Scheme currently administered through Age Concern to be funded by the removal of £27,320 for Pest Control and the removal of £13,020 for Health Promotion from the Environment Revenue Budget.

2.  That £2,000 be diverted from the Gypsy Site Improvements Account in the Regeneration Capital Programme and put towards landscaping and tree planting at the land recently acquired in Chatham Road.

3.  That £250,000 be retained in the High Street Regeneration Budget 2011/12 to promote and pursue the business rate option for funding regeneration projects with central government and to complete any survey work that may still be required for the High Street and that £750,000 be diverted to a renewable energy project and £250,000 to the setting up of a green revolving loan.

The Cabinet Member for Environment advised the Council that he did not consider the first amendment to be necessary.  A report would be submitted to him in the near future regarding the continuation of the Disabled Travel Voucher Scheme until April 2012 funded from balances.

With the agreement of her seconder, Councillor Mrs Wilson withdrew her first amendment.

The second and third amendments were voted on separately as follows:-

SECOND AMENDMENT CARRIED

In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 19.4, five Members of the Council requested that a named vote be taken on the third amendment.

FOR (21)

Councillors Beerling, Chittenden, Daley, English, Field, Ms Griffin, Mrs Joy, Marchant, B Mortimer, D Mortimer, Naghi, Paterson, Pickett,

Mrs Robertson, Robertson, Sams, Sellar, Mrs Smith, Warner, Mrs Wilson and J E Wilson.

AGAINST (28)

Councillors Ash, Barned, Mrs Blackmore, Bradshaw, Brindle, Burton, Butler, Garland, Mrs Gibson, Mrs Gooch, Greer, Hinder, Mrs Hinder, Horne, Hotson (The Mayor), Lusty, Nelson-Gracie, Paine, Mrs Parvin, Parvin, Mrs Ring, Ross, Sherreard, Mrs Stockell, Thick, Verrall, J A Wilson and Yates.

ABSTAINED (2)

Councillors FitzGerald and Vizzard.

THIRD AMENDMENT LOST

Amendment moved by Councillor FitzGerald, seconded by Councillor Sams, that the recommendations of the Cabinet to the Council relating to the Budget Strategy - Corporate Revenue and Capital Budgets 2011/12 onwards, as amended, be approved subject to the following amendments:-

1.  That the cut to concurrent functions be reduced by £50,000 to bring it in line with the Government’s cut to the Borough Council of 16.17% and that savings of 2.5% be agreed from the £2million plus cost of managing parks and open spaces.

2.  That Members’ devolved budgets be retained at a minimum level of £500 to support empowering individuals and communities, the basis of Localism and the Big Society, and that the money (£27,500) be taken from the unallocated Localism Activity Fund for one year only and reviewed in the light of the development of Neighbourhood Forums and the Localism Bill.

Councillors Ash, Burton, English, Mrs Gibson, Mrs Gooch, Hinder, Mrs Hinder, Horne, Marchant, B Mortimer, D Mortimer, Nelson-Gracie, Sams and J A Wilson disclosed personal interests in the first amendment, in so far as it related to the proposed reduction in concurrent functions funding, by virtue of being Parish Councillors.

The amendments were voted on separately as follows:-

In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 19.4, five Members of the Council requested that a named vote be taken on the first amendment.

FOR (5)

Councillors FitzGerald, Mrs Gooch, Marchant, B Mortimer and Sams.

AGAINST (25)

Councillors Ash, Beerling, Mrs Blackmore, Bradshaw, Brindle, Burton, Butler, Garland, Mrs Gibson, Greer, Hinder, Mrs Hinder, Horne, Hotson (The Mayor), Lusty, Nelson-Gracie, Paine, Mrs Parvin, Parvin, Mrs Ring, Ross, Sherreard, Verrall, J A Wilson and Yates.

ABSTAINED (21)

Councillors Barned, Chittenden, Daley, English, Field, Ms Griffin, Mrs Joy, D Mortimer, Naghi, Paterson, Pickett, Mrs Robertson, Robertson, Sellar, Mrs Smith, Mrs Stockell, Thick, Vizzard, Warner, Mrs Wilson and

J E Wilson.

FIRST AMENDMENT LOST

The second amendment was put to the vote.

SECOND AMENDMENT LOST

Amendment moved by Councillor Marchant, seconded by Councillor Sams, that the recommendations of the Cabinet to the Council relating to the Budget Strategy - Corporate Revenue and Capital Budgets 2011/12 onwards, as amended, be approved subject to the following amendment:-

That a one-off capital grant of £50,000 be made towards the purchase of St Stephens School by the Coombe Farm and Tovil Community Group and that a saving of the equivalent amount be made in the cost of the High Street project – this represents a tiny percentage of the total cost.

Councillor English disclosed a prejudicial interest in this amendment by virtue of being the Chairman of Tovil Parish Council which was involved in the discussions regarding the purchase of the School.

Councillor D Mortimer disclosed a prejudicial interest in this amendment by virtue of being a Member of Tovil Parish Council which was involved in the discussions regarding the purchase of the School.

Councillor FitzGerald disclosed a prejudicial interest in this amendment by virtue of being the Chairman of the Coombe Farm and Tovil Community Group.

Having disclosed prejudicial interests, Councillors English, FitzGerald and D Mortimer left the meeting whilst this amendment was discussed.

AMENDMENT LOST

The substantive motion was then put to the vote.

SUBSTANTIVE MOTION CARRIED

RESOLVED:

1.  That the revised revenue estimates for 2010/11, as set out in Appendix A to the Record of Recommendation of the Cabinet (circulated separately), be agreed.

2.  That the minimum level of General Fund Balances be set at £2m for 2011/12.

3.  That the proposed Council Tax of £222.39 at Band D for 2011/12 (a freeze at 2010/11 values) be agreed.

4.  That the revenue estimates for 2011/12 incorporating the growth and savings items, as set out in Appendix A to the Record of Recommendation of the Cabinet, be agreed subject to the following:-

Leisure and Culture Portfolio - Revenue Savings 2011/12

Delete Parks and Open Spaces - Mote Park Parking - £15,000

Insert Parks and Open Spaces – Increased Income from Other Events - £15,000

5.  That the Statement of Reserves and Balances, as set out in Appendix A to the Record of Recommendation of the Cabinet, be agreed.

6.  That the medium term Capital Programme, as set out in AppendixA to the Record of Recommendation of the Cabinet, be agreed subject to the following:-

Divert £2,000 from the Gypsy Site Improvements Account in the Regeneration Capital Programme to landscaping and tree planting at the land recently acquired in Chatham Road.

7.  That the funding of the Capital Programme, as set out in AppendixA to the Record of Recommendation of the Cabinet, noting that the funding is dependent upon the delivery of an assumed level of additional capital resources, be agreed.

8.  That the Medium Term Financial Strategy, as set out in AppendixA to the Record of Recommendation of the Cabinet, be agreed.

9.  That the Medium Term Financial Projection, as set out in AppendixA to the Record of Recommendation of the Cabinet, be endorsed as the basis for future financial planning.

10.  That it be noted that, at the meeting of the General Purposes Group on 9 December 2010, the Council calculated its Council Tax Base for the year 2011/12, in accordance with Regulations made under Section 33 (5) of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, as 60,303.1 being the amount calculated by the Council in accordance with Regulation 3 of the Local Authorities (Calculation of Council Tax Base) Regulations 1992.

11.  That it be noted that, as detailed in Appendix B, the Council Tax Base for each of the Parish Areas, calculated in accordance with Regulation 6 of the Regulations, are the amounts of its Council Tax Base for the year for dwellings in those parts of its area to which a special item relates (Parish precepts).

12.  That the following amounts now be calculated by the Council for the year 2011/12 in accordance with Section 32-36 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992:-

(a)  £91,364,135 being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for its items set out in Section 32 (2) (a) to (e) of the Act;

(b)  £70,412,489 being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 32 (3) (a) to (c) of the Act;

(c)  £20,951,646 being the amount by which the aggregate at (a) above exceeds the aggregate at (b) above, calculated by the Council, in accordance with Section 32 (4) of the Act as its budget requirement for year;

(d)  £6,496,699 being the aggregate of the sums which the Council estimates will be payable for the year into its General Fund in respect of redistributed Non Domestic Rates and Revenue Support Grant, increased by the amount which the Council estimates will be transferred in the year from its Collection Fund to its General Fund in accordance with Section 97 (3) of the Local Government Finance Act 1988 (Council Tax Surplus) and increased by the amount which the Council estimates will be transferred from its Collection Fund to its General Fund, pursuant to the Collection Fund (Community Charges) Directions under Section 98(4) of the Local Government Finance Act 1988 (Community Charge Surplus) and reduced by the amount representing the authority’s contribution to Council Tax Benefit resulting from an increase in its Council Tax calculated in accordance with the Collection Fund (General) (England) Directions 2000, the Collection Fund (Council Tax Benefit) (England) Directions 2000 and the Local Authorities (Alteration of Requisite Calculations) (England) Regulations 2000;

(e)  £239.70 being the amount at (c) above, less the amount at (d) above, all divided by the amount at 10 above, calculated by the Council, in accordance with  Section 33 (1) of the Act, as the basic amount of its Council Tax for the year;

(f)  £1,044,136 being the aggregate amount of all special items referred to in Section 34 (1) of the Act as detailed in Appendix B;

(g)  £222.39 being the amount at (e) above, less the result given by dividing the amount at (f) above by the amount at 10 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 special item relates;

(h)  As detailed in Appendix C, being the amounts given by adding to the amounts at (g) above, the amounts of the special item(s) relating to dwellings in those parts of the Council’s area mentioned in Appendix B, divided in each case by the amount at 10 above, calculated by the Council, in accordance with Section 34(3) of the Act, as the basic amounts of its Council Tax (detailed in Band D) for the year for dwellings in those parts of its area to which one or more special items relates;

(i)  As detailed in Appendix C, being the amounts given by multiplying the amounts at (g) and (h) above, by the number which, in the proportion set out in Section (5) (1) of the Act, is applicable to dwellings listed in a particular valuation band, divided by the number which in that proportion is applicable to dwellings listed in valuation Band ‘D’, calculated by the Council, in accordance with Section 36 (1) of the Act, as the amounts to be taken into account for the year in respect of categories of dwellings listed in different valuation bands.

13.  That it be noted that for the year 2011/12 Kent County Council, the Kent Police Authority and the Kent and Medway Towns Fire 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:-

14.  That, having calculated the aggregate in each case of the amounts at 12 (i) and 13 above, the Council, in accordance with Section 30 (2) of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, hereby sets out in Appendix D, the amounts of Council Tax for the year 2011/12 for each of the categories of dwellings shown.