Agenda item

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

 

The Monitoring Officer, Scott Fawcus, made reference to the Public Sector Equality Duty within the Revenue Budget report and the Housing Revenue Account Budget (HRA), and reminded Members that Equality issues were fundamental to the exercise of the functions of all Public Authorities.  He stated that it was inevitable that the implementation of some of the budget proposals would have a significant impact on services, service users and individuals and groups, particularly those persons with protected characteristics within the meaning of 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 Monitoring Officer outlined that within the various budget reports, the financial challenges faced by all Councils were large and 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.

 

Members noted that 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.  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.

 

The Monitoring Officer informed Members that Appendix K of the Budget report, listed those budget proposals which would require the production of Due Regard Statements and which would require further decision making prior to implementation.  In relation to the HRA Budget, Appendix C detailed the comprehensive Due Regard Statement.

 

In relation to the HRA Budget, the Monitoring Officer outlined that Appendix C of the report detailed the comprehensive Due Regard Statement and that when considering this report, Members should consider the contents of that Due Regard Statement and their obligations under the Equality Act, 2010.

 

Subsequently, the Mayor of Doncaster, Ros Jones, presented the report to Council, which sought approval of the Revenue Budget proposals for 2019/20 to 2020/21.

 

The Mayor wished to inform colleagues that there had been no let-up by the Conservative Government; their continuing cuts to Council Budgets had left the Local Authority with another significant budget gap that the Council has had to meet, with a further £13m gap predicted for 2020/21.  In referring to a comment made by Theresa May stating that ‘austerity was over’, the Mayor held the view that austerity was not over as far as Local Government was concerned.

 

The Mayor made reference to an earlier comment regarding Centre for Cities, ‘Cities Outlook 2019’, which had stated that Northern Cities budgets had faced the biggest cuts with Doncaster ranked the third hardest hit by austerity in percentage terms, seeing a 31% reduction in funding amounting to £469 per person in Doncaster.

 

The Mayor pointed out that this Budget, which she first announced in January 2019, delivered another prudent financial plan for 2019/20, which was aligned to the Doncaster Growing Together strategy approved by Council, and focused on protecting and improving front line services, and investing in Doncaster’s future.

 

The Mayor stated that, as everyone was aware, the Council continued to face a difficult financial challenge as there had been no let-up by the Conservative Government.  She 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; 64% of Doncaster Council expenditure for 2019/20, would be on Adults and Children’s Services which supported the most vulnerable in society.

 

The Mayor explained that unfortunately, Government policy on Local Authority funding meant that Council Tax rises were assumed in order to sustain vital services.  The Government’s answer, which was to underfund vital services and yet increase the financial burden on local taxpayers, was wrong, as it placed strain on to those who could least afford it, through a regressive tax system that benefited wealthy areas over places like Doncaster and South Yorkshire.

 

Members were informed that the budget also included an increase in Council Tax of 2.99% in 2019/20 and a further 2% increase through the Government’s Social Care “Precept” which contributed towards the pressures in Adults Social Care which would generate £5.3m to help meet the Budget gap.  Therefore, the overall increase equated to an additional 82p per week for Band A and £1.23 per week for Band D.

 

The Mayor stressed that Doncaster would continue to have one of the lowest Council Taxes for Councils of its size in the country; the Council was seventh lowest in 2018/19 and the lowest in South Yorkshire.  Through hard work and the use of one-off funding, the proposals set out the plan to balance the books for 2019/20, but within this, it was clear that the focus on finance was never ending.  The use of one-off reserves was not a sustainable solution and that Government grant cuts, rising demand for services and an increase in costs, all contributed to an overall funding gap of a further £13m for 2020/21.  By 2021, this would take the total Budget gap the Council has had to bridge to £272 million, since Government austerity measures started in 2010/11.

 

The Mayor emphasised that the Council had done all it could to protect jobs, but this Budget outlined potential reductions of 76 posts over the two years, but the Council would aim to delete vacant posts, then ask for volunteers, with compulsory redundancies being the last course of action.

 

In light of the economic challenges the Council continued to face, the Mayor stated that it did not get any easier to prepare a Budget which invested in the future, protected the most vulnerable and maintained the services that mattered most to residents.

 

The Mayor thanked all of the staff, partners and colleagues who continued to help the Council to deliver its successes, in often difficult circumstances. This budget continued the Council’s prudent and effective, but ambitious approach to delivering services and supporting the Borough.  She was grateful to Members from Overview and Scrutiny for their contribution to the Budget process and she understood that there were no proposed amendments to the budget from colleagues in the Chamber.

 

The Mayor stated that these Budget proposals continued to deliver the Council’s priorities and the priorities of this Labour Administration to:-

 

• Increase jobs, apprenticeships, inward investment and grow the Borough’s economy, including more well paid, high skilled jobs for local people;

 

• Deliver more new homes that met the needs of everyone;

 

• Developing the Borough’s Town Centres and the arts, culture and leisure offer;

 

• Increase physical activity, including through cycling, to improve population health and well-being;

 

• Raise education standards, bringing the Borough’s School and business communities together, to provide our young people more opportunities to flourish; and

 

• Deliver vital services for children and vulnerable residents, joining up health and social care, focusing on prevention and support, and transforming Adult Services, and support and work with its communities to help keep them clean, green and safe.

 

The Mayor concluded by stating that Doncaster had made great progress in recent years, but the Council could and would do more.  However, the Council must look to the future and there was plenty to look forward to in 2019, including:-

 

• The return of the Tour de Yorkshire and welcoming of the UCI World Championships to Doncaster;

 

• Work continuing on the Library and Museum;

 

• More house building across the Borough, including new Council housing;

 

• The progression of our Railway Station ‘City Gateway’ and Quality Streets Schemes; and

 

• Work commencing on the new University Technical College, Cinema & Restaurants in the Civic and Cultural Quarter

 

Following the presentation of the Revenue Budget for 2019/20 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 Majid Khan, the Vice-Chair of Council, Councillor Linda Curran, 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, Phil Cole, John Cooke, Mick Cooper, Susan Durant, Neil Gethin, John Gilliver, Pat Haith, John Healy, Rachel Hodson,  Charlie Hogarth, Mark Houlbrook, David Hughes, Eva Hughes, Ken Keegan, Jane Kidd, Tosh McDonald, Chris McGuinness, Sue McGuinness, Bill Mordue, John Mounsey, David Nevett, Jane Nightingale, Ian Pearson, Tina Reid, Andrea Robinson, Kevin Rodgers, Dave Shaw, Derek Smith, Frank Tyas, Austen White, Sue Wilkinson and Paul Wray.

 

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 recommendations contained within the report were declared CARRIED.

 

RESOLVED that the Revenue Budget proposals for 2019/20 to 2020/21, as set out in the report, be approved including:-

 

(1)      the Revenue Budget proposals for 2019/20, as detailed at Appendix B (pressures £21.6m) and Appendix C (savings £18.2m) of the report;

 

(2)      Council Tax increasing by 4.99% to £1,351.43 for a Band D property (£900.95 for a Band A) for 2019/20.  This includes:-

 

(i)      2.99% Council Tax increase equating to an increase of £38.49 for Band D per annum, 74p per week (£25.66 for Band A per annum, 49p per week);

 

(ii)     2.00% Government’s Social Care “precept” equating to an increase of £25.74 for Band D per annum, 49p per week (£17.16 for Band A per annum, 33p per week).

 

(3)      the 2019/20 Grants to Third Sector Organisations, as detailed in paragraph 26 and Appendix F of the report;

 

(4)      the fees and charges proposed for 2019/20, as detailed in Appendix G of the report;

 

(5)      the Medium Term Financial Forecast including all proposals in this report, as detailed in Appendix D of the report;

 

(6)      a gross Revenue Expenditure Budget of £495.2m and a net Revenue Expenditure Budget of £213.6m, as detailed in Appendix D of the report; and

 

(7)      the Council’s Statutory Section 151 Officer’s positive assurance statements be noted, as detailed in paragraphs 34 and 40 of the report.