Agenda item

3.1   General Fund Revenue Budget 2014/15 to 2015/16

3.2 Housing Revenue Account Budget (including Capital Programme) 2014/15

GENERAL FUND REVENUE BUDGET 2014/15 TO 2015/16

The City Mayor submitted his proposed budget for 2014/15 to 2015/16.  The report contained details of the budget strategy and ceilings, comments received from scrutiny, trades unions and partners and a range of proposals including the scheme of virement.

Details of the recommendation of the City Mayor, details of the Council Tax resolution and an amended minute extract from Children and Young People and Schools Scrutiny Commission on 4 February were available at the meeting and are attached to these minutes.

Moved by the City Mayor and seconded by the Deputy City Mayor:

36.  That Council:

1)    Thank partners, scrutiny committees, trade unions and others who have commented on our draft budget;

2)    Note the comments made in my formal Decision Notice dated 25 February and attached as Appendix B;

3)    Note a revision to the collection fund surplus for 2013/14 reported in January and referred to in paragraph 12.17 of the Council report, arising from Government guidance on providing for the cost of backdated appeals;

4)    Approve the recommendations set out in section 3.1 of the report ‘General Fund Revenue Budget 2014/15 – 2015/16’ without amendment;

5)    Approve the formal budget resolution as set out in section 2 of Appendix C.

Councillors Clayton, Kitterick and Moore rose to request that the names of the Councillors voting for or against the proposition be recorded by the Monitoring Officer in the minutes of the meeting under the provisions of Council Procedure Rule 29.  It was noted that this request was made in response to the recent change in Government regulations.

For the motion:

Councillors

Alfonso, Aqbany, Bajaj, Barton, Bhatti, Bhavasar, Byrne, Chaplin, Chowdhury, Clair, Clarke, Clayton, Cleaver, Cole, Connelly, Cooke, Corrall, Dawood, Dempster, Fonseca, Gugnani, Joshi, Kitterick, Mayat, Meghani, Moore, Naylor, Newcombe, Osman, Palmer, V Patel, Potter, Riyait, Russell, Sandhu, Sangster, Senior, Shelton, Singh, City Mayor Sir Peter Soulsby, Unsworth, Wann, Westley, High Bailiff Councillor Cassidy, Deputy Lord Mayor Councillor Thomas, Lord Mayor Councillor Kamal.

Against the motion

Councillor Grant

There were no abstentions.

The Lord Mayor declared the motion carried.

HOUSING REVENUE ACCOUNT BUDGET (INCLUDING CAPITAL PROGRAMME) 2014/15

The Assistant City Mayor for Housing submitted a report which gave details of the Housing Revenue Account revenue budget and capital programme for 2014/15 together with details of the rules regarding scheme approvals and proposed rent and service charge increases.

Moved by Councillor Connelly, seconded by the City Mayor and carried:

37. That Council:

1)    approve the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) budget for 2014/15 as given in Appendix A to the report, including the efficiency savings and growth items detailed in sections 5.1.9 and 5.1.10;

2)    agree a rent increase of 3.2% and a service charge increase of 3% (excluding gas charges);

3)    approve the HRA Capital Programme for 2014/15 and the draft programme for 2015/16 and 2016/17, as set out in Appendix E to the report;

4) note the rules regarding scheme approvals and variations, detailed in section 5.1.14 to the report.