Issue - meetings

Appendix I(ii) to the report contains exempt information during which the public is likely to be excluded from the meeting subject to determination by 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.

The Executive presented its budget recommendations as set out in the Council Agenda. Agenda for Council on Monday, 24th February, 2025, 6.00 pm - Cambridge Council

 

The Liberal Democrat Group presented the Liberal Democrat Group’s alternative budget as set out in the Information Pack circulated around the Chamber and published on the City Council’s website.

 

The Green Group spoke to their budget commentary as set out in the Information Pack circulated around the Chamber and published on the City Council’s website.

 

Under the Council’s budget procedure, the Liberal Democrat Group’s alternative budget was deemed to have been moved and seconded as an amendment.

 

A vote on the Liberal Democrat Group’s alternative budget amendment was lost by:

 

10 votes in favour: Councillors Bick, Blackburn-Horgan, Flaubert, Hauk, Hossain, Lee, Martinelli, Payne, Porrer, Young

 

To 22 votes against: Councillors Baigent, Bird, Carling, Davey, Divkovic, Gardiner-Smith, Gawthrope Wood, Gilderdale, Griffin, Holloway, McPherson, Moore, Nestor, Pounds, Robertson, Sheil, Smart, S Smith, Swift, Thittala, Thornburrow, Wade.

 

5 Abstentions: Councillors Ashton, Bennett, Clough, Howard, Tong

 

In accordance with the Council’s budget procedure, Councillor Bick moved a separate vote on the Liberal Democrat budget proposal v) Public Toilets. The amendment sought to suspend savings proposal S5257 (Reduction in the Provision of Public Toilets) in its entirety for a six-month period. Cost of proposal: One-off cost of £60,500 in 2025/26.

 

The proposal was lost by:

 

15 votes in favour: Councillors Ashton, Bennett, Bick, Blackburn-Horgan, Clough, Flaubert, Hauk, Hossain, Howard, Lee, Martinelli, Payne, Porrer, Tong, Young

 

To 21 votes against: Councillors Baigent, Bird, Carling, Davey, Divkovic, Gardiner-Smith, Gawthrope Wood, Gilderdale, Griffin, Holloway, Moore, Nestor, Pounds, Robertson, Sheil, Smart, S Smith, Swift, Thittala, Thornburrow, Wade.

 

1 Abstention: Councillor McPherson

 

Unless otherwise stated, all references in the recommendations to sections, pages and appendices relate to the Council Version of the Budget Setting Report (BSR).

 

This can be found via: Agenda for Council on Monday, 24th February, 2025, 6.00 pm - Cambridge Council

 

Councillor Moore clarified a typographical error in Appendix I – Review of Charges. In the Shared Waste table of charges on p391 of the Council agenda, reference to ‘2^nd’ in relation to additional blue bins should be deleted. Charges were only to apply to additional 3^rd and 4^th blue bins.

 

Resolved by:

 

22 votes in favour: Councillors Baigent, Bird, Carling, Davey, Divkovic, Gardiner-Smith, Gawthrope Wood, Gilderdale, Griffin, Holloway, McPherson, Moore, Nestor, Pounds, Robertson, Sheil, Smart, S Smith, Swift, Thittala, Thornburrow, Wade.

 

To 13 votes against: Councillors Bennett, Bick, Blackburn-Horgan, Clough, Flaubert, Hauk, Hossain, Howard, Martinelli, Payne, Porrer, Tong, Young

 

1 Abstention: Councillor Ashton

 

To approve the Executive’s budget proposals to:

i.               Approve the revenue pressures and bids shown in Appendix D(a) and the revenue savings and increased income shown in Appendix D(b).

ii.             Delegate to the Chief Finance Officer the calculation and determination of the council tax taxbase which is set out at Appendix A(a).

iii.            Approve the increase to the city council share of council tax for 2025/26 at 2.99%, and the updated council tax levels as set out on page 17 of the attached Budget Setting Report 2025/26.

iv.           Delegate authority to the Chief Finance Officer to reallocate budgets between services in relation to 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).

v.             Approve the capital proposals set out at Appendix E(a), the revised capital plan set out at Appendix E(c), and the revised capital funding approach set out on page 28 of the attached Budget Setting Report 2025/26.

vi.           Approve the Capital Strategy 2025/26 attached at Appendix H.

vii.          Note the impact of budget proposals upon General Fund unallocated reserves, as set out on page 34 of the attached Budget Setting Report 2025/26.

viii.        Note the key risks to the council’s financial sustainability highlighted in the table on pages 30-31 of the attached Budget Setting Report 2025/26.

ix.           Approve in principle a contribution to the Civic Quarter Development Reserve equivalent to the net underspend against budget for the 2024/25 financial year (currently forecast at £4.0 million).

x.             Approve transfers to earmarked reserves totalling £6.602 million in 2025/26 as set out on pages 32-33 of the attached Budget Setting Report 2025/26.

xi.           Note the Chief Finance Officer’s Section 25 Report, covering the robustness of estimates and adequacy of reserves, included at section 7 of the attached Budget Setting Report 2025/26.

xii.          Approve the Treasury Management Strategy 2025/26 attached at Appendix G, including the prudential and treasury management indicators set out at Annexe C.

xiii.        Approve a change to the maturity structure prudential indicator, such that all new borrowing will have a maturity of at least 5 years (rather than the previous 10 years), as explained at paragraph 3.8 of Appendix G.

xiv.        Reconfirm that the incomes below will be disregarded (if above the £10 statutory disregard) when calculating entitlement to housing benefit and/or council tax reduction. These schemes are often called local or modified schemes:

•   War disablement pension

•   War widow, widower or surviving civil partner pension

•   Armed Forces Independence Payment

Note that the estimated cost to the council for payments of housing benefit made under the local scheme is £1,777.50 and for council tax reduction less than £50.

xv.         Note the Equality Impact Assessment in Appendix F covering all General Fund budget proposals.

xvi.        Note the schedule of proposed fees and charges for 2025/26 in Appendix I(i) and Confidential Appendix I(ii).