Councillors Fry and Simm left the meeting at the start of this item.

Council had before it the report of the Head of Finance setting out the necessary calculations to enable Council to set the 2015/16 Council Tax for Oxford City, in accordance with the Local Government Finance Acts, 1988 and 1992, as amended by the Localism Act 2011.

Councillor Turner moved and Councillor Price seconded approval of the recommendations in the report.

In accordance with procedure rule 11.11 (d) a named vote was taken.

For the recommendations in the report – Councillors Abbasi, Altaf-Khan, Anwar, Brandt, Brown, Clack, Clarkson, Cook, Coulter, Fooks, Gant, Goddard, Gotch, Haines, Hayes, Henwood, Hollick, Hollingsworth, Humberstone, Kennedy, Lloyd-Shogbesan, Lygo, Malik, Munkonge, Paule, Pressel, Price, Rowley, Royce, Sanders, Seamons, Simmons, Sinclair, Smith, Tanner, Tarver, Thomas, Turner, Upton, Van Nooijen, Wade, Wilkinson and Wolff.

Against the recommendations in the report – None.

Abstentions – None.

Council resolved to approve for 2015/16:

1.    The City Council’s precept and Council Tax requirement of £12,072,263 (inclusive of Parish precepts) and £11,900,498 excluding Parish precepts.

2.    The average Band D Council Tax figure (excluding Parish Precepts) of £278.97 a 1.99% increase on 2014/15 figure of £273.53. Including Parish Precepts the figure is £283.00, a 2.02% increase (paragraph 3 of the report).

3.    The contribution of £10,000 to the Parish of Old Marston in recognition of the additional expenditure that the Parish incurs as a consequence of maintaining the cemetery (report paragraphs 11 and 12).

4.    The amount of £515,696 to be treated as Special Expenses (report paragraph 15).

5.    The Band D Council Taxes for the various areas of the City (excluding the Police and County Council’s additions) as follows:-

Littlemore                                                 £301.50

Old Marston                                             £308.19

Risinghurst and Sandhills                   £295.59

Blackbird Leys                                        £276.71

Unparished Area                                    £281.25

These figures include the Parish Precepts and special expensing amounts as appropriate in addition to the City-wide Council Tax of £266.88.

The Council also noted:

6.    Oxfordshire County Council’s precept and Band D Council Tax as set out in paragraph 18 of the report.

7.    The Police and Crime Commissioner for the Thames Valley’s precept and Band D Council Tax as set out in paragraph 19 of the report, and

8.    The overall average Band D equivalent Council Tax of £1,679.16 including Parish Precepts