RESOLVED
That Full Council be recommended to approve the following items regarding the 2022/23 Budget:
a) to approve the proposed 2022/23 General Fund Budget including savings rolled forward from the current financial year as set out in paragraph 6.4 of report FIN/549, this includes a transfer from reserves to cover the additional costs of Covid-19 of £451,730,
b) to approve the proposed 2022/23 Housing Revenue Account Budget as set out above and Appendix 3(ii) of the report FIN/549 which includes the growth items as set out in Table 9,
c) to agree to ringfence £1,055,000 of capital reserves for investment in the Towns Fund as a result of using an advance of 5% Government funding of the £21.1m in year. The requirement is to use this sum in year and set aside an equal sum of our own resources,
d) to agree to increase the capital budget for Tilgate Park lake erosion by £150,000 funded from the capital programme reserve, this will be repaid over a three year period by the park,
e) to approve the 2021/22 and future years Capital Programme and funding as set out in paragraph 11.6 of the report FIN/549,
f) to agree that the Council’s share of Council Tax for 2022/23 be increased by 2.31% (£4.95) from £213.84 to £218.79 for a band D property as set out in paragraph 13.1 of report FIN/549,
g) to approve the Pay Policy Statement for 2022/2023 as outlined in paragraph 16.3 and Appendix 6 of report FIN/549 noting that the pay award has yet to be agreed in the current financial year.
h) to agree to increase the capital budget for Temporary Accommodation by £6,000,000, funded from grant funding of £1,000,000 and borrowing of £5,000,000 and to note the changes to table 11 paragraph 11.6 as detailed in report FIN/560 which superseded the same table and paragraph in report FIN/549.
Reasons for the Recommendations
To provide adequate funding for the proposed level of services and to fulfil the statutory requirement to set a Budget and Council Tax and report on the robustness of estimates.
Increasing the capital programme for temporary accommodation by £6,000,000 to £8,400,000 will provide approximately 65 units of temporary accommodation. There are currently 121 in nightly paid accommodation and the use of these units will reduce Bed & Breakfast costs, this would cover the cost of borrowing for the schemes.