Agenda item

(a)  Leeds City Council Revenue Budget and Council Tax 2014/2015

To consider the report of the Deputy Chief Executive on the proposals for the City Council’s Revenue Budget for 2014/15 and the Leeds element of the Council Tax to be levied in 2014/2015.

(b)  Capital Programme Update 2014-2017

To consider the report of the Deputy Chief Executive on the Capital Programme for the period 2014-2017.

(c)  Treasury Management Strategy 2014/2015

To consider the report of the Deputy Chief Executive on the Treasury Management Policy and Strategy for 2014/2015.

(A) Leeds City Council Revenue Budget and Council Tax 2014/2015

Further to Minute No. 137, 18^th December 2013, the Deputy Chief Executive submitted a report regarding the proposals for the City Council’s Revenue Budget for 2014/2015 together with the Leeds element of the Council Tax to be levied in 2014/2015.

The Board noted the proposal to increase Leeds’ element of the Council Tax for 2014/15 by 1.99%, and discussed the range of significant factors which had been taken into consideration when forming this proposal.

The Board paid tribute to all officers concerned for the work which they had undertaken and the support that they had provided to Members throughout the budget setting process to date.

RESOLVED –

(a)   That Council be recommended to approve the Revenue Budget for 2014/2015 totalling £565.777m, as detailed and explained within the submitted report and accompanying papers, with a 1.99% increase in the Leeds’ element of the Council Tax for 2014/2015.

(b)   That Council be recommended to approve grants totalling £109,000, to be allocated to Parishes, as detailed within paragraph 6.15.4 of the submitted report.

(c)   That Council be recommended to approve an amendment to the Council Tax scheme as detailed within paragraph 3.14 of the submitted report, which is to be adopted as the empty property scheme.

(d)   That in respect of the Housing Revenue Account, Council be recommended to: -

(i) approve the budget with an average rent increase figure of 5.9%;

(ii) increase the charge for garage rents to £7.18 per week (based upon 52 rent weeks);

(iii) increase service charges in line with rents (5.9%).

(e)   That Council be recommended to approve that the delegated limits for Revenue virements are amended to allow Executive Board to approve virements up to a maximum of £5,000,000.

(f)   That it be agreed that the line of eligibility for adult community care services remains unchanged for 2014/2015.

(g)   That approval be given to the awarding of Retail Relief to all businesses which meet the criteria as set out within Appendix 1 to the submitted report, subject to the provisions of State Aid.

(B) Capital Programme Update 2014-2017

The Deputy Chief Executive submitted a report setting out the proposed Capital Programme for the period 2014-2017, which included details of forecast resources for that period. In addition, the report also provided a review of 2013/2014 scheme spend.

RESOLVED –

(a)   That the following be recommended to Council:-

(i) That the capital programme, as presented in Appendix H to the submitted report, be approved;

(ii) That the proposed Minimum Revenue Provision (MRP) policies for 2014/2015 as set out within paragraph 3.6 and explained in Appendix F of the submitted report, be approved.

(b)   That approval be given to the list of land and property sites as shown within Appendix C to the submitted report, being disposed of in order to generate capital receipts for use in accordance with the MRP policy.

(c)   That approval be given to the receipts received as part of Compulsory Purchase Orders (CPOs) required to deliver the Victoria Gate programme being ringfenced to repay the CPOs, and that it be noted that the approvals to inject and give ‘Authority to Spend’ on these CPOs are to be treated as category C, and as such are delegated to the Director of City Development.

(C) Treasury Management Strategy 2014/2015

The Deputy Chief Executive submitted a report setting out the Treasury Management Strategy for 2014/2015, together with the revised affordable borrowing limits under the prudential framework. In addition, the report also provided a review of strategy and operations in 2013/2014.

RESOLVED –

(a)   That approval be given to the initial treasury strategy for 2014/2015, as set out within Section 3.3 of the submitted report, and that thereview of the 2013/2014 strategy and operations, as set out within Sections 3.1 and 3.2 of the submitted report, be noted.

(b)   That Council be recommended to set the borrowing limits for 2013/14, 2014/15, 2015/16 and 2016/17 as detailed within Section 3.4 of the submitted report.

(c)   That Council be recommended to set the treasury management indicators for 2013/14, 2014/15, 2015/16 and 2016/17 as detailed within Section 3.5 of the submitted report.

(d)   That Council be recommended to set the investment limits for 2013/14, 2014/15, 2015/16 and 2016/17 as detailed within Section 3.6 of the submitted report.

(The matters referred to in Minute Nos. 175 (A)(a)-175(A)(e), 175(B)(a)(i)-175(B)(a)(ii) and 175(C)(b)-175(C)(d) being matters reserved to Council, were not eligible for Call In)

(Under the provisions of Council Procedure Rule 16.5, Councillor A Carter required it to be recorded that he abstained from voting on the decisions referred to within Minute No. 175(A) and (B), whilst Councillor Golton required it to be recorded that he abstained from voting on the decisions referred to within Minute No. 175(A))