The Group Director Finance has submitted a report to Cabinet on 7 February 2024, to present the outcome of the budget consultation and agree the Council’s Medium Term Financial Strategy for 2025-26 to 2027-28 and 2024-25 Budget for recommendation to Council.

Any further proposed amendments to the budget will be reported in the Briefing Note.

Councillor Ed Turner, Deputy Leader (Statutory) and Cabinet Member for Finance and Asset Management, will present the report and propose Cabinet’s recommendations.

Amendments to the budget proposed by opposition groups or individual councillors must be received by Democratic Services before 1.00 p.m. on Wednesday 12 February 2025 and will be published in the Briefing Note.

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

A recorded vote must be taken when voting to agree the final budget and medium term strategy.

Council had before it and considered:

·                The report of the Group Director Finance to Cabinet on 05 February 2025 setting out the outcome of the budget consultation and seeking agreement of the Council’s Budget for 2025/26 and the Medium-Term Financial Strategy for 2026/27 to 2028/29.

·                The Labour Group’s submitted subsequent amendment published with the briefing note.

·                The Liberal Democrat Group’s submitted amendments published with the briefing note.

·                The Green Group’s submitted amendments published with the briefing note.

·                The Independent Oxford Alliance Group’s submitted amendments published with the briefing note.

·                The Oxford Community Independents Group’s submitted amendments published with the briefing note.

·                An individual amendment proposed by Councillor Jarvis tabled at the meeting.

Councillor Ed Turner, Deputy Leader (Statutory) and Cabinet Member for Finance and Asset Management, presented the report and proposed Cabinet’s recommendations. Councillor Turner thanked the Council officers for their work on the budget. He noted the importance of the Council taking the lead on improving the city. He also discussed the outcome of the residents’ survey and how that had shaped the proposed budget. Councillor Turner, Cabinet Member for Finance and Asset Management, seconded by Councillor Brown, Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Inclusive Economy and Partnerships, proposed agreement of the Budget and the Medium Term Strategy and the recommendations from Cabinet.  He also moved his amendment to the Budget, published at Item 9a of the agenda, which was seconded by Councillor Brown.

a)        Additional recommendations from Cabinet and corrections      to the published budget

Councillor Turner, Cabinet Member for Finance and Asset Management, seconded by Councillor Brown, Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Inclusive Economy and Partnerships, proposed the additional amendment from Cabinet.

b)             Alternative budget proposals - Liberal Democrat Group amendments

The Liberal Democrat Group withdrew their amended Budget, following submission of the amended Labour Group Budget.

Councillor Harley arrived during the discussion of amendment 9b.

c)             Alternative budget proposals - Green Group amendments

Councillor Mundy left the chamber for the discussion of and vote on amendment 9c due to his declared interest in this item.

Councillor Jarvis, seconded by Councillor Max Morris, moved the Green Group amendments. 

Following debate, these were put to the vote.

With more Councillors voting against (19), than for (7), and 20 abstentions, the Green Group amendments were not carried.

d)             Alternative budget proposals - Independent Oxford Alliance Group Amendments

Councillors Henwood and Stares left the chamber for discussion of and vote on amendment 9d, due to their declared interest in this item.

Councillor Yeatman, seconded by Councillor Rehman, moved the Independent Oxford Alliance Group Amendments.

Following debate, these were put to the vote.

With more Councillors voting against (27), than for (8), and 10 abstentions, the Independent Oxford Alliance Group amendments were not carried.

e)             Alternative Budget Proposals - Oxford Community Independents Group Amendments

Councillor Mundy left the chamber for discussion of and vote on amendment 9d, due to their declared interest in this item. Councillors Henwood and Stares re-entered the chamber at this time.

Councillor Djafari-Marbini, seconded by Councillor Coyne, moved the Oxford Community Independents Group amendments.

Following debate, these were put to the vote.

With more Councillors voting against (19), than for (9), and with 18 abstentions the Oxford Community Independents Group amendments were not carried.

Following agreement from Council, the meeting broke for 30 minutes at the conclusion of this item.

f)              Individual amendments to the budget

Councillor Regisford arrived at the meeting.

Councillor Jarvis, seconded by Councillor Powell, moved their individual amendment.

After debate, this was put to the vote.

With more Councillors voting for (36), than against (11) the individual motion was carried.

g)             Decision on the Cabinet Budget

Following debate, the recommendations of the Cabinet as agreed at its meeting on 05 February 2025 including the details of the budget for 2025/26, Medium Term Financial Strategy, Housing Revenue Account, Capital Programme and other matters set out in the published agenda and briefing note for this meeting and the agreed amendments at Items at 9a and 9f, were put to the vote.

In accordance with legislative requirements, a recorded vote was then taken:

For the Cabinet recommendations to Council as set out in the minutes of that meeting, and with the agreed amendments at Items 9a and 9f:

Councillors Altaf-Khan, Arshad, Brown, Chapman, Clarkson, Corais, Coyne, Diggins, Fry, Fouweather, Gant, Goddard, Hollingsworth, Hunt, Jupp, Lygo, Miles, Munkonge, Ottino, Pressel, Qayyum, Railton, Rowley, Sandelson, Linda Smith, Roz Smith, Smowton,Turner, Upton, Waite (30)

Against the Cabinet recommendations to Council:

Councillor Azad (1)

Abstentions:

Councillors Djafari-Marbini, Harley, Henwood, Jarvis, Kerr, Latif, Morris, Muddiman, Mundy, Powell, Rawle, Regisford, Rehman, Robinson, Stares, Yeatman (16)

With more Councillors voting for than against, the resolution to approve the Cabinet recommendations, with the subsequent amendments as set out at Items 9a and 9f, the recommendations were carried.

Council resolved in accordance with the recorded vote to:

1.    Note the approval by Cabinet on 22 January 2025 and subsequently agreed by the Council on 27 January of an increase of 2.7% for 2025/26 (subject to any subsequent cap on increases imposed by central government) in social dwelling rents from 1st April 2025 giving an average weekly increase of £3.51 per week, and a revised weekly average social rent of £133.68 as set out in Appendix 5 based on a HRA budget as set out in Appendix 4, together with the comments in paragraphs 36- 39;

2.    Approve the budget in 2024-25 for the acquisition of Barton properties in the amount of £39,732,791 as referred to in paragraph 42 of this report;

3.    Approve the 2025-26 General Fund and Housing Revenue Account budgets and the General Fund and Housing Revenue Account Medium Term Financial Strategy as set out in Appendices 1-9, noting:

                                               i.     the Council’s General Fund Budget Requirement of £30.542 million for 2025/26 and an increase in the Band D Council Tax of 2.99% or £10.36 per annum representing a Band D Council Tax of £356.72 per annum; and

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

4.    Agree the fees and charges shown in Appendix 7;

5.    Delegate to the Section 151 Officer, in consultation with the Deputy Leader (Statutory) – Finance and Asset Management, 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 21-23 of the report; and

6.    Note the changes to council tax charges in respect of second homes premiums to be implemented on 1st April 2025, already approved by Council, as referred to in paragraphs 25-27.