1
There was submitted a report by the Director of Finance & Resources relative to the Revenue Budget and Council Tax for 2017/18 together with appendices detailing revenue estimates for 2017/18; estimates of expenditure and income for the year ended 31 March 2018; and the General Fund probable outturn for 2016/17. The report provided members with an overview of the Council’s projected financial position for the year ahead and set out the information required for the Council to set its budget and Council Tax for 2017/18. The report also advised that Members consider the medium and longer-term financial context for the Council and the ongoing financial pressures and challenges facing the public sector more generally, as detailed within the report.
The report intimated that the Scottish Government had allocated £300.757 million grant funding to Renfrewshire Council for 2017/18 and set out the associated conditions that made up the allocation, one of which removed the condition associated with a Council Tax freeze and introduced a 3% cap, the maximum increase that could be applied locally by an individual council. The Scottish Government had indicated that should the conditions not be met, the funding allocation would be reduced. However the scale of any reduction had not been confirmed.
Councillor Holmes tabled a motion on behalf of the Administration.
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting then adjourned at 1.02 pm to allow members to consider the motion. The meeting reconvened at 1.12 pm.
Councillor Holmes, seconded by Councillor M Macmillan, moved:
“1. That this Administration’s fifth budget will build further on its commitments to invest in economic regeneration, local communities and support the most vulnerable in Renfrewshire.
2. That as recommended by the Director, these budget proposals take a holistic view of resources available, and include the proposed use of the £1.841 million of available capital resources outlined in Agenda item 2.
3. Further, it is agreed that £2.350 million will be drawn from the Investment Programme Capital Fund detailed in Table 5 of the report to provide additional debt smoothing support as part of delivering these budget proposals for 2017/18. Further and in line with the recommendations of the Director, that unallocated General Fund balances are budgeted to be maintained at £7.020 million moving into 2017/18 and that on the closure of the 2016/17 accounts, any balances in excess of this amount be transferred to the Investment Programme Capital Fund to provide additional capacity in future years to the ongoing debt smoothing strategy.
4. On Regeneration this budget commits a further £3.477 million, being £1.841 million of capital resources and £1.636 million of revenue resources, to boost investment in the roads infrastructure across Renfrewshire. This additional investment will be focused on those key routes that keep the Renfrewshire economy moving and lifts planned capital investment in 2017/18 to £6.716 million, the biggest ever single year investment in the roads, cycling and pathway infrastructure across Renfrewshire.
5. To protect services to the most vulnerable in Renfrewshire, agree to recommendation 2.4 to make available £4.406 million of resources to support cost and demand pressures on Adult Social Care Services as outlined in the Director’s report and which will form part of the resources being made available under delegation to Renfrewshire Health and Social Care Partnership (RHSCP) on the 1 April 2017. Further that as part of this delegation process, agree to work in pro-active partnership with RHSCP and social care providers to secure the payment of the £8.45 living wage across all care staff providing services to the Council in addition to those directly employed by the Council.
6. Invest an additional £1.500 million in the Council’s tackling poverty programme lifting the total investment to £7.5 million since its launch, ensuring key projects and services delivered by this highly successful programme are sustained through to the end of 2017/18, including:
• Income and employment initiatives;
• Managing money – including money and energy advice, tackling the poverty premium and supporting foodbank provision;
• Health initiatives – including school counselling, peer education initiatives and extending healthier wealthier children;
• Supporting attainment – including literacy programmes, breakfast clubs, Families First and supporting the cost of the school day;
• Neighbourhoods – Street Stuff, asset based regeneration and private rented sector enforcement;
• Supporting digital participation across Renfrewshire.
7. Double to £1 million, the resources directed to support the artistic community in Renfrewshire by supplementing the CHEF (Culture Heritage and Events Fund) delivered through the Paisley 2021 Partnership Board with a further £0.500 million investment in 2017/18. The Fund, which was established by the Administration in 2015 with an initial £0.500 million allocation has been an overwhelming success and has already been used to support over 50 community arts and other groups across Renfrewshire. To further complement this investment, invest £0.150 million to remove music tuition charges within schools and to support participation in music across Renfrewshire’s young people.
8. Invest £0.200 million to support a freeze on charges in 2017/18 across Council services, chargeable non-assessed social care services provided through the Renfrewshire Health and Social Care Partnership and all services provided through Renfrewshire Leisure.
9. Invest an additional £1.500 million to boost the budget available to support the St Anthony’s Primary School/Spateston Nursery project in Johnstone. This additional injection of resources will provide the opportunity to deliver an enhanced and improved project, providing the community, early years and school children with modern and high quality educational facilities which they deserve.
10. Direct an additional £1 million to bring to £4 million, the total programme supporting investment in Community Facilities across Renfrewshire.
11. Invest £0.100 million to provide an additional uplift of £20,000 in 2017/18 to the delegated budgets of each of the Local Area Committees for the purposes of providing grants across Renfrewshire’s communities, uplifting the total grants budget across all the LACs by approximately 18%.
12. To agree the base budget assessment for all services for 2017/18 as recommended by the Director of Finance & Resources, and subject to agreement of item 5 above, agree a 2017/18 base budget of £373.386 million. Further to note that this provides sufficient resources to meet the grant condition to maintain the pupil teacher ratio in 2017 at 2016 levels as measured as part of the school census exercise carried out each September.
13. To agree to make provision of £5.758 million in 2017/18 for pay inflation, Apprenticeship Levy and Living Wage across all staff groups and make no provision for general non-pay inflation, as recommended by the Director of Finance & Resources.
14. To agree the resource allocations for 2017/18 for all services, as amended by these proposals.
15. To agree the detailed Revenue Estimates for all services be amended to reflect these proposals and the necessary allocation of central support costs, central repairs costs, capital charges, specific grants and loan charges provision with Directors authorised to take any action necessary to implement these decisions.
16. Subject to agreement of the above, to agree that the council tax for 2017/18 be set at £1,164.69 for Band D subjects, representing a freeze on the 2016/17 level, and for all bandings to be set at:
Band Council Tax 2017/18
A 776.46
B 905.87
C 1,035.28
D 1,164.69
E 1,530.27
F 1,892.62
G 2,280.85
H 2,853.49
17. Subject to agreement of points 1 – 16 above, agree that the Council’s budget is underpinned by appropriate decisions and makes appropriate provision to meet the specified commitments in the package of conditions linked to the Council’s grant settlement to ensure the Council accesses its full grant entitlement.”
Councillor K MacLaren tabled an amendment.
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting adjourned at 1.15 pm to allow members to consider the amendment. The meeting reconvened at 1.20 pm.
Councillor K MacLaren, seconded by Councillor M MacLaren, moved as an amendment:
“1. That as recommended by the Director, these budget proposals take a holistic view of resources available, and include the proposed use of the £1.841 million of available capital resources outlined in Agenda item 2.
2. In line with the recommendations of the Director, agree that unallocated General Fund balances are budgeted to be maintained at £7.020 million moving into 2017/18 and that on the closure of the 2016/17 accounts, any balances in excess of this amount be transferred to the Investment Programme Capital Fund to provide additional capacity in future years to the ongoing debt smoothing strategy.
3. Agree to a non-recurring investment in a ‘Clean Up Renfrewshire Campaign’. This will begin to address the environmental impact of years of cuts and neglect by this administration and start the process of restoring the levels of service that people of Renfrewshire expect in their local communities.
4. Agree to a non-recurring investment of £200,000 to support community engagement in the recycling agenda. In particular, to lifting Renfrewshire’s recycling rate from its current decline and to reduce the council’s landfill tax liability.
5. Agree to invest £200,000 in a one-off pilot scheme to assist in the conservation and protection of listed properties and for the strengthening and protection of our conservation areas.
6. Invest £200,000 to freeze charges for 2017/18 at their current rates across Council Services, chargeable non assessed social care services provided through the Renfrewshire Health and Social Care Partnership and all services provided through Renfrewshire Leisure.
7. Agree to invest £200,000 in the Retail Improvement Scheme to assist the regeneration of local businesses across Renfrewshire.
8. Utilise existing resources to examine the opportunity afforded by the Community Empowerment Act to introduce a local rates relief scheme to help boost local businesses within Renfrewshire.
9. Agree to invest £2,777,000 of additional resources, being £936,000 of revenue resources and £1,841,000 of capital resources, into the roads capital investment programme to increase the total funding available in 2017/18 to £6,016,000 to boost repairs to roads and footpaths across Renfrewshire.
10. Instruct officers to investigate the costs of leaving the Scottish Local Government Partnership and applying to re-join the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (CoSLA) from 1st April 2017, ensuring that Renfrewshire is not left out in the cold again during the discussions on the allocation of local government finance.
11. To agree the base budget assessment of £373.386 million for all services for 2017/18 as recommended by the Director of Finance & Resources and to recommendation 2.4 in relation to the management of resources made available to Renfrewshire Health and Social Care Partnership. Further to note that this provides sufficient resources to meet the grant condition to maintain the pupil teacher ratio in 2017 at 2016 levels as measured as part of the school census exercise carried out each September.
12. To agree to make provision of £5.758 million in 2017/18 for pay inflation, Apprenticeship Levy and Living Wage across all staff groups and make no provision for general non-pay inflation, as recommended by the Director of Finance & Resources.
13. To agree the resource allocations for 2017/18 for all services, as amended by these proposals.
14. To agree the detailed Revenue Estimates for all services be amended to reflect these proposals and the necessary allocation of central support costs, central repair costs, capital charges, specific grants and loan charges provision with Directors authorised to take any action necessary to implement these decisions.
15. Subject to agreement of the above, to agree that the council tax for 2017/18 be set at £1,164.69 for Band D subjects, representing a freeze on the 2016/17 level, and for all bandings to be set at:
Band Council Tax 2017/18
A 776.46
B 905.87
C 1,035.28
D 1,164.69
E 1,530.27
F 1,892.62
G 2,280.85
H 2,853.49
17. Subject to agreement of points 1 – 16 above, agree that the Council’s budget is underpinned by appropriate decisions and makes appropriate provision to meet the specified commitments in the package of conditions linked to the Council’s grant settlement to ensure the Council accesses its full grant entitlement.”
On the roll being called, the following members voted for the amendment: Councillors Perrie, McEwan, Paterson, Lawson, Mylet, K MacLaren, M MacLaren, McGurk, Cameron, Andy Doig, Audrey Doig, Noon, M Brown, McQuade and Nicolson.
The following members voted for the motion: Councillors B Brown, Murrin, M Devine, J Sharkey, M Sharkey, Kelly, Williams, E Devine, Glen, Henry, M Macmillan, Caldwell, Hood, I McMillan, Bibby, Gilmour, Provost Hall, Councillors Holmes, J MacLaren, Harte and Mullin.
The following members abstained: Councillors Mack and McCartin.
15 members having voted for the amendment, 21 members having voted for the motion and 2 members having abstained, the motion was accordingly declared carried.
DECIDED:
(a) That this Administration’s fifth budget will build further on its commitments to invest in economic regeneration, local communities and support the most vulnerable in Renfrewshire.
(b) That as recommended by the Director, these budget proposals take a holistic view of resources available, and include the proposed use of the £1.841 million of available capital resources outlined in Agenda item 2.
(c) Further, it is agreed that £2.350 million will be drawn from the Investment Programme Capital Fund detailed in Table 5 of the report to provide additional debt smoothing support as part of delivering these budget proposals for 2017/18. Further and in line with the recommendations of the Director, that unallocated General Fund balances are budgeted to be maintained at £7.020 million moving into 2017/18 and that on the closure of the 2016/17 accounts, any balances in excess of this amount be transferred to the Investment Programme Capital Fund to provide additional capacity in future years to the ongoing debt smoothing strategy.
(d) On Regeneration this budget commits a further £3.477 million, being £1.841 million of capital resources and £1.636 million of revenue resources, to boost investment in the roads infrastructure across Renfrewshire. This additional investment will be focused on those key routes that keep the Renfrewshire economy moving and lifts planned capital investment in 2017/18 to £6.716 million, the biggest ever single year investment in the roads, cycling and pathway infrastructure across Renfrewshire.
(e) To protect services to the most vulnerable in Renfrewshire, agree to recommendation 2.4 to make available £4.406 million of resources to support cost and demand pressures on Adult Social Care Services as outlined in the Director’s report and which will form part of the resources being made available under delegation to Renfrewshire Health and Social Care Partnership (RHSCP) on the 1 April 2017. Further that as part of this delegation process, agree to work in pro-active partnership with RHSCP and social care providers to secure the payment of the £8.45 living wage across all care staff providing services to the Council in addition to those directly employed by the Council.
(f) Invest an additional £1.500 million in the Council’s tackling poverty programme lifting the total investment to £7.5 million since its launch, ensuring key projects and services delivered by this highly successful programme are sustained through to the end of 2017/18, including:
• Income and employment initiatives;
• Managing money – including money and energy advice, tackling the poverty premium and supporting foodbank provision;
• Health initiatives – including school counselling, peer education initiatives and extending healthier wealthier children;
• Supporting attainment – including literacy programmes, breakfast clubs, Families First and supporting the cost of the school day;
• Neighbourhoods – Street Stuff, asset based regeneration and private rented sector enforcement;
• Supporting digital participation across Renfrewshire.
(g) Double to £1 million, the resources directed to support the artistic community in Renfrewshire by supplementing the CHEF (Culture Heritage and Events Fund) delivered through the Paisley 2021 Partnership Board with a further £0.500 million investment in 2017/18. The Fund, which was established by the Administration in 2015 with an initial £0.500 million allocation has been an overwhelming success and has already been used to support over 50 community arts and other groups across Renfrewshire. To further complement this investment, invest £0.150 million to remove music tuition charges within schools and to support participation in music across Renfrewshire’s young people.
(h) Invest £0.200 million to support a freeze on charges in 2017/18 across Council services, chargeable non-assessed social care services provided through the Renfrewshire Health and Social Care Partnership and all services provided through Renfrewshire Leisure.
(i) Invest an additional £1.500 million to boost the budget available to support the St Anthony’s Primary School/Spateston Nursery project in Johnstone. This additional injection of resources will provide the opportunity to deliver an enhanced and improved project, providing the community, early years and school children with modern and high quality educational facilities which they deserve.
(j) Direct an additional £1 million to bring to £4 million, the total programme supporting investment in Community Facilities across Renfrewshire.
(k) Invest £0.100 million to provide an additional uplift of £20,000 in 2017/18 to the delegated budgets of each of the Local Area Committees for the purposes of providing grants across Renfrewshire’s communities, uplifting the total grants budget across all the LACs by approximately 18%.
(l) To agree the base budget assessment for all services for 2017/18 as recommended by the Director of Finance & Resources, and agree a 2017/18 base budget of £373.386 million. Further to note that this provides sufficient resources to meet the grant condition to maintain the pupil teacher ratio in 2017 at 2016 levels as measured as part of the school census exercise carried out each September.
(m) To agree to make provision of £5.758 million in 2017/18 for pay inflation, Apprenticeship Levy and Living Wage across all staff groups and make no provision for general non-pay inflation, as recommended by the Director of Finance & Resources.
(n) To agree the resource allocations for 2017/18 for all services, as amended by these proposals.
(o) To agree the detailed Revenue Estimates for all services be amended to reflect these proposals and the necessary allocation of central support costs, central repairs costs, capital charges, specific grants and loan charges provision with Directors authorised to take any action necessary to implement these decisions.
(p) To agree that the council tax for 2017/18 be set at £1,164.69 for Band D subjects, representing a freeze on the 2016/17 level, and for all bandings to be set at:
Band Council Tax 2017/18
A 776.46
B 905.87
C 1,035.28
D 1,164.69
E 1,530.27
F 1,892.62
G 2,280.85
H 2,853.49
(q) That it be agreed that the Council’s budget was underpinned by appropriate decisions and made appropriate provision to meet the specified commitments in the package of conditions linked to the Council’s grant settlement to ensure the Council accessed its full grant entitlement.