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Report of Assistant Director Law and Governance and Monitoring Officer

Purpose of report

To determine the levels of the allowances to be paid to Members for the forthcoming 2025/2026 financial year and proposed changes to the Members Allowance Scheme, following the consideration of the report of the Council’s Independent Remuneration Panel (the “Panel”) attached at Appendix 1. 

Recommendations

Council resolves:

1.1         To consider the levels of allowances to be included in the 2025/2026 Members’ Allowances Scheme, and whether the Panel’s recommendations (as set out at paragraph 3.1 of this report and section 2) should be adopted or modified in any way.

1.2         To authorise the Assistant Director Law and Governance to prepare an amended Members’ Allowances Scheme, in accordance with the decisions of Council for implementation with effect from 1 April 2025. 

1.3         To authorise the Assistant Director of Law and Governance to take all necessary action to revoke the current (2024/2025) Scheme and to publicise the revised Scheme pursuant to The Local Authorities (Member’s Allowances) (England) Regulations 2003 (as amended). 

1.4         To thank the Independent Remuneration Panel for its report and set a fee of £300 for each Panel Member for the work carried out on this review and propose the same level of fee for any reviews carried out in 2025/2026 capped at a maximum of £1200 per person, which can be funded from existing budgets. 

Resolved

(1)          That, having given due consideration, the following levels of allowance be included in the 2025/2026 Members’ Allowances Scheme:

·         That the Basic Allowance be increased in in line with the 2025/2026 staff pay award (3.5%), rounded up to give 12 equal payments from 1 April 2025.

·         That all Special Responsibility Allowances be increased in in line with the 2025/2026 staff pay award (3.5%), rounded up to give 12 equal payments from 1 April 2025.

·         That the co-optees allowance be increased in in line with the 2025/2026 staff pay award (3.5%), rounded up to give 12 equal payments from 1 April 2025.

·         That the Independent Persons allowance be increased in in line with the 2025/2026 staff pay award (3.5%), rounded up to give 12 equal payments from 1 April 2025.

·         That Dependents’ Carers’ and Childcare Allowances remain at the current level, are paid on the basis of the actual costs incurred up to the maximum hourly rate set out below and to a maximum cap of 40 hours per month, subject to production of receipts and cannot be paid to a member of the claimant’s household:

o   Childcare: £10 per hour

o   Dependent Relative care - £20 per hour

·         That mileage remain at the current level in line with HMRC approved mileage rates, and if any adjustments are implemented by HMRC then the revised rates should be applied to Members’ travel allowances effective from the date of implementation by HMRC.

·         That, having regard to the detailed review of staff subsistence, the rates for subsistence allowance be aligned with the revised maximum staff subsistence levels, with claims permitted on approved duties of over 5 hours outside the district* subject to the submission of receipts (*subsistence allowances cannot be claimed for any duties within the district as the basic allowance is deemed to cover all within district expenses).

o   Breakfast: £7.50

o   Lunch: £10.50

o   Tea / coffee: £4.00

o   Evening Meal: £12.50

·         That Democratic Services continue to book overnight accommodation if required.

·         That there be no change to the list of approved duties for which claims may be made.

·         That Non-Executive Director allowances be increased in in line with the 2025/2026 staff pay award (3.5%), rounded up to give 12 equal payments from 1 April 2025 and costs recharged to the relevant company.

·         That an in-depth “root and branches” review of the Members’ Allowance Scheme be undertaken with implementation to be determined when further information on local government reorganisation, devolution and the Cherwell boundary review is known.  

(2)          That the Assistant Director Law and Governance be authorised to prepare an amended Members’ Allowances Scheme, in accordance with the decisions of Council for implementation with effect from 1 April 2025.

(3)          That the Assistant Director of Law and Governance be authorised to take all necessary action to revoke the current (2024/2025) Scheme and to publicise the revised Scheme pursuant to The Local Authorities (Member’s Allowances)(England) Regulations 2003 (as amended).

(4)          That the Independent Remuneration Panel be thanked for its report and a  ...  view the full decision text for item 6.

Report of Assistant Director of Finance

Purpose of report

To consider and approve the Budget Setting for 2025/26 and MTFS 2029/30 as per the recommendations.

Recommendations

The Council resolves to:

1.1           Have regard to the statutory report of the Chief Finance Officer (Section 25 report) at Appendix 3 in approving recommendations 1.2 – 1.9.

1.2           Approve the proposed Fees and Charges schedule for 2025/26 (Appendix 7) and statutory notices be placed where required.

1.3           Consider and note the Equality Impact Assessments of the Budget (Appendix 8)

1.4           In relation to the Corporate Plan (Section 4.1) to:

1.4.1 Approve the Corporate Plan set out in Appendix 1.

1.4.2 Note the Internal Perspectives set out in Appendix 2.

1.5     In relation to the Revenue Budget Strategy (Section 4.2) and Medium-Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) (Section 4.5) to approve:

1.5.1   The net revenue budget for the financial year commencing on 1 April 2025, as set out in Table 4.2.1, and further analysed in the Budget Book provided at Appendix 12.

1.5.2   The MTFS and Revenue Budget 2025/26 (Sections 4.5 and 4.2 respectively), including the Savings Proposals and Investments included at Appendices 4 and 5, respectively.

1.6     In relation to Council Tax to approve:

1.6.1   An increase in the Basic Amount of Council Tax for Cherwell District Council for the financial year beginning on 1 April 2025 of £5, resulting in a Band D charge of £158.50 per annum.

1.6.2   For long term empty properties, from 1 April 2025 an additional council tax premium will be charged of 100 per cent for properties empty for one year or more, replacing the current 100 per cent premium that begins after 2 years of a property being empty. All other empty property premiums will remain.

1.6.3   It be noted that the Council Tax Base 2025/26 was determined at the Executive meeting held on 6 January 2025:

a)    for the whole Council area as 59,853.6 [item T in the formula in Section 31B of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, as amended (“the 1992 Act”)]; and

b)    For dwellings in those parts of its area to which a Parish Precept relates as in the attached Appendix 21.

1.6.4   That the Council Tax requirement for the Council’s own purposes for 2025/26 (excluding Parish Precepts and Special Expenses) is £9,486,796.

1.6.5   That the following amounts be calculated for the year 2025/26 in accordance with Sections 31 to 36 of the 1992 Act:

a)    £140,304,768 being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 31A (2) of the 1992 Act, taking into account all precepts issued to it by Parish Councils and any additional special expenses.

b)    £124,192,690 being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 31A (3) of the 1992 Act.

c)     £16,112,078 being the amount by which the aggregate at 3(a) above exceeds the aggregate at 3(b) above, calculated by the Council, in accordance with Section 31A (4) of the 1992 Act,  ...  view the full agenda text for item 7.

Resolved

(1)          That, having due regard, the statutory report of the Chief Finance Officer and the comments of the Chief Finance Officer in respect of the proposed amendments, be noted.

(2)          That, subject to the following amendment, with authority delegated to the Section 151 Officer to update the budget papers to reflect the amendment, the proposed Fees and Charges schedule for 2024/25 be approved and it be noted that statutory notices would be placed where required.

·         That the proposed increase of £6 in garden waste charges in 2025/26 be delayed by one year and this increase be applied in 2026/27 as well as other planned changes and it be noted that this will reduce income in 2025/26 by £0.143m.

(3)          That, having given due consideration, the Equality Impact Assessments of the Budget be noted.

(4)          That the Corporate Plan be approved and the Internal Perspectives be noted.

(5)          That, in relation to the Revenue Budget Strategy and Medium-Term Financial Strategy,  the following net directorate budgets, as amended, be agreed, with authority delegated to the Section 151 Officer to update the budget papers to reflect the amendments.

(6)          That, subject to the following amendments with authority delegated to the Section 151 Officer to amend the budget papers to reflect the amendments, the Medium-Term Financial Strategy and Revenue Budget 2025/2026, including Savings Proposals and Investments be approved:

·         To introduce the following service investments:

o   Heating Hardship Fund of £0.100m to support pensioners who are struggling during the cost-of-living crisis

o   Additional Homelessness Prevention Support of £0.065m.

o   £0.051m to fund a Land Drainage Officer to provide additional flood support

·         To delay service investment DPD2504 – Conservation Areas by one year, reducing costs in 2025/2026 only, by £0.020m.

·         To remove the proposed investment in the Waste Collection Partnership Working Fund of £0.150m.

(7)          That an increase in the Basic Amount of Council Tax for Cherwell District Council for the financial year beginning on 1 April 2025 of £5, resulting in a Band D charge of £158.50 per annum, be agreed.

(8)          That it be agreed for long term empty properties, from 1 April 2025 an additional council tax premium will be charged of 100 per cent for properties empty for one year or more, replacing the current 100 per cent premium that begins after 2 years of a property being empty, and that all other empty property premiums will remain.

(9)          That it be noted that the Council Tax Base 2025/26 was determined at the Executive meeting held on 6 January 2025:

a)    for the whole Council area as 59,853.6 [item T in the formula in Section 31B of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, as amended (“the 1992 Act”)]; and

b)    For dwellings in those parts of its area to which a Parish Precept relates, Appendix 21 to the report.

(10)       That it be agreed the Council Tax requirement for the Council’s own purposes for 2025/26 (excluding Parish Precepts and Special Expenses) is £9,486,796.

(11)       That, subject to delegation to the Section  ...  view the full decision text for item 7.