Agenda and minutes

These were approved as a correct record.

(i)         questions from residents and others working or studying in the District; and

(ii)        questions from Councillors

Questions were submitted by Councillors Morrow, Dennis and M.Cooper. The questions and responses are attached at Appendix A.

Councillor Dennis had submitted an additional question which sought an update about when Parish Councils would be consulted on the revised version of the draft Open Spaces Strategy. Councillor Dennis advised that he wished to withdraw the question given that, shortly after it had been submitted, all Parish Clerks had been sent a copy of the draft Open Spaces Strategy for onward distribution to their Councillors for comments.      

The reports of the Committee meetings since the previous Council meeting were presented for reception.

Regarding Minute 267 of the 2^nd February 2021 Strategy & Resources Committee (Chief Officer Sub-Committee – 14^th January 2021) Councillor Sayer confirmed that the process for recruiting a permanent Chief Executive had commenced and that the Sub-Committee was due to consider applications and interview candidates. She referred to the Special Council meeting provisionally scheduled for the 18th March 2021 at 7.00pm, the intended sole purpose of which would be to ratify a Chief Executive appointment if a suitable candidate could be recommended. Councillor Sayer, seconded by Councillor Botten, moved that Standing Order 6 (order of business for Council meetings) be suspended to enable the proposed appointment of a Chief Executive to be the one and only item of business on the agenda for the above mentioned Special Council meeting. This was agreed.      

            R E S O L V E D – that:

A.        that the reports of the following meetings be received and, subject to the note about Minute 262 below, the recommendations therein be adopted:

                 Strategy & Resources Committee (16^th December 2020)

                 Standards Committee (11^th January 2021)

                 Community Services Committee (18^th January 2021)

                 Housing Committee (19^th January 2021)

                 Planning Policy Committee (20^th January 2021)

                 Strategy & Resources Committee (21^st January 2021)

                 Audit & Scrutiny Committee (28^th January 2021)

                 Planning Policy Committee (1^st February 2021)

                 Strategy & Resources Committee (2^nd February 2021*)

                     *the recommendations under Minute 262 (2021/22 Final Budget and Medium Term Financial Strategy to 2023/24) were dealt with under the subsequent agenda item covered by Minute 273 below 

B.        Standing Order 6 (order of business for Council meetings) be suspended to enable the proposed appointment of a Chief Executive to be the one and only item of business for the Special Council meeting convened for that purpose, whether it be on the 18th March 2021 as currently planned, or on a later date should that prove necessary.    

A report with a proposed revenue budget for 2021/22, together with recommendations regarding the capital programme and a District Council Tax precept were considered. The report reflected the recommendations of the Strategy & Resources Committee on the 2^nd February 2021 and was supplemented by proposed additional statutory resolutions regarding the Council Tax base, Council Tax principles, and aggregates of Council Tax requirements from household properties in the various valuation bands in each parish, reflecting the precepts levied by Surrey County Council, the Surrey Police & Crime Commissioner and the respective parish councils.

The recommendations within the report were proposed by Councillor Elias and seconded by Councillor M.Cooper.  

            R E S O L V E D – that:

            Revenue Budget Requirement:

1.      the net revenue budget requirement be set at £11,295,340 (net cost of services after service specific government grants) for 2021/22 (Appendix B), subject to confirmation of the Final Local Government Financial Settlement;

2.      the Final Budget Envelopes for Departments for 2021/22 at Appendix C be approved;

            Capital Budget Requirement:

3.      the total £39,582,100 proposed three-year Capital Programme at Appendix D (comprising £11,298,200 General Fund and £28,283,900 Housing Revenue Account) of which £25,067,500 is for 2021/22, be approved;

            Tandridge District Council Tax resolutions:

4.      the total Council Tax Requirement be set at £8,690,000 for 2021/22 (based on a Council Tax increase of £5 to cover core Council services) as attached at Appendix E;

5.      it be noted that, for the purpose of section 52ZB of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, the Council formally determines that the increase in Council Tax is not such as to trigger a referendum (i.e. not greater than £5);

6.      the Tandridge District Council precept for Band D Council Tax be set at £225.98, which represents a £5 uplift and a rise of £0.10 a week from the 2020/21 precept of £220.98 - a full list of bands is as follows:

     Band A            £150.65

     Band B            £175.76

     Band C            £200.87

     Band D            £225.98

     Band E            £276.20

     Band F            £326.42

     Band G            £376.63

     Band H            £451.96

7.      Parish Councils’ precept requirements for 2021/22 at Appendix F be noted;

8.      the current Local Council Tax Support Scheme (unchanged) be adopted for financial year 2021/22;

            Impact on Reserves:

9.      the impact of the financial strategy to build the General Fund Reserves via a £500,000 contribution per annum; the application of a general contingency of £100,000 per annum (£117,000 for 2021/22); and the creation of a Partnership & Transformation Reserve to support exploring partnership opportunities (£200,000 for 2021/22) be noted (this will bring the General Fund balance to £3,171,000 as at 31^st March 2022 as shown at Appendix G; and

10.   the resolution at Appendix H be passed which outlines the Council Tax base, principles, aggregate amounts, valuation bands (Tandridge and aggregate) and referendum assessment.

            The adoption of the above resolutions was the subject of the following recorded votes in accordance with Standing Order 13(5):

            Resolutions 1 and 2:

            For:                  Councillors Allen, Black, Bloore, Cooley, Cooper, Duck, Elias, Fitzgerald,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 273.