Agenda item

The Council is obliged to set a balanced budget and council tax charge in accordance with the Local Government Finance Act 1992.

The 2022/23 revenue budget proposals are set out regarding:

·       A Council Tax freeze

·       £7.434m of new investment in services

·       Savings proposals

·       Fees and charges

·       Budget risks, reserves and balances

·       Equalities Impact Assessments

7.20pm – The report and recommendations were moved for adoption by the Leader of the Council, Councillor Stephen Cowan.

In accordance with Council convention, the Leader of the Council, Councillor Stephen Cowan, and the Leader of the Opposition, Councillor Victoria Brocklebank-Fowler, were given unlimited time to speak on the Budget report.

Speeches on the report were also made by Councillors Andrew Jones, Helen Rowbottom, and Rowan Ree (for the Administration) – and Councillors Adronie Alford and Andrew Brown (for the Opposition).

The Leader of the Council, Councillor Stephen Cowan, then made a speech winding up the debate.

The report and recommendations were put to the vote and a roll-call was undertaken, in accordance with Council convention when voting on the budget:

FOR                        17

AGAINST                10

NOT VOTING         1

The recommendations were declared CARRIED.

9.09pm – RESOLVED

That Full Council, for the reasons set out in the report and appendices, agreed:

1.             To freeze the Hammersmith & Fulham element of the council tax charge for 2022/23 and not apply the 2% increase modelled by the government for the coming year.

2.             To not apply the government modelled “adult social care precept” levy of 1% for 2022/23, and to instead use council savings and income to fund growth in adult social care spending.

3.             To set the Council’s own total net expenditure budget for 2022/23 at £125.657m.

4.             To approve £7.434m of new investment on key services for residents.

5.             To approve fees and charges, as set out in paragraph 10, including freezing charges in adult social care, children’s services and general fund housing.

6.             To note the budget projections to 2025/26 made by the Director of Finance in consultation with the Strategic Leadership Team.

7.             To note the statement of the Director of Finance, under Section 25 of the Local Government Act 2003, regarding the adequacy of reserves and robustness of estimates (paragraph 37 of the report).

8.             To approve the reserves strategy and realignment of reserves as set out in Appendix J and Appendix K (of the report).

9.             To require all Directors to report on their projected financial position compared to their revenue estimates in accordance with the Corporate Revenue Monitoring Report timetable.

10.          To authorise Directors to implement their service spending plans for 2022/23 in accordance with the recommendations within this report, the Council's Standing Orders, Financial Regulations, relevant Schemes of Delegation and undertake any further consultation required regarding the Equalities Impact Assessment.

11.          Set the Council’s element of council tax for 2022/23 for each category of dwelling, as outlined in the table below and in full in Appendix A (of the report) and calculated in accordance with Sections 31A to 49B of the Localism Act 2011.

12.          To note, based on the Mayor of London’s draft consolidated budget, the element of council tax to be charged by the Greater London Authority in accordance with Section 40 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 for each of the categories of dwellings as shown in the table below .

13.          That the overall council tax to be set at £1,227.55 per Band D property as follows:

14.          To authorise the Director of Finance to collect and recover National Non-Domestic Rate and council tax in accordance with the Local Government Finance Act 1988 (as amended), the Local Government Finance Act 1992 and the Council’s Scheme of Delegation.

15.          To note the requirement to amend the local Council Tax Support Scheme in relation to energy bills rebate payments and delegate authority to the Strategic Director of the Environment in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Finance and Commercial Services to amend and approve the detailed scheme before 11 March 2022.

16.          That the Council opts-in to the sector led ‘appointing person’ regime operated by Public Sector Audit Appointments (PSAA) for the appointment of the external auditor (including Pension Fund) for the years 2023-28.