Decision details

Resolved:

That the following be approved:

19 January 2021

8.1       CA/008/21       DACORUM STRATEGIC SITES DESIGN GUIDE

Decision

That the draft SPD be adopted.

09 February 2021

8.2       CA/017/21       BUDGET 2021/22

A recorded vote was held:

For: 29 (Allen, Anderson, Banks, Barrett, Bassadone, Beauchamp, Bhinder, Birnie, Chapman, Durrant, Elliot, Griffiths, Guest, Hearn, Hobson, Johnson, Maddern, Suqlain Mahmood, Riddick, Rogers, Silwal, Sinha, G Sutton, R Sutton, Timmis, Townsend, Williams, Woolner and Wyatt-Lowe).

Against: 0

Abstain: 15 (Barry, Claughton, Mayor, England, Freedman, Hollinghurst, Link, McDowell, Pringle, Ransley, Stevens, Symington, Taylor, Tindall and Uttley)

Absent for vote: 5 (Adeleke, Arslan, Imarni, Sobaan Mahmood and Peter)

Therefore it was resolved that the following be approved;

Decision

General Fund Revenue Estimate

a)    set a Dacorum Borough Council General Fund Council Tax requirement of £12.406m, and a provisional amount of £13.405m for the combined Borough Council and Parish Councils’ requirement for 2021/22;

b)    approve a Band D Council Tax increase of £5 (2.42%) for Dacorum Borough Council;

c)    approve the base estimates for 2021/22, as shown in Appendix A1, and the indicative budget forecasts for 2021/22 – 2024/25, as shown in Appendix A2;

d)    approve the forecast balances of Revenue Reserves as shown in Appendix J, and approve section 11 of this report as the updated Reserves Strategy;

e)    approve increases in Fees and Charges for 2021/22 as set out in Appendices C3, D3, and E3;

f)     approve and adopt the Treasury Management Strategy for 2021/22, attached at appendix K, noting the proposed changes to counter party limits detailed in section 4.6’ (amended)

g)    approve and adopt the Capital Strategy for 2021/22, 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 2021/22 to 2025/26, as detailed in Appendix I;

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% (1.5% in total). The average dwelling rents is proposed to increase to £104.96 in 2021/22, from its current level of £103.43 (based on 52 weeks);

l)      approve the HRA estimate for 2021/22 as shown in Appendix F.

Employer Terms and 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 2021/22 (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.

o)    approve Dacorum Borough Council entering into a Hertfordshire Business Rates pool as described in paras 4.10 to 4.15

09 February 2021

8.3       CA/019/21       SENIOR OFFICER PAY POLICY

Decision

To Council that it adopts the Pay Policy for 2021/22 as set out in appendix 1 to this report.