Agenda item

The Council considered a report, presented by the Mayor of Doncaster, Ros Jones, which sought approval of the Revenue Budget proposals for 2021/22 to 2023/24.

The Mayor stated that despite significant financial challenges, a balanced budget was being proposed for the next 3 years, which continued to support residents, communities and the local economy, maintaining a strong focus on supporting vulnerable people and improving the environment.  Since 2010, the Council’s spending power had been reduced by £107m (29%); this represented a £350 cut per Doncaster resident.  The COVID-19 pandemic had placed unprecedented stress on Council services and these ultimately impacted on the budget through increased costs and reduced income streams.  The additional funding provided by Government had helped ease the financial pressures however, the future financial position remained extremely uncertain.

The Mayor reported that the budget included £11.7m over the next 3 years for service budget pressures.  This provided additional funding for Children and Adult Services to meet the increasing demands on these services, support for the Council’s partners, Doncaster Culture and Leisure Trust and increasing the funding for the Local Council Tax Reduction Scheme, which continued to provide a much needed safety net for those on low incomes who were more likely to have been badly impacted by the current pandemic at no fault of their own.  It also provided additional funding to target Fly Tipping, it supported the continuation of the Advance Employment Support Programme and further targeted investment to tackle climate change through the creation of a sustainability unit. 

The Mayor pointed out that overall the Council was facing a budget gap of £18.9m over the next 3 years, with the biggest impact of £15.2m in 2021/22.  The budget was balanced over the 3 years once COVID-19 funds were used, ensuring that sufficient general uncommitted reserves were maintained for unforeseen events in the future such as flooding. 

It was reported that the budget included an increase in Council Tax of 2.9% in 2021/22, which would generate £3.3m to help meet the pressures identified.  This included a 1.4% Council Tax increase and a further 1.5% increase through the Government’s Social Care ‘Precept’, which supported elderly and vulnerable residents, which was below the maximum allowable increase of 5%, which the Government encouraged the Council to implement.  This equated to an additional 52p per week for Band A and 78p per week for Band D, and meant that Doncaster would continue to have one of the lowest Council Taxes in Councils of its size in the country (11th lowest in 2020/21) and the lowest in South Yorkshire.  The budget also included a freeze on the vast majority of the Council’s fees and charges.

Members were informed that the overall gross Revenue Budget for the Council in 2021/22 was £503.5m, but noted that although the Council had set a balanced budget over 3 years, the financial position remained uncertain over the medium-term, as the Council was facing significant volatility in its costs and levels of income, in addition to uncertainty in relation to funding from Government.  The focus on finance was never-ending and the Council needed to keep working hard to maintain a strong sustainable financial base to provide resources for priorities, and to ensure as smooth as possible transition from the Covid pandemic.

The Mayor hoped that Councillors from across the political spectrum vote with her on this budget which was well balanced and supported the aims and ambitions of this Council to support the people of Doncaster, as the Council respond and recover from Coronavirus. 

In conclusion, the Mayor pointed out that voting against the proposals or abstaining without putting forward any suggested alternatives or an alternative budget, would be opposing for the simple sake of opposing.

Following the presentation of the Revenue Budget proposals, Members were afforded the opportunity to comment on the report.

In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 21.4, a recorded vote was taken on the recommendations contained within the report, which was declared as follows:-

For - 48

The Chair of Council, Councillor Paul Wray, the Vice-Chair of Council, Councillor Andrea Robinson, the Mayor of Doncaster, Ros Jones, the Deputy Mayor, Councillor Glyn Jones, and Councillors Nick Allen, Duncan Anderson, Lani-Mae Ball, Nigel Ball, Iris Beech, Joe Blackham, Nigel Cannings, Bev Chapman, Phil Cole, Mick Cooper, Jane Cox, Steve Cox, Linda Curran, George Derx, Susan Durant, John Gilliver, Martin Greenhalgh, Pat Haith, John Healy, Rachel Hodson, Charlie Hogarth, Mark Houlbrook, David Hughes, Eva Hughes, Richard A Jones, Majid Khan, Jane Kidd, Nikki McDonald, Tosh McDonald, Chris McGuinness, Sue McGuinness, Bill Mordue, David Nevett, Jane Nightingale, Ian Pearson, Andy Pickering, Cynthia Ransome, Tina Reid, Kevin Rodgers, Dave Shaw, Frank Tyas, Austen White, Sue Wilkinson and Jonathan Wood.

Against - 0

Abstain - 1

Councillor Sean Gibbons.

On being put to the meeting, the recommendations contained within the report were declared CARRIED.

RESOLVED that the Revenue Budget for 2021/22 to 2023/24, as detailed within the report, be approved including:-

(1)      the Medium-term Financial Strategy (MTFS) including all proposals in this report as detailed within in Appendix A;

(2)      a Gross Revenue Expenditure Budget of £503.5m and a net Revenue Expenditure Budget of £199.6m, as detailed in Appendix A;

(3)      Council Tax increasing by 2.9% to £1,446.10 for a Band D property (£964.07 for a Band A) for 2021/22.  This includes:-

(i)      1.4% Council tax increase, equating to an increase of £19.67 for Band D per annum, 38p per week (£13.12 for Band A per annum, 25p per week); and

(ii)     1.5% Government Adult Social Care precept, equating to an increase of £21.08 for Band D per annum, 40p per week (£14.05 for Band A per annum, 27p per week).

(4)      the Revenue Budget proposals for 2021/22, as detailed within Appendix B (pressures £10.2m) and Appendices C and D (savings £10.0m);

(5)      the allocation of the additional £2.975m Social Care funding be delegated to the Director of Learning, Opportunities and Skills and Assistant Director of Finance (Section 151) in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Children, Young People and Skills, as detailed within paragraph 38 of the report;

(6)      the 2021/22 Grants to 3rd Sector Organisations, as detailed within paragraph 47 of the report and Appendix F;

(7)      the fees and charges proposed for 2021/22, as detailed within Appendix G;

(8)      the Chief Financial Officer’s positive assurance statements be noted, as detailed within paragraphs 57 to 62 of the report.