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Budget Setting Report (General Fund) 2023/24 to 2027/28

Meeting: 23/02/2023 - Council (Item 5)

5 Budget Setting Report (General Fund) 2023/24 to 2027/28 pdf icon PDF 144 KB

The appendix G to the report contains exempt information during which the public is likely to be excluded from the meeting subject to determination by the Council following consideration of a public interest test.  This exclusion would be made under paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972.

 

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Executive presented its budget recommendations as set out in the Council Agenda and as published on the City Council’s website.

 

The Liberal Democrat Group Members presented the Liberal Democrat Group’s alternative budget as published on the City Council’s website.

 

The Green and Independent Group Members presented the Green and Independent Group budget amendment and comments as published on the City Council’s website.

 

On a show of hands the Liberal Democrat Group’s alternative budget amendment was lost by:

 

8 votes in favour: Bick, Flaubert, Hauk, Lee, Levien, Nethsingha, Payne, Porrer

 

To 22 votes against: Ashton, Bennett, Bird, Carling, Collis, Davey, Divkovic, Gawthrope Wood, Gilderdale, Healy, Herbert, McPherson, Pounds, Robertson, Sheil, Smart, A.Smith, S.Smith, Sweeney, Swift, Thornburrow, Todd-Jones

 

3 Abstentions: Copley, Davies, Howard

 

In accordance with the Council’s budget procedure, Councillor Bick moved separately the following proposals, which formed part of the Liberal Democrat Group alternative budget:

 

Reference - the deletion of S5118 – Closing some Public Conveniences (see agenda item 5b - Liberal Democrat Group Amendment to the General Fund Budget p3)

 

The amendment was lost by:

 

12 votes in favour: Bennett, Bick, Copley, Davies, Flaubert, Hauk, Howard, Lee, Levien, Nethsingha, Payne, Porrer

 

To 21 votes against: Ashton, Bird, Carling, Collis, Davey, Divkovic, Gawthrope Wood, Gilderdale, Healy, Herbert, McPherson, Pounds, Robertson, Sheil, Smart, A.Smith, S.Smith, Sweeney, Swift, Thornburrow, Todd-Jones

 

Reference – the deletion in 2023/24 of – S5102 Cancel Big Weekend City Event (see agenda item 5b - Liberal Democrat Group Amendment to the General Fund Budget p3)

 

The amendment was lost by

 

8 votes in favour: Bick, Flaubert, Hauk, Lee, Levien, Nethsingha, Payne, Porrer

 

To 22 votes against: Ashton, Bennett, Bird, Carling, Collis, Davey, Divkovic, Gawthrope Wood, Gilderdale, Healy, Herbert, McPherson, Pounds, Robertson, Sheil, Smart, A.Smith, S.Smith, Sweeney, Swift, Thornburrow, Todd-Jones

 

3 Abstentions: Copley, Davies, Howard

 

In accordance with the Council’s budget procedure, Councillor Bennett moved separately the following proposals, which formed part of the Green and Independent Group’s budget amendments.

 

Reference A To reallocate the proposed £35k saving from the unused tourism budget (S5104) and the proposed £25k increased income from the cessation of the market traders Direct Debit reduction (II5138) to enable the recruitment of further staff to the central market team (see agenda item 5c – Green and Independent Group Budget Submission for General Fund p2)

 

The amendment was lost by:

 

4 votes in favour: Bennett, Copley, Davies, Howard

 

To 21 votes against: Ashton, Bird, Carling, Collis, Davey, Divkovic, Gawthrope Wood, Gilderdale, Healy, Herbert, McPherson, Pounds, Robertson, Sheil, Smart, A.Smith, S.Smith, Sweeney, Swift, Thornburrow, Todd-Jones

 

8 Abstentions: Bick, Flaubert, Hauk, Lee, Levien, Nethsingha, Payne, Porrer

 

Reference B To note and to reflect upon of the recommendations in section 3 and convene a cross party group to meet at regular intervals with a view to placing final proposals before full council in early 2024 (see agenda item 5c – Green and Independent Group Budget Submission for General Fund p2)

 

The amendment was lost by:

 

4 votes in favour: Bennett, Copley, Davies, Howard

 

To 21 votes against: Ashton, Bird, Carling, Collis, Davey, Divkovic, Gawthrope Wood, Gilderdale, Healy, Herbert, McPherson, Pounds, Robertson, Sheil, Smart, A.Smith, S.Smith, Sweeney, Swift, Thornburrow, Todd-Jones

 

8 Abstentions: Bick, Flaubert, Hauk, Lee, Levien, Nethsingha, Payne, Porrer

 

Unless otherwise stated, all references in the recommendations to sections, pages and appendices relate to Version 4.0 (Council) of the Budget Setting Report (BSR). This can be found via: Agenda for Council on Thursday, 23rd February, 2023, 6.00 pm - Cambridge Council

 

It was RESOLVED to agree the Executive’s budget proposals by:

 

24 votes in favour: Ashton, Bennett, Bird, Carling, Collis, Copley Davey, Davies Divkovic, Gawthrope Wood, Gilderdale, Healy, Herbert, McPherson, Pounds, Robertson, Sheil, Smart, A.Smith, S.Smith, Sweeney, Swift, Thornburrow, Todd-Jones

 

To 9 Abstentions: Bick, Flaubert, Hauk, Howard Lee, Levien, Nethsingha, Payne, Porrer

 

To approve the following:

 

i.    Revenue Pressures and Bids shown in Appendix C(b) and Savings shown in Appendix C(c).

ii.  Non-Cash Limit items as shown in Appendix C(d).

iii. Bids to be funded from External Funding sources as shown in Appendix C(e).

iv.Delegate to the Chief Financial Officer (Head of Finance) of the calculation and determination of the Council Tax taxbase (including submission of the National Non-Domestic Rates Forecast Form, NNDR1, for each financial year) which is set out in Appendix A(a).

v.  The level of Council Tax for 2023/24 as set out in Appendix A (b) and Section 2, page 2

vi.Delegate to the Head of Finance authority to finalise changes relating to any further corporate and/or departmental restructuring and any reallocation of support service and central costs, in accordance with the CIPFA Service Reporting Code of Practice for Local Authorities (SeRCOP).

vii.   The proposals outlined in Appendix D(a) for inclusion in the Capital Plan.

viii. Subject to vii above, the revised Capital Plan for the General Fund as set out in Appendix D(c) and the Funding as set out in Section 5, page 17.

ix.    The impact of revenue budget approvals and the resulting contribution to reserves [Section 6, page 21].

x.      The creation of an Energy Cost Earmarked Reserve as set out in Section 6, page 21.

xi.    The resulting level of reserves [Section 6, page 21].

xii.   The Chief Finance Officer’s Section 25 Report included in Section 8 of the BSR [page 32].

xiii. The schedule of proposed fees and charges for 2023/24 in Appendix F.