To approve the council tax amounts for each category of dwelling in Herefordshire, including precepts from West Mercia Police, Hereford and Worcester Fire Authority and Herefordshire parishes for the financial year 2018/19.

Council considered a report by the cabinet member finance, housing and corporate services to set the council tax and precepts for 2018/19.

The Leader introduced and moved the report which was seconded by Councillor NE Shaw. The cabinet member finance, housing and corporate services outlined the precepts that Herefordshire as the billing authority would combine in a single council tax charge and explained that the council tax reduction scheme was in place to assist those people who may struggle to meet their council tax liability.

Members made the points below in the debate which followed:

·         Local residents should be made more readily aware of the full council tax liability. The cabinet member finance, housing and corporate services explained that this detail was contained in the appendices to the report which provided a breakdown of the council tax charges by parish.

·         It was recognised that the council was being asked to do more with less money and the importance of the management of responsibilities was emphasised.

·         The importance of raising awareness of help available to meet council tax obligations was raised. It was felt that the website should be clear and helpful to those in difficulty. The cabinet member finance, housing and corporate services reminded members that it was also the responsibility of the local ward member to highlight to local residents what help was available.

·         The retention of business rates was raised. The cabinet member finance, housing and corporate services explained that the Council had not been selected to participate in the proposal pilot from central government to share business rates.

·         It was noted that parish precepts had increased significantly as a result of lengthsman schemes being passed onto parish councils.

·         It was recognised that the increase in the council’s precept was necessary in order to sustain local services. The current collection rates were queried. The cabinet member finance, housing and corporate services explained that the collection rates were reported to cabinet every 6 months as part of the performance report. The section 151 officer explained that the current rates were available on the website and all councillors would be made aware.

A named vote was held to agree the recommendations set out in the report.

The recommendations were approved 48 votes in favour, 1 vote against and 2 abstentions.

For (48): Councillors SP Anderson, PA Andrews, BA Baker, JM Bartlett,  WLS Bowen, TL Bowes, H Bramer, CR Butler, ACR Chappell, MJK Cooper, PE Crockett, P Cutter, BA Durkin, PJ Edwards, CA Gandy, DW Greenow, KS Guthrie, DG Harlow, EPJ Harvey, JA Hyde, TM James, PC Jinman, AW Johnson, JF Johnson, JLV Kenyon, JG Lester, MD Lloyd-Hayes, PP Marsh, RL Mayo, MT McEvilly, SM Michael, PD Newman, FM Norman, CA North, RJ Phillips, AJW Powers, PD Price, P Rone, AR Round, A Seldon, NE Shaw, WC Skelton, J Stone, EJ Swinglehurst, LC Tawn, A Warmington, DB Wilcox, SD Williams.

Against (1) RI Matthews

Abstentions (2) EE Chowns, D Summers

Resolved – that:

(a) the precepting authority details incorporated in appendices 1 to 5, relating to parishes, West Mercia Police and Hereford and Worcester Fire Authority is approved in accordance with sections 30(2), 34(3), 36(1) and section 40 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 (as amended) and that the following amounts are approved for the year 2018/19 in accordance with sections 31 to 36 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, Regulation 6 (as amended by the Localism Act 2011):

(i)     £329,365,327                 being the estimated aggregate expenditure of the council in accordance with section 31A (2) of the act, including all precepts issued to it by parish councils;

(ii)     £226,656,000                being the estimated aggregate income of the council for the items set out in section 31A (3) of the act (including revenue support grant);

(iii)    £102,709,327                being the amount by which the aggregate at (a)(i) above exceeds the aggregate at (a)(ii) calculated by the council in accordance with section 31A(4) of the act, as its council tax requirement for the year (including parish precepts);

(iv)    £1,506.50                      being the amount at (a)(iii) above divided by the amount of the council tax base calculated by the council, in accordance with section 31B of the act, as the basic amount of its council tax for the year (including parish precepts)

(v)     £4,264,327                    being the aggregate amount of all special items (parish precepts) referred to in section 34(1) of the act;

(vi)     £1,443.95                     being the amount at (iv) above less the result given by dividing the amount at (v) above by the amount of the council tax base calculated by the council, in accordance with section 34(2) of the act, as the basic amount of its council tax for the year for dwellings in those parts of its area to which no parish precept relates (Herefordshire Council band D council tax, excluding parishes)

(b)  it is agreed that the net tax base of 68,177.57 band D equivalent properties (being the gross tax base adjusted for an assumed collection rate) used for setting the budget requirement for 2018/19;

(i)            is allocated to band D equivalent dwellings per precept area as shown in appendix 1; and

(ii)          the individual council tax allocations per valuation band of dwelling by parish (including fire and police precepts) as set out in appendix 5.