Agenda

Summary:

Options considered:

Section 38 of the Localism Act 2011 (“the Act”) requires the Council to produce an annual pay policy statement (“the statement”) for the start of each financial year. The attached statement is drawn up in compliance with the Act to cover the period 2024/2025. It is a legal requirement that Full Council formally signs off this statement and the responsibility cannot be devolved to any other person or committee.

There are no options to consider as part of this paper.

Conclusions:

The attached statement sets out current remuneration arrangements for officers.

Recommendations:

Reasons for

Recommendations:

To adopt the attached Pay Policy Statement and to publish the statement for 2024/2025 on the Council’s website.

To comply with the requirements of the Localism Act.

Executive Summary

The Non-Domestic (Business) Rates Policy 2024-25 has been revised to reflect the new and extended schemes announced by government and includes guidelines as to how the schemes are to be implemented and the financial implications on the authority.

Options considered.

The policy is discretionary, so members can decide not to agree to the recommendations.

Consultation(s)

The Government expects local authorities to use their discretionary relief powers to grant these reliefs.

The Retail Hospitality and Leisure Relief, Supporting Small Business Relief, the scheme for local newspaper discount, scheme for low-carbon heat networks, Hardship Relief, Rural Rate Relief and Flood Relief. All of these (except the Hardship Policy) will be compensated in full for our loss of rates income because of these changes. This compensation will be paid by section 31 grant and calculated based on the returns that the council makes under the rates retention scheme.

The Council’s Discretionary Rate Relief Policy has been revised to reflect these changes.

Recommendations

1. It is agreed by Full Council that the Revenues Manager continues to have delegated authority to make decisions up to the NNDC cost value of £4k as indicated in Appendix A.

2. It is agreed by Full Council that the Revenues Manager has delegated authority to make Hardship Relief decisions up to the NNDC cost value of £4k as indicated in Appendix C.

3. It is agreed by Full Council that the Rate Relief Policy is revised as indicated in Appendix A, B and C.

Reasons for recommendations

The new policy will enable the Retail Hospitality and Leisure Relief, Supporting Small Business Relief, the scheme for local newspaper discount, scheme for low-carbon heat networks, Hardship Relief, Rural Rate Relief and Flood Relief to be awarded discretionary reliefs.

Background papers

1. In the Budget on 22 November 2023 the Chancellor announced the Government would extend the award of 75% Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Relief for properties up to a cash limit of £110,000 per business for the 2024/25 financial year.

2. In the Budget on 17 November 2022 the Chancellor announced a new Supporting Small Business (SSB) Relief scheme which will cap bill increases at £600 per year for any businesses that had a Rateable Value (RV) increase from 1 April 2023 caused by the revaluation and consequently lost Small Business Rates Relief or Rural Rate Relief.

3. In the Spring Statement on 23 March 2022 the government announced it would bring forward to 1 April 2022 100% relief for low-carbon heat networks.  

4. On 27 January 2020, the Financial Secretary to the Treasury made a Written Ministerial Statement announcing additional business rates measures that will apply from 1 April 2020 including the extension of the £1,500 business rates discount for office space occupied by local newspapers that will apply for an additional 5 years until 31 March 2025. The scheme will be available to local newspapers that occupy office space. Under the scheme, eligible local newspaper businesses will continue to receive up to  ...  view the full agenda text for item 9.

Executive Summary

This report presents for approval the budget for 2024/25 and to make statutory calculations in accordance with the Local Government Finance Act 1992 to set the Council Tax for 2024/25. The report also includes the Chief Finance Officer’s report on the robustness of the estimates and adequacy of reserves.

Options considered

It is a statutory requirement to set the budget each year, whilst there are options around the content of the budget presented for approval, the budget now recommended reflects the recommendations made by Cabinet at its meeting on 5 February 2024.

Consultation(s)

The proposed budget has been presented to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee for pre-scrutiny at its meeting on 24 January and again at its meeting for post-scrutiny at its meeting on 14 February. A business engagement event took place on 30 January and the businesses that attended were consulted about the proposed budget for 2024/25. Public consultation has also taken place on the Council’s website and on all the Council’s other social media platforms.

Recommendations

That having considered the Chief Finance Officer’s report on the robustness of the estimates and the adequacy of the proposed financial reserves, the following be approved:

1)            The 2024/25 revenue budget as outlined at Appendix A;

2)            The statement of identified savings as detailed in Appendix B,

3)            The statement of and movement in the reserves as detailed at Appendix C;

4)            The updated Capital Programme and financing for 2023/24 to 2027/28 as shown in Appendix D;

5)            The new capital bids recommended for approval as detailed at Appendix E;

6)            That Members note the current financial projections for the period 2025/26 to 2027/28 that form the Medium Term Financial Strategy and as detailed in paragraphs 3.10 to 3.14 and Appendix A.

7)            That Members note and consider the results of the Budget Consultation exercise which are contained in the paper circulated to Members and which will be included as an Appendix to the meeting’s minutes when published.

8)            The Policy Framework for the Earmarked Reserves and the Optimum Level of the General Fund Reserve of £2.1m for 2024/25 to 2026/27 as detailed in paragraphs 3.35 to 3.72 and in Appendix G;

9)            The Local Council Tax Support Scheme (LCTS) for 2024/25 as set out in paragraphs 3.16 to 3.23;

10)         That Members undertake the Council Tax and statutory calculations set out at Appendix F, and set the Council Tax for 2024/25;

11)         The demand on the Collection Fund for 2024/25 is as follows:

a.    £6,995,942 for District purposes

b.    £3,129,194 for Parish/Town Precepts;

This reflects the recommended Council Tax increase of £4.95 for the district element for a Band D equivalent property.

To approve the 2024/25 budget for revenue and capital and to make the statutory calculations in respect of the 2024/25 Council Tax.

Reasons for recommendations

It is a statutory requirement to set the budget each year. To enable the Council to set a balanced budget.

Background papers

Budget reports and briefings, precepts (NCC, Police and Parishes)

Draft  ...  view the full agenda text for item 12.