Issue - decisions

Council Plan and Budget 2022/23

14/03/2022 - Council Plan and Budget 2022/23

69.1     The Cabinet Member for Finance and Property moved the report on the Council Plan and budget for 2022/23, the Capital Strategy 2022-27 and the Treasury Management Strategy Statement 2022/23 (budget pack pages 1 to 187).

 

69.2     An amendment was moved by Cllr Lord and seconded by Cllr O’Kellyas set out below.

 

Proposed changes to the Revenue Budget

 

Growth

 

Ongoing changes to the revenue budget

2022/23

£m

Resource 2 additional officer posts (2 FTE) within the highways team - one to accelerate the active travel programme and one to develop proposals on improving bus services as highlighted in the Levelling Up White Paper

0.081

Increase the Occupational Therapist resource to deliver reablement at home to support independence (3 FTE)

0.135

Enhance support to carers through additional Carers Support Officers (2 FTE) to allow people who are acting as carers to continue caring for as long as possible and prevent carer breakdown

0.080

Increase the current climate change administration of 1 FTE by an additional officer resource to administer the climate emergency fund

0.040

Additional Mental Health Support Team for Schools

0.370

Specialist team focused on preventative and educational work on disordered eating working within schools and supporting families (6 early help workers plus team manager)

0.267

Additional resource to Highways for road safety maintenance

0.500

Total

1.473

 

Reduction options

 

Ongoing changes to the revenue budget

2022/23

£m

Increased discretionary fees and charges by 2.5% over RPI

0.500

Commission a review by the Independent Remuneration Panel to endorse the 25% reduction to the Special Responsibility Allowances for members (excluding Foster Panel)

0.086

Removal of Advisers to Cabinet Members

0.026

Communications (20% reduction to budget)

0.291

Policy Team (20% reduction to budget)

0.060

HR & Organisational Change (3% reduction to budget)

0.210

Executive PAs (16% reduction to budget)

0.100

Customer experience (5% reduction to budget)

0.080

Intelligence & Performance (9% reduction to budget)

0.120

Total

1.473

 

Proposed changes to the Capital Programme

 

Growth

 

Ongoing changes to the Capital Programme

2022/23

£m

Fund a Climate Emergency fund to encourage innovative community projects that will reduce carbon levels locally and improve our environment

1.000

Additional funding for Public Rights of Way capital improvements, pedestrian and cycling infrastructure

1.000

Total

2.000

 

Funding

 

Ongoing changes to the Capital Programme

2022/23

£m

Capital Improvement budget already included within Capital Programme. The 2022/23 budget is £0.475 and £1.525 will be re-profiled (brought forward) from 2023/24

1.525

0.475

Total

2.000

 

69.3     The amendment was put to a recorded vote under Standing Order 3.36.

 

(a)         For the amendment – 20

 

Cllr Baxter, Cllr Cherry, Cllr Chowdhury, Cllr B Cooper, Cllr Cornell, Cllr Gibson, Cllr Johnson, Cllr Joy, Cllr Kerry-Bedell, Cllr Lord, Cllr Mercer, Cllr Milne, Cllr O’Kelly, Cllr Oppler, Cllr Oxlade, Cllr Pudaloff, Cllr Quinn, Cllr Sharp, Cllr Turley and Cllr Walsh.

 

(b)         Against the amendment – 40

 

Cllr Albury, Cllr Ali, Cllr Atkins, Cllr Baldwin, Cllr Bennett, Cllr Boram, Cllr Bradbury, Cllr Britton, Cllr Burgess, Cllr Burrett, Cllr Charles, Cllr A Cooper, Cllr Crow, Cllr J Dennis, Cllr Duncton, Cllr Elkins, Cllr Evans, Cllr Forbes, Cllr Greenway, Cllr Hillier, Cllr Hunt, Cllr A Jupp, Cllr N Jupp, Cllr Kenyon, Cllr Lanzer, Cllr Markwell, Cllr Marshall, Cllr McGregor, Cllr Mitchell, Cllr Montyn, Cllr Oakley, Cllr Patel, Cllr Payne, Cllr Pendleton, Cllr Russell, Cllr Sparkes, Cllr Urquhart, Cllr Waight, Cllr Wall and Cllr Wickremaratchi.

 

(c)          Abstentions – 0

 

69.4     The amendment was lost.

 

69.5     Labour amendment 1 was moved by Cllr Baxter and seconded by Cllr Oxlade as set out below.

 

Revenue Budget

 

Growth

2022/23

£m

2023/24

£m

BAME Community Outreach Officer - Fund a 0.5 FTE officer post in the fostering service for specific communications support to engage hard-to-reach Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities

0.023

 

Sustainable Transport Officer - Fund an additional officer post in the highways team to focus on and accelerate sustainable travel and transport to support decarbonisation of transport throughout the county

0.045

 

Road Safety Officer - Fund an additional officer post in the highways team dedicated to improving road safety across the county

0.045

 

Service Users and Carers Support Officer FTE - Fund an additional officer to provide dedicated support and improve communications with carers

0.045

 

Total Growth

0.158

 

 

Reduction

2022/23

£m

2023/24

£m

Commission a review by the Independent Remuneration Panel to endorse the proposed change to remove the Special Responsibility Allowance for the 6 Adviser to Cabinet Member posts

0.023

 

Commission a review by the Independent Remuneration Panel to endorse the proposed change to apply a 22% reduction to the remaining Special Responsibility Allowances for members

0.079

 

Remove the budget for member catering

0.011

 

Total Reduction

0.158

 

 

69.6     The amendment 1 was put to a recorded vote under Standing Order 3.36.

 

(a)         For the amendment – 20

 

Cllr Baxter, Cllr Cherry, Cllr Chowdhury, Cllr B Cooper, Cllr Cornell, Cllr Gibson, Cllr Johnson, Cllr Joy, Cllr Kerry-Bedell, Cllr Lord, Cllr Mercer, Cllr Milne, Cllr O’Kelly, Cllr Oppler, Cllr Oxlade, Cllr Pudaloff, Cllr Quinn, Cllr Sharp, Cllr Turley and Cllr Walsh.

 

(b)         Against the amendment – 40

 

Cllr Albury, Cllr Ali, Cllr Atkins, Cllr Baldwin, Cllr Bennett, Cllr Boram, Cllr Bradbury, Cllr Britton, Cllr Burgess, Cllr Burrett, Cllr Charles, Cllr A Cooper, Cllr Crow, Cllr J Dennis, Cllr Duncton, Cllr Elkins, Cllr Evans, Cllr Forbes, Cllr Greenway, Cllr Hillier, Cllr Hunt, Cllr A Jupp, Cllr N Jupp, Cllr Kenyon, Cllr Lanzer, Cllr Markwell, Cllr Marshall, Cllr McGregor, Cllr Mitchell, Cllr Montyn, Cllr Oakley, Cllr Patel, Cllr Payne, Cllr Pendleton, Cllr Russell, Cllr Sparkes, Cllr Urquhart, Cllr Waight, Cllr Wall and Cllr Wickremaratchi.

 

(c)          Abstentions – 0

 

69.7     The amendment was lost.

 

69.8     Labour amendment 2 was moved by Cllr Baxter and seconded by Cllr Oxlade as set out below.

 

Capital programme - Funded by re-profiling the SEND development programme in 2023/24

 

Growth

2022/23

£m

2023/24

£m

Accelerate the programme of special support centres within mainstream schools in order to reduce the number of out-of-county placements, transport costs and pressure on the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG)

 

Re-profiled budget for the SEND development programme

0.600

-0.600

Total Impact SEND Development Programme

0.600

-0.600

 

DSG Reductions

2022/23

£m

2023/24

£m

Accelerating the programme of special support centres within mainstream schools will deliver a reduction to the future years revenue budget which would reduce the deficit on the Dedicated Schools Grant. The additional borrowing costs will be funded through savings on SEND transport costs.

 

0.360

Total Budget reductions

0.00

0.360

 

69.9     The amendment 2 was put to a recorded vote under Standing Order 3.36.

 

(a)         For the amendment – 20

 

Cllr Baxter, Cllr Cherry, Cllr Chowdhury, Cllr B Cooper, Cllr Cornell, Cllr Gibson, Cllr Johnson, Cllr Joy, Cllr Kerry-Bedell, Cllr Lord, Cllr Mercer, Cllr Milne, Cllr O’Kelly, Cllr Oppler, Cllr Oxlade, Cllr Pudaloff, Cllr Quinn, Cllr Sharp, Cllr Turley and Cllr Walsh.

 

(b)         Against the amendment – 40

 

Cllr Albury, Cllr Ali, Cllr Atkins, Cllr Baldwin, Cllr Bennett, Cllr Boram, Cllr Bradbury, Cllr Britton, Cllr Burgess, Cllr Burrett, Cllr Charles, Cllr A Cooper, Cllr Crow, Cllr J Dennis, Cllr Duncton, Cllr Elkins, Cllr Evans, Cllr Forbes, Cllr Greenway, Cllr Hillier, Cllr Hunt, Cllr A Jupp, Cllr N Jupp, Cllr Kenyon, Cllr Lanzer, Cllr Markwell, Cllr Marshall, Cllr McGregor, Cllr Mitchell, Cllr Montyn, Cllr Oakley, Cllr Patel, Cllr Payne, Cllr Pendleton, Cllr Russell, Cllr Sparkes, Cllr Urquhart, Cllr Waight, Cllr Wall and Cllr Wickremaratchi.

 

(c)          Abstentions – 0

 

69.10  The amendment was lost.

 

69.11  The recommendations were put to a recorded vote under Standing Order 3.36.

 

(a)         For the recommendations – 40

 

Cllr Albury, Cllr Ali, Cllr Atkins, Cllr Baldwin, Cllr Bennett, Cllr Boram, Cllr Bradbury, Cllr Britton, Cllr Burgess, Cllr Burrett, Cllr Charles, Cllr A Cooper, Cllr Crow, Cllr J Dennis, Cllr Duncton, Cllr Elkins, Cllr Evans, Cllr Forbes, Cllr Greenway, Cllr Hillier, Cllr Hunt, Cllr A Jupp, Cllr N Jupp, Cllr Kenyon, Cllr Lanzer, Cllr Markwell, Cllr Marshall, Cllr McGregor, Cllr Mitchell, Cllr Montyn, Cllr Oakley, Cllr Patel, Cllr Payne, Cllr Pendleton, Cllr Russell, Cllr Sparkes, Cllr Urquhart, Cllr Waight, Cllr Wall and Cllr Wickremaratchi.

 

(b)         Against the recommendations – 19

 

Cllr Baxter, Cllr Cherry, Cllr Chowdhury, Cllr B Cooper, Cllr Cornell, Cllr Johnson, Cllr Joy, Cllr Kerry-Bedell, Cllr Lord, Cllr Mercer, Cllr Milne, Cllr O’Kelly, Cllr Oppler, Cllr Oxlade, Cllr Pudaloff, Cllr Quinn, Cllr Sharp, Cllr Turley and Cllr Walsh.

 

(c)          Abstentions – 1

 

Cllr Gibson

 

69.12  The recommendations were carried.

 

69.13  Resolved

 

(1)         Our Council Plan and KPIs for 2022/23 (as set out in paragraph 1.7 and Appendix 8 to the report).

 

(2)         Net revenue expenditure in 2022/23 of £648.342m (as set out in paragraph 4.1 and Appendix 1 to the report).

 

(3)         An increase in council tax in 2022/23 of 2.99% comprising 1.0% for Adults’ Social Care and 1.99% to support other General Fund services.

 

(4)         The following amounts be approved for the financial year 2022/23 in accordance with Section 42A of the Local Government Finance Act 1992:

 

(a)      That the council tax requirement for 2022/23 is £532.646m.

 

(b)      The council tax base for the year 2022/23 is the aggregate amount calculated of Band D equivalents by the billing authorities to which the County Council issues precepts totalling 342,375.00.

 

(c)      The amount of council tax being the council tax requirement at 4(a) above divided by the council tax base at 4(b) above, shall be £1,555.74 to the nearest penny for Band D.

 

(d)      The amount of council tax payable for dwellings listed in a particular valuation band, calculated in accordance with the proportion set out in Section 5(1) of the Act, shall be as follows:

 

Band

Amount

Band

Amount

A

£1,037.16

E

£1,901.46

B

£1,210.02

F

£2,247.18

C

£1,382.88

G

£2,592.90

D

£1,555.74

H

£3,111.48

 

(e)      That the district and borough councils be requested to make payments totalling £532.646m to West Sussex County Council of sums due under precepts calculated in proportion to their council tax Band D equivalents as set out in section 7 of the report.

 

(5)         The delegation to the Director of Finance and Support Services of authority to make changes to the report on net revenue expenditure or to the precepts required:

 

·         as a result of a change in the council tax base notified by the district and borough councils;

·         arising from updated information from the district and borough councils to the council tax collection funds and business rates forecast and collection funds; or

·         arising from any funding announcements from central government.

 

All such changes of funding (positive or negative) to be applied through the appropriate reserve.

 

(6)         These ancillary financial management provisions:

 

(a)      The Capital Strategy for the period 2022/23 to 2026/27, as set out in Annex 2(a) to the report.

 

(b)      The Flexible Use of Capital Receipts Strategy as set out within the Capital Strategy, Annex 2(a) to the report, section 8.

 

(c)      The Treasury Management Strategy Statement 2022/23, as set out in Annex 2(b) to the report.

 

(d)      The Prudential Indicators, as set out in Annex 2(c) to the report.

 

(7)         The importance of effective lobbying with local, regional and national partners to ensure the Government understands the needs of West Sussex residents, businesses and communities.

 

(8)         An allocation of up to £3.0m be made available to provide funding to support the continuation of the council tax hardship schemes across the West Sussex districts and boroughs for 2022/23.