Agenda item

To consider the recommendations from the Corporate Policy Committee.

Appendix A – Recommendations to Council page 45

Appendix B - Corporate Plan (summary) page 47

Appendix C - Medium Term Financial Strategy 2023 to 2027 can be viewed from this link:APPENDIX C - MTFS 2023-2027 Council

Annex B – Summary of Responses can be viewed from this link: CE Budget Engagement 2023 - 2027

The Corporate Policy Committee, at its meeting on 9 February 2023, had considered a report on the Medium-Term Financial Strategy for Cheshire East Council for 2023-27.

The Corporate Policy Committee had recommended to Council the recommendations set out in Appendix A to the report.

The recommendations were proposed and seconded, and during the debate an amendment was proposed.

Amendment

1.            That Cheshire East Council, as the local highway authority, develops a Lane Rental Scheme and to prioritise its implementation, following approval by the Secretary of State

2.            That this item is added to the Highways and Transport Committee work programme (2023/24) and the Highways Team are asked to identify associated, process, costs and benefits of a scheme for Cheshire East Council with the intent to introduce potential benefits in the MTFS from 1st April 2024.

3.            That the benefits of the scheme, (financial and operational) are evaluated annually, as required under the legislation.

The amendment was moved and seconded.  The mover and seconder of the recommendations from the Corporate Policy Committee to Council agreed to accept the amendment and therefore the amendment became part of the substantive proposition.

Following debate on the substantive recommendations, these were put to the vote, and in accordance with legislation, a recorded vote was carried out with the following results:

FOR

Councillors Q Abel, S Akers Smith, L Anderson,  J Barber, L Braithwaite,
J Bratherton, S Brookfield, C Browne, J Buckley, C Bulman, P Butterill, S Corcoran, L Crane, A Critchley, D Edwardes. H Faddes, A Farrall, K Flavell, M Goldsmith, A Gregory, S Handley, A Harewood, S Hogben, M Houston, M Hunter, D Jefferay, L Jeuda, I Macfarlane, N Mannion, A Moran, R Moreton, D Murphy, C Naismith, J Nicholas, J Parry, B Puddicombe, J Rhodes, L Smith, A Stott, M Warren and P Williams.

AGAINST

Councillors R Bailey, M Beanland, M Benson, D Brown, J Clowes, S Davies, T Dean, S Edgar, JP Findlow, A Gage, S Gardiner, P Groves, G Hayes, S Holland, A Kolker, C Leach, S Pochin, P Redstone, J Saunders, M Sewart, M Simon, L Smetham, J Smith, D Stockton, L Wardlaw, J Weatherill, J Wray and N Wylie.

NOT  VOTING

Councillors R Fletcher, D Marren and B Murphy.

The motion was declared carried with 41 votes for, 28 against and 3 not voting.

RESOLVED:    

That Council notes

1             the report of the Council’s Chief Finance Officer (Section 151 Officer), contained within the MTFS Report, regarding the robustness of estimates and level of reserves held by the Council based on these budget proposals (Appendix C to the report, Report from the Section 151 Officer).

That Council, having given due regard to the report of the Chief Finance Officer, approves:

2             The Revenue estimates for the 2023/24 budget and the medium-term Capital Programme estimates 2023-2027, as detailed in the Medium-Term Financial Strategy Report (MTFS) 2023-2027 (Appendix C to the report).

3             Band D Council Tax of £1,707.39 representing an increase of 4.99%. This is below the referendum limit (including 2% ringfenced for Adult Social Care) and arises from the provisional finance settlement (Appendix C to the report, Section 2).

4             The 2022/23 planned use of Flexible Capital Receipts of £1.8m to fund transformational projects within the Council (Appendix C to the report, Section 2).

5             The allocation of Revenue Grant Funding for 2023/24 of £301.158m (Appendix C to the report, Annex 7), and delegates authority to the Chief Finance Officer, to approve supplementary estimates if the value of any named grant changes from the figures contained within Appendix C to the report, Annex 7 (noting that all such variations will subsequently be reported to the appropriate Committee, and that any new, previously unnamed, grants are subject to approval in-line with the Constitution)

6             The allocation of Capital Grant Funding for 2023/24 of £89.754m (Appendix C to the report, Annex 8), and delegates authority to the Chief Finance Officer, to approve supplementary estimates if the value of any named grant changes from the figures contained within Appendix C to the report, Annex 8 (noting that all such variations will subsequently be reported to the appropriate Committee, and that any new, previously unnamed, grants are subject to approval in-line with the Constitution)

7             The Capital Strategy (Appendix C to the report, Annex 10).

8             The Prudential Indicators for Capital Financing (Appendix C to the report, Annex 10).

9             The Treasury Management Strategy (Appendix C to the report, Annex 11).

10          The Investment Strategy; including the financial limits for various classifications of investment, and the investment decision making process set out in the Strategy (Appendix C to the report, Annex 12)

11          The Reserves Strategy (Appendix C to the report, Annex 13), which includes proposed movements to and from reserves.

12          The amendment to Key Decisions as defined in the Constitution and the financial limits to be included within the Council’s Finance Procedure Rules (Appendix C to the report, Annex 14).

13          The proposal, subject to Regulations being passed following the Levelling-Up and Regeneration Bill, to implement a premium second homes of up to 100% and to amend the timing of the premium on empty and unoccupied property with effect from 1 April 2024;

14       That Cheshire East Council, as the local highway authority, develops a Lane Rental Scheme and to prioritise its implementation, following approval by the Secretary of State.

            That this item is added to the Highways and Transport Committee work programme (2023/24) and the Highways Team are asked to identify associated, process, costs and benefits of a scheme for Cheshire East Council with the intent to introduce potential benefits in the MTFS from 1st April 2024.

That the benefits of the scheme, (financial and operational) are evaluated annually, as required under the legislation.

That Council recognises that Corporate Policy Committee noted:

15        The year-end outturn forecast position for 2022/23 (Appendix C to the report, Section 2).

16        The Budget Engagement exercise undertaken by the Council, as set out in the attached (Appendix C to the report, Annex 2a).

17        The results of the Budget Consultation (Appendix C to the report, Annex 2b).