Agenda item

Prior to Members’ consideration of the report, the Chair of Council, Councillor George Derx, reminded Members there was a legal requirement to include in the minutes, details of how each Elected Member had voted on decisions relating to the budget and level of Council Tax.  Therefore, agenda items 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 would all be subject to a recorded vote and voting preferences would be documented in the minutes.

The Monitoring Officer reported that as outlined in the various budget reports, the financial challenges faced by both this Council and indeed other Councils, were large. He explained that it was difficult to make savings on the scale required without any impact on services and residents, and there would inevitably be some impact on particular groups, including those with protected characteristics as defined by the Equality Act 2010, which are age, disability, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnerships.  The Council was not legally obligated to reject savings with negative impacts on any particular groups, but must consider carefully and with rigour the impact of its proposals on the Public Sector Equality Duty and take a reasonable and proportionate view about the overall impact on particular groups, and seek to mitigate negative impacts where possible.

The Monitoring Officer added that in this context, the Council’s proposals for achieving savings were considered to be reasonable overall and took adequate account of the duties set out under the Equality Act. He referred to Appendix L of the Budget Report (page 105 of today’s agenda) which listed those budget proposals which would require the production of Due Regard Statements and which would require further decision making prior to implementation. 

Furthermore, in relation to Item 9, the Housing Revenue Account Budget, Members would have read the comprehensive Due Regard Statement which was contained at Appendix C (page 163) of today’s agenda. The Monitoring Officer highlighted that when considering this report, Members should consider the contents of that Due Regard Statement and their obligations under the Equality Act 2010.

The Mayor of Doncaster, Ros Jones, presented the report to Council, which sought approval of the Revenue Budget proposals for 2018/19 to 2020/21.

The Mayor stated that the proposals delivered another prudent three year financial plan aligned to the Doncaster Growing Together strategy approved by Council, which focused on protecting and improving front line services, and investing in Doncaster’s future. 

The Mayor advised that the two main changes announced by the Government since her original proposals were presented to Council were:-

·       An additional one off social care grant of £944,000, which the Council will use to reduce the saving required in relation to home care and residential care; and

·       The freedom to increase core Council Tax up to 3%. However, the Council had chosen not to do this.

The Mayor stated that, as everyone was aware, the Council continued to face a difficult financial challenge. There had been no let-up by the Conservative Government. Their savage cuts to Council budgets had left the Council with another significant budget gap.  Over the next three years, the Council needed to meet a further budget gap of £44m. This was on top of the £224m of ongoing savings the Council had already had to find in its annual Revenue Budget since the Government austerity measures began.

The Mayor emphasised that it would take the total annual budget gap the Council has had to bridge to more than £267m since the Government austerity measures took hold in 2010/11.

The Mayor remained extremely disappointed that the Government had not taken the opportunity to deal with the national funding problems facing Local Authorities, particularly with regard to Adult Social Care and Children’s Services.  She felt that their answer, which was to underfund vital services and yet increase the financial burden on local Council Tax payers, was wrong.

The Mayor explained that through the Council’s careful planning and prudent approach over the last four years, it had managed to limit the total proposed rise in Doncaster next year to 3.99%, which was well below the maximum 6% that the Government was now allowing, which many other parts of the country were experiencing. This meant that Doncaster would have the seventh lowest Council Tax in the Country amongst Metropolitan and Unitary Authorities. It was also the lowest increase and the lowest level of Council Tax in South Yorkshire. However, she was deeply disappointed that the Prime Minister had forced these costs on to many of the people who could least afford them.

The Mayor informed Members that the Council’s only course of action was to grow its way out of this situation.  The good news was that in Doncaster, the Council was delivering on that agenda and its approach was paying dividends.

The Mayor thanked all of the staff, partners and colleagues who had helped to deliver the Council’s successes in often difficult circumstances. This proposal continued the Council’s prudent and effective, but ambitious approach to delivering services and supporting the Borough.

The Mayor concluded by stating that she was grateful to Members from Overview and Scrutiny for their contribution to the budget process and understood that there were no proposed amendments to the budget from colleagues in the Chamber.

Following the presentation of the Revenue Budget 2018/19 to 2020/21 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 - 43

The Chair of Council, Councillor George Derx, the Vice-Chair of Council, Councillor Majid Khan, the Mayor of Doncaster, Ros Jones, the Deputy Mayor, Councillor Glyn Jones, and Councillors Duncan Anderson, Lani-Mae Ball, Nigel Ball, Iris Beech, Joe Blackham, Rachael Blake, Nigel Cannings, Bev Chapman, Mick Cooper, Linda Curran, Susan Durant, Nuala Fennelly, Neil Gethin, Sean Gibbons, John Gilliver, Pat Haith, Rachel Hodson,

Charlie Hogarth, Mark Houlbrook, David Hughes, Eva Hughes, Ken Keegan, Jane Kidd, Nikki McDonald, Chris McGuinness, Sue McGuinness,

John McHale, Bill Mordue, John Mounsey, David Nevett, Jane Nightingale, Andy Pickering, Andrea Robinson, Kevin Rodgers, Dave Shaw, Derek Smith, Frank Tyas, Austen White and Sue Wilkinson.

Against - 7

Councillors Nick Allen, Jane Cox, Steve Cox,Martin Greenhalgh, R. Allan Jones, Cynthia Ransome and Jonathan Wood.

Abstain - 0

On being put to the meeting, the recommendation contained within the report was declared CARRIED.

RESOLVED that the Revenue Budget proposals for 2018/19 to 2020/21 Revenue Budget, as set out in the report, be approved including:-

(1)        the revenue budget proposals for 2018/19, as detailed at Appendix B (pressures £5.615m) and Appendix C (savings £17.702m);

(2)        Council Tax to be increased by 3.99% to £1,287.20 for a Band D property (£858.13 for a Band A) for 2018/19. This includes:-

                              (i)            1.99% Council Tax increase equates to an increase of £24.63 for Band D per annum, £0.47 per week (£16.42 for Band A per annum, £0.31 per week);

                            (ii)            2.00% Government’s Social Care “precept” equates to an increase of £24.76 for Band D per annum, £0.47 per week (£16.50 for Band A per annum, £0.32 per week).

(3)        the 2018/19 Grants to third Sector Organisations, as outlined in paragraph 30 and Appendix G;

(4)        the fees and charges proposed for 2018/19 at Appendix H;

(5)        the Medium Term Financial Forecast including all proposals in the report, as set out in Appendix E; and

(6)        a gross revenue expenditure budget of £477.6m and a net revenue expenditure budget of £214.8m, as detailed in Appendix E.