The Licensing and Gambling Acts and General Purposes Licensing Committees considered at their meetings on 3 February reports on fees and charges for the licensing functions falling within their remits.

The draft minutes of the Committees and the reports accompanying the three sets of fees and charges are attached (with items 8a and 8c). These are also included in the budget papers at Item 9.

The Committee Chairs may wish to present the recommendations.

Recommendations: the Licensing and Gambling Acts Committee and the General Purposes Committee recommend that Council agree the licence fees and charges for 2020/21 as set out in Items 8a, 8b and 8c (and repeated in the relevant sections of Item 9 Appendix 7).

Councillor Malik having declared this item related to his disclosable pecuniary interest, withdrew from the council chamber for the duration of this item.

Councillors Cook and Clarkson, Chairs of the Licensing Acts Committee and the General Purposes Licensing Committee, moved the recommendations from their respective committees.

On being seconded and put to the vote these were agreed.

Council resolved to agree the licence fees and charges for 2020/21 as set out in in the appendices to the reports to the committees and repeated in the budget book at Appendix 7 (relevant Community Services Fees and Charges and relevant Planning and Regulatory Fees and Charges).

Report of the Scrutiny Officer setting out the Budget Review Group’s findings on the proposed budget (published as a supplement: to follow)

Cabinet’s response will be tabled or reported at this meeting.

The Chairs of the Review Group and the Finance Panel will present the report and recommendations.

Recommendation: Council is asked to note the findings and recommendations of the Budget Review Group and Cabinet’s response.

Council considered the report and recommendations of the Budget Review Group of the Scrutiny Committee to the Cabinet meeting on 12 February and the Cabinet’s response. Councillor Fry, Chair of the Budget Review Group, drew attention to the key findings in the report including the very small percentage of business rates retained by the council (8%); that the council had to fund 100% of any discretionary rate relief; and the very large amount spent on homelessness prevention despite the lack of stable central funding.

In response to a question from Councillor Gant, Councillor Turner confirmed that in his introduction to the budget report, the sum of £18m referred to covered both committed and uncommitted capital spending.

Council resolved to note the report and Cabinet’s responses to the recommendations.

Report of the Head of Financial Services on the soundness of the financial proposals before Council.

The Head of Financial Services may present the report and recommendations.

Recommendation: That Council notes this report in setting its budget for 2020/21and the indicative budgets for 2021 to 2024.

Council considered a report from the Head of Financial Services on the soundness of the financial proposals before Council. The Head of Financial Services drew attention to the key points including risks and to the levels of the Council’s reserves and balances and contingencies. He reported that on 6 February the Government announced the final financial settlement for 2020-21 which confirmed the figures in the provisional financial settlement. This however would not be ratified by the House of Commons until their debate re-scheduled from 12 February to 24 February. He did not expect that the final financial settlement would change.

Council resolved to note the report and its implications in setting its budget for 2020/21and the indicative budgets for 2021 to 2024.

At its meeting on 12 February, Cabinet will consider a report of the Head of Financial Services which presents the outcome of the budget consultation and seeks agreement of the Council’s Budget for 2020/21 and the Medium Term Financial Strategy for the following 3 years (published as a supplementary pack).

Cabinet is asked to make recommendations to Council. Any changes to the Head of Financial Services’ recommendations to Council and any amendments resulting from the Cabinet meeting will be tabled at the Council meeting.

Amendments to the budget proposed by opposition groups or individual councillors must be received by Committee Services before 1.00pm on Tuesday 12 February and will be circulated with the briefing note published that day.

Councillor Turner, the Cabinet Member for Finance and Asset Management, will present the report and move Cabinet’s recommendations.

The procedure for this item is set out in Part 11.4 of the Council’s Constitution.

Council is recommended to:

a.    consider Cabinet’s recommendations to Council, including the budget published as part of the agenda for this meeting along with any amendments resulting from the Cabinet meeting of 12 February tabled at this meeting;

b.    consider the substantive amendments proposed by the opposition groups; and published with the briefing note;

c.    consider individual amendments; and

d.    agree the recommendations from the Cabinet as presented to Council, or with further amendments as decided by Council.

Recommendation: Cabinet recommends subject to decisions at their meeting on 12 February that Council resolves to:

1.    approve the 2020-21 General Fund and Housing Revenue Account budgets and the General Fund and Housing Revenue Account Medium Term Financial Plan as set out in Appendices 1-10 of the report, noting:

a.    the Council’s General Fund Budget Requirement of £24.183 million for 2020/21 and an increase in the Band D Council Tax of 1.99% or £6.13 per annum representing a Band D Council Tax of £313.92 per annum subject to confirmation of the referendum levels contained in paragraphs 5 and 6 of the report;

b.    the Housing Revenue Account budget for 2020/21 of £44.455 million and an increase of 2.70% (£3.06/wk) in social dwelling rents from 1 April 2020 giving a revised weekly average social rent of £105.32 as set out in Appendix 5 of the report;

c.    the General Fund and Housing Revenue Account Capital Programme as shown in Appendix 6 of the report;

2.    agree the fees and charges shown in Appendix 7 of the report;

3.    delegate to the Section 151 Officer in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Finance and Assets the decision to determine whether it is financially advantageous for the Council to enter into a Business Rates Distribution Agreement as referred to in paragraphs 13-15 of the report;

4.    approve a loan facility of up to £500k for working capital to the Council’s Joint Venture, Oxford West End Development Ltd (OxWed) at terms to be agreed by the Council’s Section 151 Officer as referred to in paragraph 37 of the report; and

5.  ...  view the full agenda text for item 89

Councillor Malik re-joined the meeting at the start of this item.

Councillors Corais and Munkonge arrived at this point.

Council had before it and considered:

·         The report of the Head of Finance to Cabinet on 12 February 2020 setting out the outcome of the budget consultation and seeking agreement of the Council’s Budget for 2020/21 and the Medium Term Financial Strategy for the following 3 years;

·         The additional recommendation agreed at that meeting: Agree the additional unbudgeted amount of RSI grant of £840k for 2020-21 is added to the Council’s Homelessness earmarked reserve.

·         The Liberal Democrat group’s submitted amendments published with the briefing note;

·         The Green group’s submitted amendments published with the briefing note;

·         The Head of Finance’s comments on the amendments published with the briefing note;

·         One individual amendment submitted and circulated  at the meeting

Councillor Turner, seconded by Councillor Brown, moved agreement of the Budget for 2020/21 and the Medium Term Financial Strategy and the seven recommendations from Cabinet.

a)    Liberal Democrat group amendments to the budget

Councillor Arshad arrived during this section of the debate.

Councillor Roz Smith, seconded by Councillor Wade, moved the Liberal Democrat group amendments. After debate these were put to the vote.

With more councillors voting against than for, the Liberal Democrat amendments were not carried.

b)   Green group amendments to the budget

Councillor Wolff, seconded by Councillor Simmons, moved the Green group amendments.After debate these were put to the vote.

With more councillors voting against than for, the Green group amendments were not carried.

c)    Individual amendment to the Cabinet budget as proposed

Councillors Garden and Roz Smith left the meeting during this section of the debate.

Councillor Hayes left the chamber for the duration of this part of the debate as this affected his DPI as the charity he worked for was involved with the group referred to in the amendment.

Councillor Turner left the chamber for the duration of this part of the debate as the amendment specifically referred to his Special Responsibility Allowance.

Councillor Wade, seconded by Councillor Gant, moved an amendment: award £5,000 in-year revenue spending to support the Art Bus, a project of the Art Room funded by stopping the additional Special Responsibility Allowance to the non-statutory deputy leader for one year from 1 April of as soon as possible thereafter.  This was to support the new venture and bring the benefit of art therapy to children across the city.

The S151 officer confirmed the proposals were arithmetically correct.

The Leader in responding to the amendment reminded councillors that this worthwhile project could be funded through their ward budgets or the by applying for a council grant.

After debate the amendment was put to the vote.

With more councillors voting against than for, the amendment was not carried.

d)   Decision on the Cabinet budget

Councillors Hayes and Turner returned to the chamber. Councillor Djafari-Marbini arrived during the debate on this item.

After a debate, the recommendations of the Cabinet agreed at their meeting on 12 February  ...  view the full minutes text for item 89

The Head of Financial Services has presented a report to present the outcome of the budget consultation and agree the Council’s Medium Term Financial Strategy for 2021-22 to 2023-24 and 2020-21 Budget for recommendation to Council.

Cabinet is asked to consider the outcome of the public consultation, agree the amendments to the Consultation Budget and recommend that Council resolves to:

1.         Approve the 2020-21 General Fund and Housing Revenue Account budgets and the General Fund and Housing Revenue Account Medium Term Financial Plan as set out in Appendices 1-10 of the report, noting:

(a)       the Council’s General Fund Budget Requirement of £24.183 million for 2020/21 and an increase in the Band D Council Tax of 1.99% or £6.13 per annum representing a Band D Council Tax of £313.92 per annum subject to confirmation of the referendum levels contained in paragraph 5 of the report

(b)       the Housing Revenue Account budget for 2020/21 of £44.455 million and an increase of 2.70% (£3.06/wk) in social dwelling rents from 1 April 2020 giving a revised weekly average social rent of £105.32 as set out in Appendix 5 of the report

(c)        the General Fund and Housing Revenue Account Capital Programme as shown in Appendix 6 of the report

2.         Agree the fees and charges shown in Appendix 7 of the report;

3.         Delegate to the Section 151 Officer in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Finance and Assets the decision to determine whether it is financially advantageous for the Council to enter into a Business Rates Distribution Agreement as referred to in paragraphs 13- 15 of the report;

4.         Approve a loan facility of up to £500k for working capital to the Council’s Joint Venture, Oxford West End Development (Oxwed) at terms to be agreed by the Council’s Section 151 Officer as referred to in paragraph 38 of the report;

5.         Approve the payment into the County Council Pension Fund of £5 million as referred to in the Consultation Budget and paragraph 23 of the report; and

6.         Note the changes to Business Rates reliefs and discounts for 2020-21 as referred to in paragraph 12 of the report.

The Head of Financial Services had submitted a report to present the outcome of the budget consultation and agree the Council’s Medium Term Financial Strategy for 2021-22 to 2023-24 and 2020-21 Budget for recommendation to Council.

Councillor Ed Turner, Cabinet Member for Finance and Asset Management, gave a brief introduction to the report which would be subject to wider discussion and debate at the following day’s Council meeting.  The proposals now before Cabinet included very few changes from the pre-consultation version. He drew attention however to the Government’s recent decision to combine two major rough sleeping programmes: the Rough Sleeping Initiative and the Rapid Rehousing Initiative and the consequential addition of a further recommendation to those given in the report. The background to this recommendation is attached to these minutes and the new recommendation is included in those given below.

Nigel Kennedy, Head of Financial Services, noted that the Government had now published its final Local Government Finance Settlement with no significant changes from the provisional settlement. 

Cabinet resolved to:

Recommend that Council resolves to:

1.         Approve the 2020-21 General Fund and Housing Revenue Account budgets and the General Fund and Housing Revenue Account Medium Term Financial Plan as set out in Appendices 1-10 of the report, noting:

(a)       the Council’s General Fund Budget Requirement of £24.183 million for 2020/21 and an increase in the Band D Council Tax of 1.99% or £6.13 per annum representing a Band D Council Tax of £313.92 per annum subject to confirmation of the referendum levels contained in paragraph 5 of the report

(b)       the Housing Revenue Account budget for 2020/21 of £44.455 million and an increase of 2.70% (£3.06/wk) in social dwelling rents from 1 April 2020 giving a revised weekly average social rent of £105.32 as set out in Appendix 5 of the report

(c)        the General Fund and Housing Revenue Account Capital Programme as shown in Appendix 6 of the report

2.         Agree the fees and charges shown in Appendix 7 of the report;

3.         Delegate to the Section 151 Officer in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Finance and Assets the decision to determine whether it is financially advantageous for the Council to enter into a Business Rates Distribution Agreement as referred to in paragraphs 13- 15 of the report;

4.         Approve a loan facility of up to £500k for working capital to the Council’s Joint Venture, Oxford West End Development (Oxwed) at terms to be agreed by the Council’s Section 151 Officer as referred to in paragraph 38 of the report;

5.         Approve the payment into the County Council Pension Fund of £5 million as referred to in the Consultation Budget and paragraph 23 of the report; and

6.         Note the changes to Business Rates reliefs and discounts for 2020-21 as referred to in paragraph 12 of the report.

7.         Agree the additional unbudgeted amount of RSI grant of £840k for 2020-21 is added to the Council’s Homelessness earmarked reserve.