Agenda, decisions and draft minutes

Members are asked to declare any interest and the nature of that interest which they may have in any of the items under consideration at this meeting.

There were no declarations of interest.

To confirm as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 20 January 2026.

The Minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 20 January 2026 were agreed as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

To receive communications from the Chair.

There were no Chair’s announcements.

The Chair to report on any requests to address the meeting.

There were no requests to address the meeting.

The Chair to advise whether they have agreed to any item of urgent business being admitted to the agenda.

There were no items of urgent business.

Report of Assistant Director of Finance (S151 Officer)

Purpose of report

To report to the committee the council’s financial position at the end of the financial year 2025-2026.

Recommendation

The Budget Planning Committee resolves:

1.1       To note the contents of this report.  

Resolved

(1)          That the report be noted.

The Assistant Director of Finance (S151 Officer) submitted a report to the committee to report the financial position at the end of the financial year 2025/2026.

In introducing the report, the Portfolio Holder for Finance, Regeneration and Property advised the committee that the year-end forecast position for 2025/26 was projected to be an overspend of £3.024m against an £18.893m budget. Services with the largest pressures reported were within Property, Environmental Services and Wellbeing and Housing.

The Portfolio Holder for Finance, Regeneration and Property advised that the forecast overspend was partially offset but corporate underspends in the areas of Executive Matters and Policy Contingency.

Resolved

(1)          That the report be noted.

Report of Assistant Director for Finance & Section 151 Officer

Purpose of report

To inform Budget Planning Committee of the reviewed policy for Non-Domestic Rate Discretionary Rate Relief policy and the response to the motion from Council on supporting our high street.

Recommendations

The Budget Planning Committee resolves:

1.1         To note the contents of the reviewed policy for Non-Domestic Rate Discretionary Rate Relief.

1.2         To note the response to Council’s motion.

Resolved

(1)          That the reviewed policy for Non-Domestic Rate Discretionary Rate Relief be noted.

(2)          That the response to the motion to Council, subsequently referred to and agreed by Executive, be noted.

The Assistant Director of Finance (S151 Officer) submitted a report to inform Budget Planning Committee of the reviewed Non-Domestic Rate Discretionary Rate Relief policy and the response to the motion from Council on supporting our high streets. This was submitted to the 3 March Executive for decision and was submitted to Budget Planning Committee for information.

The Portfolio Holder for Finance, Regeneration and Property advised the Committee that the provision of Non-Domestic Rate Discretionary Rate Relief allowed the council to offer targeted financial support where the national framework did not provide relief or where additional local discretion was justified.

In response to a question from the Committee asking if the Leader had written to the Secretary of State and copied the relevant Members of Parliament, which was included in the motion to Council motion, the Portfolio Holder for Finance, Regeneration and Property confirmed that the Leader had written to the Secretary of State and copied the relevant Members of Parliament but no response had yet been received.

Resolved

(1)          That the reviewed policy for Non-Domestic Rate Discretionary Rate Relief be noted.

(2)          That the response to the motion to Council, subsequently referred to and agreed by Executive, be noted.

To review the Committee Work Plan.

Resolved

(1)      That the work programme be noted.

In considering the Committee Work Plan, the Assistant Director of Finance advised that the inclusion on “Business Rates Reset Consultation” for the 30 June 2026 was an error and would not be heard at the forthcoming meeting.

Resolved

(1)      That the work programme be noted.

The following report contains exempt information as defined in the following paragraph of Part 1, Schedule 12A of Local Government Act 1972.

3– Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information).

Members are reminded that whilst the following item have been marked as exempt, it is for the meeting to decide whether or not to consider each of them in private or in public. In making the decision, Members should balance the interests of individuals or the Council itself in having access to the information. In considering their discretion members should also be mindful of the advice of Council Officers.

Should Members decide not to make a decision in public, they are recommended to resolve as follows:

“That under Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972, the public and press be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business on the grounds that, if the public and press were present, it would be likely that exempt information falling under the provisions of Schedule 12A, Part I, Paragraph 3 would be disclosed to them, and that in all the circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.”

Resolved

That under Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972, the public and press be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business on the ground that, if the public and press were present, it would be likely that exempt information falling under the provisions of Schedule 12A, Part 1, Paragraph 3 would be disclosed to them, and that in all the circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.

Exempt report of Assistant Director Property

Resolved

(1)          That the exempt report be noted.

The Assistant Director Property submitted an exempt report in response to the request from Budget Planning Committee for information about parking revenue, expenditure and if free parking had any impact on footfall in town centres.

Resolved

(1)          That the exempt report be noted.