Decision details

Resolved:

That the following be approved:

11 February 2020

7.1      CA/018/20    Budget 2020/21

A recorded vote was held:

38 For, 3 Against and 6 Abstentions.

Decision

General Fund Revenue Estimate

a)    set a Dacorum Borough Council General Fund Council Tax  requirement of £12.086m, and a provisional amount of £13.058m for the combined Borough Council and Parish Councils’ requirement for 2020/21;

b)    approve a Band D Council Tax increase of £5 (2.48%) for Dacorum Borough Council;

c)    approve the base estimates for 2020/21, as shown in Appendix A1, and the indicative budget forecasts for 2020/21 – 2023/24, as shown in Appendix A2;

d)    approve the forecast balances of Revenue Reserves as shown in Appendix J, and approve section 10 of this report as the updated Reserves Strategy;

e)    approve increases in Fees and Charges for 2020/21 as set out in Appendices C3, D3, and E3;

f)     approve and adopt the Treasury Management Strategy for 2020/21, attached at Appendix K;

g)    approve and adopt the Capital Strategy for 2020/21, attached at Appendix L;

h)    note that this budget paper, if approved by Council, will form part of the Medium Term Financial Strategy.

Capital Programme

i)      approve the Capital Programme for 2020/21 to 2024/25, as detailed in Appendix I and Appendix M respectively;

j)      approve the financing proposals in Appendix I subject to an annual review of the financing options by the Corporate Director (Finance & Operations), in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Finance and Resources, during the preparation of the Statement of Accounts.

Housing Revenue Account (HRA)

k)    set dwelling rents according to the new MHCLG Rent Standard, which provides for a rent increase of CPI+1% (2.7% in total).  The average dwelling rents is proposed to increase to £103.12 in 202/21, from its current level of £100.47(based on 52 weeks); 

l)      approve the HRA estimate for 2020/21 as shown in Appendix F.

Employer Terms & Conditions

m)   note that the hourly rate of all Council employees continues to exceed the rate proposed by the rates of the Living Wage Foundation, for 2019/20 (to be reviewed annually thereafter).

Statement by Chief Finance Officer

n)    approve the statement by the Chief Finance Officer regarding the robustness of the budget estimates and level of reserves as set out in Appendix M.

7.2       CA/019/20       Q3 Budget Monitoring Report

Decision

1. Consider the budget monitoring position for each of the above accounts;
   
   
2. Recommend to Council approval of the revised capital programme to move £4.956m slippage identified at Quarter 3 into financial year 2020/21 as detailed in Appendix C;
   
   
3. Recommend to Council approval of supplementary revenue budgets funded from reserves:
   
   

• Supplementary budget of £40k in the Neighbourhood Delivery service, funded from the Management of Change reserve, to fund interim resource to support delivery of new service initiatives
  
  
• Additional budget of £30k in the Elections service, funded from drawdown of £30k from the Election reserve
  
  
• Supplementary budget in the Planning service of £103k to fund the revenue costs of implementation of new Planning software, funded from the Planning & Regeneration reserve
  
  
• Supplementary budget of £170k to fund costs relating to the Hand Arm Vibration legal case, to be funded from the Litigation Reserve.
  
  
• Supplementary budget of £28k in Waste Services to fund consultancy work to support service improvements, funded from the Management of Change reserve
  
  
• Supplementary budget of £80k in the garages employees budget to fund interim resource, funded from the Invest to Save reserve
  
  
• Supplementary budget of £60k to fund one-off expenditure for a garage stock condition survey, funded from the Invest to Save reserve
  
  

4. Recommend to Council approval of supplementary capital budgets required to deliver several service changes as set out below:
   
   

• A capital budget of £66k to fund replacement boilers at Berkhamsted Leisure Centre
  
  
• A capital budget of £55k to fund new poolside flooring at Berkhamsted Leisure Centre
   
• Additional capital budget of £598k in the Affordable Housing Development fund, funded from Housing one-for-one (‘1-4-1’) receipts

5. Recommend to Council additional reserves drawdowns as set out below:
   
   

• Drawdown of £1,750k from the Vehicle Replacement Reserve to fund capital investment in the Council’s waste fleet
  
  
• Drawdown of £8k from Tring Swimming Pool reserve to fund capital works at the site.
  
  

6. Approve a capital virement of £900k to reallocate budget for the acquisition of Eastwick Row from the HRA New Build General budget to the Eastwick Row budget
   
   
7. Agree the annual update of the Council’s flexible use of capital receipts strategy at Appendix D of this report.

7.3       CA/021/20       Senior Officer Pay Policy

Decision

The adoption of the Pay Policy for 2020/21 as set out in appendix 1 to the Cabinet report.