Agenda item

To consider and set the Council Tax for 2023/24. A separate budget pack, produced by the Director for Digital, Sustainability and Resources, is attached as item 9, and the recommendations from the Cabinet, at item 6B and 6C, will also be considered as part of this item

The Leader of the Council introduced the budget and setting of the council tax to members and made the following speech which is summarised as follows:

• In the previous year there had been three Primeministers and a funeral. There was a European war, the effects of which were being felt;
• The Leader thanked officers for their work including the Chief financial Officer who had prepared their last budget before retirement;
• Despite challenges Adur had achieved much in the previous year;
• The council could achieve more by both being cautious and brave;
• There were cost of living pressures that were affecting the community and the Councils were doing all it could to help those in need;
• Despite challenges the local economy was stable and unemployment rates were below south east and national averages
• The Economy was a success story and the administration got things done, listening to residents, setting clear priorities and not being afraid to make tough decisions;
• The economy was stronger because of plans put in place and because of actions taken to protect families and support businesses;
• It was opined that Margaret Thatcher once reflected that  the problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money. Unlike so many other local authorities  - just over the border East and West - we are financially in a good place and this is because of wise and careful management of our residents' money. We don't waste - we invest every penny of the taxpayers funds carefully;
• Unlike the opposition the the administration had a track record of success;
• IT was stated that opposition budget amendments were weak;
• The budget presented a number of savings although these were offset where possible by prudent budget management;
• Income was generated from services and investments and through service modernisation and Digital technology;
• There were further investments through the support of a new delivery manager and investments in public engagement and project management software;
• Council tax would rise by an average of 2% to ensure plans for investment and recovery could be resourced as part of the medium term financial strategy. This amounted to a 12p rise a week in Council Tax

·       The planet was ‘our home’ and we needed to take better care of it;

·       Environmental services budgets had been increased including a focus on green spaces and biodiversity. This included purchasing Adur Estuary, Pad farm and New Salts Farm to promote the return of biodiversity and to bolster natural flood defences;

·       Pad Farm Work was progressing with the EA on the restoration of the salt marsh on New Salts Farm. Plans were being developed for Adur Community Wetlands, hopefully with funding from the National Heritage Lottery Fund;

·       The Adur Rivers Project was part of wider work on the creation of a local marine and estuarine reserve called Sussex Bay. It was hoped that this project would restore the kelp forest and improve local fishing stock;

·       The Council had facilitated the establishment of the Solent & Sussex Bay Research Partnership made up of 4 local universities, securing £170k funding from the Natural Environment Research Council;

·       The Carbon Reduction team would continue to drive a programme of works to decarbonise buildings and fleets. This work included new ground source heat pumps being installed in some council buildings;

·       The council was continuing to work with Greater Brighton, Hydrogen Sussex and Shoreham Harbour to establish Adur as a future provider of low carbon green hydrogen.

·       Funding had been unlocked from new homes to transform cycling links though Lancing, Shoreham, Southwick and Fishersgate. This was to encourage people to use two wheels to get around the district;

·       There were 870 people on the Council homes waiting list. Brownfield sites were being used to provide residents with quality new housing without the need to build on greenfield sites;

·       To date the councils were in the process of delivering more than 150 affordable homes including developments in Albion street, Cecil Norris House and Raven’s Road. planning permission had been granted for a further five sites;

·       Temporary and emergency accommodation had been approved which would save the Council £4m over the next 7 years by reducing the need for B&B accommodation;

·       Work was being undertaken with Hyde Housing Group on proposals for the Civic Centre Site. The Council was listening to local concerns about a Poplar Tree;

·       The Council was told about the pressing need to review work on the Western Harbour Arm;

·       Adur Homes was a key priority and significant capital funding investment would continue to be used to fund improvements including fire safety works, external works programme, home improvement works and works to support tenants with disabilities;

·       The Leader detailed the enablements of a significant number of other developments providing much needed homes;

·       The administration would be investing more than £1.8m into the regeneration budget to support jobs and grow the economy;

·       The budget included delivery managers covering key places Shoreham, southwick, Sompting, Lancing and Fishersgate;

·       Other programmes included the Good Work Programme, the funding of a Youth Hub and the support of local markets;

·       The Council would continue to promote and develop a programme of events. 45k people attended 50 events across Adur the previous year;

• The Leader further detailed projects including the fabric project in Lancing, Citizen Wifi and public realm improvements in Southwick Square;
• The budget presented would ensure the delivery of the Health and Wellbeing Plan - including working in a multidisciplinary way alongside the Council’s Social Prescribers and OneStop Employment and Money coaches  we are helping residents to access support and advice around mental health, weight management, addiction and social isolation;
• Continued support for the third sector team 
• Continued investment in the Safer Communities Team working with partners to reduce crime and support and help the victims of crime;
• The Councils area of focus would be assisting residents through a period of high inflation;
• This help would include help on food, early intervention on household debt, warm shelters and a large-scale awareness campaign;
• In conclusion the Administration would deliver on priorities providing excellent public services and value for money, take care of our precious environment, create jobs and supporting businesses, build new homes and improving housing, helping communities to thrive. 

 

The Leader proposed the recommendations to the Council which were seconded 

 

The Leader of the Labour group made a speech to the Council and proposed the Labour Group’s amendment. 

 

·       The Financial Services team were thanks for producing an balanced budget;

·       It was recognised that comparatively Adur was in a better position than neighbouring authorities but that the district did not have the complexities and pressures of its Neighbours;

·       The budget had been balanced by reprofiling some of the Capital Investment Programmes;

·       Brexit, Covid and Ukraine had exacerbated those pressures, however 13 years of Austerity had meant that it was harder for the District to deliver its services;

·       The Authority suffered from less money, less investment and less resilience;

·       Balancing the budget was a legal requirement, however it had been shaped by decisions in Whitehall;

·       Opposition was expressed in relation to competitive systems of funding initiated by Central Government;

·       Adur had lost out on bids through the levelling up fund and it was hoped that there would be success in future rounds given the effort put into the bids by officers;

·       National policy on economic devolution announced by the Central Labour Party was welcomed;

·       The main opposition group was committed to giving local people more power in a say over how the Council spent their money as opposed to ‘tick box’ consultations;

·       Housing policy meant that young people struggled to enter the housing market, the rental market stuck young people in a ‘doom loop’ that took up higher and higher proportions of young people’s salaries

·       Households on low incomes were dependent on the Housing allowance which was already way too low for this area and had been frozen again given the rate of CPI people could find a deficit of 10%;

·       The previous year ‘Rightmove’ had labelled Adur as the most unaffordable place in the UK for first time buyers. There was a supply of houses but many were not being used a primary houses, many were being used as second homes and as Air bnb properties. It was quoted that ‘we have tourists sleeping in homes built for families and families sleeping in hotels built for tourists’;

·       The decline in the supply of social housing had meant that there were families and vulnerable people stuck in temporary accommodation. Temporary accommodation had turned into the new social housing and those in temporary accommodation could be moved out of the area. The Authority had built some temporary and emergency accommodation but it had still spent £631k on housing people wit private landlords and hotel rooms. This put a pressure on the Council and Society

·       The renovation build on Albion Street was welcomed which had taken seven years since first announced and also the planned works in south street in Lancing;

·       It was asked why funds were not being used to purchase land and build housing or buy back council houses,

·       With regards to Adur Homes there were issues with regards to communications concerning repair needs in a timely way, there was no compliance with requirements for homes to be fitted with carbon monoxide monitors, it was purported that the Authority had plenty of time to prepare for this,

·       Money was available through the social housing decarbonisation fund but the Council was unable to access it because it was behind in providing energy performance certificates across the Council’s stock

·       It was quoted that despair and humiliation was being felt by those living in council housing in Adur. Families and pensioners were living in poor conditions. Poor living conditions had detrimental effects on mental health and wellbeing and quality of life

·       In relation to voids it cost the council £226k in the previous year and £329k in the current year. Voids were hurting the HRA and it was thought that better management of voids could have mitigated rent increases of 7% and 11% 

·       It was urged that the proactive project be used to find those tenants who would be most impacted by rises and they be offered hardship support

·       The council needed more radical thinking about the HRA.

·       In relation to the cost of living crisis inflation was high and disposable income was forecast to be 3.8% in 2023. People were becoming desperate.

·       The Labour Group had brought motions on various topics throughout the previous year which had been rejected and it was purported that the administration had not wanted to tackle these projects properly

·       A Council tax rise was being proposed during the cost of living crisis, although it was welcomed that the full amount allowed was not being proposed

·       Council Tax was a regressive tax and it hit those on the lowest incomes the hardest, it was believed that there were better ways to fund local government

·       Relief was expressed that the Council Tax Support Scheme was in place for another year

·       The Government had slashed the support for councils by 60p in a £1 over the past 13 years which had had a devastating effect in the services that the council could provide and making the Council less resilient

·       In relation to the proposed amendment. The Opposition group leader had been approached by residents who wished to plant trees on Council land which had been more difficult than first thought due to bureaucracy. This had been difficult to explain to residents

• The scheme would transfer plots of land to community groups and the employment of a part time officer would help t get the scheme off the ground and develop and maintain the scheme 

 

The proposed amendment from the Labour Group was seconded 

 

The Leader of the Green Group made a speech and proposal which is summarised as follows

• The Green Leader commended those who had brought in a balanced budget
• The support for green projects was welcomed including the Sussex Bay project 
• There was a lot of investment for emergency and temporary accommodation due to a lack of social housing
• The waiting lists had increased over the previous year
• The amendment from the Labour Group was modest in nature and would allow people to grow their own trees and flowers, although it could be more ambitious
• The UK had the worst economy in the G20 and inflation on food was affecting residents
• 75% of residents did not want an increase, however the amount attributed to Adur’s part of the tax was not significant in contrast to WSCC and the Police Authority. Consultations could have been improved
• If the Green proposal to increase the Council tax by 2.99% were accepted this would be 0.14% in addition to other authorities. The proposal was seeking less than 1p per household per day. The additional funds (not paid by the most vulnerable) would amount to £70k. Over 5 years The council would lose £350k without the proposed increase 
• The money was needed for the operation of council especially in light of the prediction that there would be a deficit in the future which could be helped by an improved contingency fund
• In relation to the ‘blue green’ amendment which was a digital map costing £10k, this would showcase all the areas in Adur that would show a different type of tourism. Adur could offer a new type of tourism that was regenerative. It could tie together things such as New Salts Farm, Sussex Bay, sustainable premises and the new cycle hire scheme. This would build towards a wider visitor economy

 

The proposed amendments were seconded 

 

The Leader of the Shoreham Beach Residents Association (SBRA) made a representation which was summarised as follows

 

• The Leader of the SBRA thanked officers and the cabinet for providing a balanced budget
• As an independent group there was no need to make political points
• News that foreshore patrols would be established from Easter were welcomed
• Tourism did not work without effective infrastructure including toilets 
• The group was pleased to see potential investment in the dilapidated housing stock 
• It was appreciated that there was a need to keep Council tax increases modest, however it was noted that the council’s reserves 

 

The Council debated the amendments and budgets before it. During the debate the Green amendment three (in relation to the blue green economy) was withdrawn. In summing up the Leader stated that the idea within the Labour groups amendment was liked and that the administration may consider it after looking at it carefully and potentially developing the idea.

 

The Council voted on the proposed amendments as follows (proposed amendments attached to these minutes as an appendix) 

 

Amendment 2

 

For: Councillors; Crisp, Loader, Shinn, Watts

 

Against: Councillors; Carol Albury, Carson Albury, Arnold, Baine, Barton, Bellasis, Boram, Bridges, Buxton, Cowen, Dunn, Evans, Flower, Funnell, Gardner, Harvey, Mansfield, McGregor, Neocleous, O’Neal, Pannell, Parkin, Sluman, Stainforth, Wilkinson

 

Abstain: Nil

 

Amendment 1

 

For: Councillors; Arnold, Baine, Cowen, Crisp, Flower, Gardner, Harvey, O’Neal, Shinn, Sluman, Stainforth, Watts

 

Against: Carol Albury, Carson Albury, Barton, Bellasis, Bridges, Boram, Buxton, Dunn, Evans, Funnell, Loader, Mansfield, McGregor, Neocleous, Pannell, Parkin, Wilkinson

 

Abstain: nil

 

The Council voted on the original budget motion 

 

For: Councillors; Carol Albury, Carson Albury, Barton, Bellasis, Boram, Bridges, Buxton, Crisp, Dunn, Evans, Funnell, Loader, Mansfield, McGregor, Neocleous, Pannell, Parkin, Shinn, Watts, Wilkinson

 

Against: nil

 

Abstain: Councillors; Arnold, Baine, Cowen, Flower, Gardner, Harvey, O’Neal, Sluman, Stainforth

 

Resolved:

 

1.	It is noted that on 2nd February 2023, the Executive calculated the Council Tax Base 2023/24.   (a) for the whole Council area as 21,937.30 [Item T in the formula in Section 31B of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, as amended (the “Act”)]; and (b) for dwellings in those parts of its area to which a Parish precept relates as set out below:   Lancing Parish Council   6,511.80 Sompting Parish Council  2,790.90 All other areas including Shoreham Southwick and Coombes 12,634.60
That the Council Tax requirement for the Council’s own purposes for 2023/24 (excluding Parish precepts) is £7,107,690.
That the following amounts be calculated by the Council for the year 2023/24 in accordance with Sections 31 to 36 of the Act:
(a)	£62,406,294	being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 31A(2) of the Act taking into account all precepts issued to it by Parish Councils
(b)	£54,858,267	being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 31A(3) of the Act.
(c)	£7,548,027	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 Act, as its Council Tax requirement for the year. (Item R), in the formula in Section 31B of the Act).
(d)	£344.07	being the amount at 3(c) above (Item R), all divided by Item T (1(a) above), 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).
(e)	£440,337	being the aggregate amount of all special items (Parish precepts) referred to in Section 34(1) of the Act (as per the attached Appendix C).
(f)	£324.00	being the amount at 3(d) above less the result given by dividing the amount at 3(e) above by Item T (1(a) above), calculated by the Council, in accordance with Section 34(2) of the Act, as the basic amount of its Council Tax for the year.
(g)	£405,166	being the aggregate amount of all special expenses (not applicable in the Lancing Parish area)

 

(h)

£305.55

being the amount at 3(d) above less the result given by dividing the amount at 3(e) and 3(g) above by Item T (1a above), 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 or Special Expense relates.

 ADUR DISTRICT COUNCIL – COUNCIL TAX RESOLUTION

All of the Council’s Area 2023/24	Band A £	Band B £	Band C £	Band D £	Band E £	Band F £	Band G £	Band H £
West Sussex County Council Total as split below:	1,088.91	1,270.40	1,451.88	1,633.37	1,996.34	2,359.31	2,722.28	3,266.74
West Sussex - Core Precept	944.97	1,102.47	1,259.96	1,417.46	1,732.45	2,047.44	2,362.43	2,834.92
West Sussex - Adult Social Care Precept	143.94	167.93	191.92	215.91	263.89	311.87	359.85	431.82
The Police & Crime Commissioner for Sussex	159.94	186.60	213.25	239.91	293.22	346.54	399.85	479.82

 

 

 

5.         That the Council, in accordance with Sections 30 and 36 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, hereby sets the amounts shown below as the amounts of Council Tax for the year 2023/24 for each part of its area and for each of the categories of dwellings:

 

 

LANCING PARISH COUNCIL AREA

 

Council Tax Schedule 2023/24	Band A £	Band B £	Band C £	Band D £	Band E £	Band F £	Band G £	Band H £
West Sussex County Council Total as split below:	1,088.91	1,270.40	1,451.88	1,633.37	1,996.34	2,359.31	2,722.28	3,266.74
West Sussex - Core Precept	944.97	1,102.47	1,259.96	1,417.46	1,732.45	2,047.44	2,362.43	2,834.92
West Sussex - Adult Social Care Precept	143.94	167.93	191.92	215.91	263.89	311.87	359.85	431.82
The Police & Crime Commissioner for Sussex	159.94	186.60	213.25	239.91	293.22	346.54	399.85	479.82
Parish of Lancing area total as split below:	238.26	277.97	317.68	357.39	436.81	516.23	595.65	714.78
Adur District Council - Core Precept	203.70	237.65	271.60	305.55	373.45	441.35	509.25	611.10
Lancing Parish Precept	34.56	40.32	46.08	51.84	63.36	74.88	86.40	103.68
TOTAL	1,487.11	1,734.97	1,982.81	2,230.67	2,726.37	3,222.08	3,717.78	4,461.34

 

 

 

SOMPTING PARISH COUNCIL AREA

 

 

Council Tax Schedule 2023/24	Band A £	Band B £	Band C £	Band D £	Band E £	Band F £	Band G £	Band H £
West Sussex County Council Total as split below:	1,088.91	1,270.40	1,451.88	1,633.37	1,996.34	2,359.31	2,722.28	3,266.74
West Sussex - Core Precept	944.97	1,102.47	1,259.96	1,417.46	1,732.45	2,047.44	2,362.43	2,834.92
West Sussex - Adult Social Care Precept	143.94	167.93	191.92	215.91	263.89	311.87	359.85	431.82
The Police & Crime Commissioner for Sussex	159.94	186.60	213.25	239.91	293.22	346.54	399.85	479.82
Parish of Sompting area total as split below:	245.76	286.72	327.68	368.64	450.56	532.48	614.40	737.28
Adur District Council Core Precept	203.70	237.65	271.60	305.55	373.45	441.35	509.25	611.10
Sompting Parish Precept	24.54	28.63	32.72	36.81	44.99	53.17	61.35	73.62
Special Expenses	17.52	20.44	23.36	26.28	32.12	37.96	43.80	52.56
TOTAL	1,494.61	1,743.72	1,992.81	2,241.92	2,740.12	3,238.33	3,736.53	4,483.84

 

 

 

 

ALL OTHER AREAS INCLUDING SHOREHAM, SOUTHWICK AND COOMBES

 

 

Council Tax Schedule 2023/24	Band A £	Band B £	Band C £	Band D £	Band E £	Band F £	Band G £	Band H £
West Sussex County Council Total as split below:	1,088.91	1,270.40	1,451.88	1,633.37	1,996.34	2,359.31	2,722.28	3,266.74
West Sussex - Core Precept	944.97	1,102.47	1,259.96	1,417.46	1,732.45	2,047.44	2,362.43	2,834.92
West Sussex - Adult Social Care Precept	143.94	167.93	191.92	215.91	263.89	311.87	359.85	431.82
The Police & Crime Commissioner for Sussex	159.94	186.60	213.25	239.91	293.22	346.54	399.85	479.82
All other areas total as split below:
Adur District Council - Core Precept	203.70	237.65	271.60	305.55	373.45	441.35	509.25	611.10
Special Expenses	17.52	20.44	23.36	26.28	32.12	37.96	43.80	52.56
TOTAL	1,470.07	1,715.09	1,960.09	2,205.11	2,695.13	3,185.16	3,675.18	4,410.22

 

 

 

Proposed Budget Amendments 

 

From the Labour Group

1. Adur District Council Budget Amendment - 2023

 

Adopt a Green Space - a scheme to enable a constituted resident, community or school group

to adopt a green space from the council and set up and maintain a community garden.

 

What strategy does this meet?

Four areas are met from the council’s SustainableAW climate and nature plan

? Reducing carbon emissions

? Biodiversity / Ecology

? Food

? Shared Leadership

 

Objectives:

? Freeing up Adur Council’s park resources & assets - opportunity saving for the staff to

work on something else

? Unlocking green space for users

? Reduction in carbon emissions and offsetting any failed developer landscaping

? Building community engagement

? To reach into communities of deprivation

 

Benefits:

? Health & wellbeing

? Access to small food growth, without the need for allotment

? Solve current impasse with planting trees on Adur Homes land

? Community engagement

? Community composting potential

 

How:

? Develop a register of available land

? A council resource to set up the scheme

? Create a web page with a ‘how to’ guide and an application process.

? Groups can decide to plant orchards, vegetable growing spaces, flower/shrub gardens

? Start-up grants available to purchase trees, bulbs, seeds, tools, water butts, storage

containers, compost bins, raised beds

? Encourage constituted groups who can then apply for charitable funding

 

Costs:

? The initial council resource would cost around £22,200 based on a part time officer

(grade 6 at 0.5 FTE). I would expect this to tail off as the scheme becomes more

established and could then be subsumed into a current officer’s role.

? Seed funding pot £10,000 to help groups with start up costs.

? Provide Web page and publication guide - £200

? Total - £32,400 funded from the £20k ‘investment in sustainability projects’ (see

appendix 2 of the budget report) and £12.4k from the contingency budget.

 

From the Green Group

1. Adur District Council Budget Amendment - 2023

 

This council notes the decision of cabinet to set a budget for 2023/24 based on an increase in council tax of 2.00%

 

We also note that the draft local government settlement allows for councils to raise council tax up to a maximum of 2.99%.

 

We are aware that significant pressures will be placed on Adur District Council’s ability to maintain important community services as a result of changes to local government funding over the next three to five years.

 

In this context, we note that an increase of council tax to 2.99% will cost the average council tax payer an additional 6p per week over the proposed 2% increase, but raises an extra £69,100 in revenue for the year 2023/24.

 

In addition, due to the cumulative effect of such a rise, this additional revenue will rise incrementally each year up to a projected additional annual sum of £75,260 in the fifth year. Over a five year period, this constitutes over £350,000 in increased revenue for crucial council services to our residents.

 

This council believes that, even in these challenged economic times, council tax payers would readily pay an additional 6p per week in order to protect important and cherished local services.

 

This council therefore resolves to increase this year’s council tax to the full amount of 2.99% permitted under the Local Government settlement and for those additional revenues to be added to the contingency reserve fund, to increase this Council’s financial resilience in forthcoming years and protect important local services.

2.              Adur District Council Budget Amendment - 2023

 

Developing a Green - Blue Regenerative Tourism digital map for Adur

 

We propose to allocate £10,000 from the Contingency budget to create a digital resource highlighting Regenerative Tourism* opportunities in Adur .

This would showcase the wonderful things on offer throughout the wider Adur district.

The Economy and Place Team would use this budget to develop a digital map of the Regenerative Tourism offer in Adur.

 

The purpose of the Regenerative Tourism map would be three fold. 

 

1.     Support local businesses: Identify, reward and support local businesses and destinations that promote and champion sustainable values, 

2.     Signpost opportunities for residents: Signpost for our residents the opportunities for non damaging, circular economy activities that will enable Adur to thrive as a place into the future without harming our environment. And to identify destinations throughout the wider area using sustainable transport routes.

3.     Promote Adur as a Green-Blue destination - a new type of visitor experience: Promote our area, to visitors from further afield, as a Green-Blue destination of choice. The map will encourage new visitors to explore the wonderful Historical, Cultural, Retail, Arts, Food, Watersports and Natural Environment experiences on offer.

 

We need good local jobs which do not damage our precious place. By developing a year-round offer from Regenerative activities we can develop our economy, offer our residents sustainable options and provide a new type of visitor experience. Over time this could both regenerate our natural environment and support our economies to grow. The modest sum of £10,000 can kick start Regenerative Tourism with Adur District Council at the forefront of change.

 

*Regenerative Tourism promotes activities where the interaction between hosts and visitors helps to regenerate, rather than degenerate, the environment.