Agenda item

The Leader moved the item thanking the Scrutiny Committee who considered it in detail in January with cross party support. He confirmed that it is a delivery focused Budget centred on residents’ priorities as the Council recovers from the impact of the pandemic. He acknowledged that there is a continuing need to bring the budget back into balance whilst delivering front line services. The Council will continue to support Leisure Centres whilst working to phase out the subsidies as soon as possible. He also noted that the Budget keeps Council Tax at the third lowest in Sussex and in April the Council will begin to administer £150 Council Tax Rebate to lowest income families.

 

The Leader highlighted a number of commitments being brought forward, including 3000 households taking part in a pilot for food waste collection and the new Sustainable Economic Strategy to set the Council on a path to Net Zero. It is also a critical year for delivering an ambitious parks and open spaces programme and the master planning for the Centre for Outdoor Sports, the biggest investment in sports for a generation. Other commitments include new modern facilities at Clair Hall, playground improvements, the continuation of the Full Fibre project to support small businesses, residents and the local economy, and the acquisition of temporary accommodation and increased homelessness intervention officers to support those who need it. The item was seconded by the Deputy Leader.

 

A number of Members commended the budget, noting that it is a Budget and Corporate Plan for the District as a whole. It was acknowledged that it is unusual to have a budget that relies on the use of reserves and concern was raised over the projection to use reserves in 2025/26. It was noted that in the past the Council had good management of reserves for just this circumstance which has enabled it to be in a position to respond in an agile way throughout the pandemic, however attention should be given to reducing the draw on reserves as soon as possible. The Leader confirmed that the position is improving gradually and is closely under review by the Cabinet. Use of the reserves does support the capital programme and it is important to ensure they are replenished to a healthy level.

 

A number of Members commented on the aspirational nature of the Corporate Plan and Budget, noting that it provides significant support to the local economy in terms of full fibre provision and support for an increase in local employment as well as increased green space provision which is crucial to wellbeing.

 

A Member raised concern over the events that have happened since the figures were compiled for the budget at the end of 2021, noting that there is a provision for inflation at 2% but evidence that Unions will demand more than this. An increase in fuel charges and cost of food may also impair the ability of people to pay the expected amount of Council Tax. In response to a question on the Council’s contingency plans for this, the Leader acknowledged that the budget is dynamic to account for this, citing the agility in responding to the changes during the pandemic as an example. He noted that there may be a need to draw more on reserves if there was an issue, and the increased cost of fuel will be kept under review with mitigating factors put in place to improve energy efficiency. Regarding the risk of lower Council Tax collection, this is mitigated by the collection fund which goes to all the precepting Authorities and the Council’s share should be 10%. Support will also be provided to those residents who need it. In response to discussion around inflation, a Member requested that consideration be given to consider sharing any Officer pay rise equally as an absolute and equal amount rather than a percentage increase, to benefit those that are paid the least.

Councillor Eggleston proposed an amendment in relation to a Burgess Hill Town Centre Support Fund which seeks to redeploy funds already given by New River to improve the town centre and The Martlets site from its current unacceptable condition. This was seconded by Councillor Hicks who noted that original planning application for the Martlets redevelopment was 7 years ago with nothing having been done since, also highlighting that it forms part of the District Council’s property portfolio. The amendment is detailed below:

 

Noting this Council's aim to “maintain, and where possible, improve the social, economic and environmental well-being of our District and the quality of life for all, now and in the future” (see Mid Sussex Sustainable Communities Strategy); and

 

Noting the considerable delay in the regeneration of the Martlets Shopping Centre, Burgess Hill and the blight that has resulted in this part of Burgess Hill’s town centre;

 

Establish a Specific Reserve to support environmental, economic and social improvements to mitigate the blight and improve the quality of life of residents, and transfer £100,000 from the General Reserve to this Specific Reserve.

The Specific Reserve will be for projects identified through a group comprising of officers from Burgess Hill Town Council and Mid Sussex District Council and subject to agreement under Financial Regulation B4.4 in consultation with the Cabinet Member.

 

Discussion was held on the way in which the amendment was presented, noting that the Leader was made aware a few weeks prior to the meeting. A number of Members expressed concern that it was not raised at the Scrutiny Committee in January despite encouragement from the Cabinet Member to do so, as this would have allowed for the proper scrutiny to take place. It was also noted that requests for such funds should be accompanied by a relevant business case as the Council does not have sufficient information on what the funds will be used for. A number of Members agreed on the aspirational nature of the amendment, as the town centre needs improvement but noted that the Town Council had not increased its own budget or precept to accommodate the work, and that any request at District Level should have been proposed during the budget forming stages. The Leader acknowledged that he is not against spending money on sensible proposals but reiterated the usual process for such considerations where a project is identified with a business case provided to consider budget proposals.

 

The Chairman took Members to a vote on the amendment which was lost with 18 in favour, 23 against and 2 abstentions.

 

Councillor Henwood proposed a second amendment related to the installation of a Changing Places Toilet in the Orchards Shopping Centre, citing the Leader’s comment that the budget ‘will focus on what is important to our residents and will support vulnerable people in the community’. This was seconded by Councillor Alison Bennett who confirmed it was based on discussions with the Section 151 Officer and in the spirit of cross party working, and is detailed below:

 

Noting that there are currently no Changing Places toilets in the town centre of Haywards Heath and to ensure that this Council creates environments that are accessible to all members of the community:

 

Purchase and install a modular Changing Places toilet in the Orchards Shopping Centre in Haywards Heath, at a cost of £100,000 drawn from the general reserve.

 

Discussion was held on the need to have clean and fit-for-purpose toilet facilities, and the need to improve the current provision at the Orchards Shopping Centre. Discussion was also held on the methods that Members can bring about amendments to the budget, the scrutiny work programmes, and cross party working. It was highlighted that work is already underway to move the current toilets, following consultation with residents and the Kangaroos disability charity, and that provision for such facilities is likely to cost in excess of the £100k requested. The Leader noted that it was mentioned at the Cabinet meeting on 14 February and a report will come to Cabinet later this month and then to Council in order to provide a Changes Places toilet and new public toilets in Haywards Heath.

 

In light of this, Councillor Henwood was asked if she wished to withdraw the amendment. As she did not, the Chairman took Members to a vote on the amendment which was lost with 14 in favour, 25 against and 4 abstentions.

 

As seconder for the main motion, Councillor John Belsey concluded by thanking everyone for their contribution to the debate, and for their input with skills and experience in shaping projects that are coming forward. He noted that there will be challenges ahead but supported the ambitious Corporate Plan and Budget to enable the Council to continue to provide improvements and support to local residents throughout the District.

 

The Chairman took Members to a vote on the recommendations contained in the report. A recorded vote was taken, and the recommendations approved with 29 in favour and 15 against.

 

	For	Against	Abstain		For	Against	Abstain
Ash-Edwards, J.	ü			Gibson, I.	ü
Bates, R.		ü		Henwood, J.		ü
Belsey, J.	ü			Hicks, S.		ü
Belsey, M.	ü			Hillier, S.	ü
Bennett, A.		ü		Jackson, R.		ü
Bennett, L.	ü			Knight, J.	ü
Brown, P.		ü		Lea, Andrew	ü
Cartwright, R.		ü		Lea, Anthea	ü
Chapman, P.		ü		Marsh, G	ü
Clarke, R.	ü			Mockford, J	ü
Coe-Gunnell White, E.	ü			Peacock, A	ü
Coote, P.	ü			Phillips, C.	ü
Cornish, M.		ü		Pulfer, M.	ü
Cromie, R	ü			Smith, S.	ü
Dabell, J.	ü			Sparasci, A.		ü
Dempsey, B		ü		Stockwell, L	ü
de Mierre, R.	ü			Sweatman, D.	ü
Edwards, J.		ü		Trumble, C.	ü
Eggleston, R.		ü		Walker, N	ü
Eves, A.		ü		Webb, R	ü
Forbes, B.	ü			Webster, N.	ü
Gibbs,  L.		ü		Whittaker, R.	ü

 

 

RESOLVED

 

Council agreed:

 

3.1       Corporate Plan and Budget 2022/23

 

3.1.1    That the Corporate Plan and Budget for 2022/23 set out in this report be approved;

 

3.2       Mid Sussex District Council Budget 2022/23

 

3.2.1    Revenue Spending and MSDC council tax levels for 2022/23:

 

(a)        That Revenue Spending summarised below (see Section 2 for details) is approved:

 

 

(b)        That with respect to pensions, the employer’s contribution rate should be 21.4% for 2022/23

 

(c)        That the Mid Sussex District Council element of the Council Tax be increased by 2.8% to £180.36, with no requirement to hold a local referendum in accordance with the Act.

 

3.2.2    Capital Programme 2022/23 (see Section 3 for details):

 

(a)        That the Capital Programme for 2022/23 (as set out in Section 3) is approved.

 

3.2.3    Usable Reserves and other balances

 

(a)        That the estimates for cash balances (see Section 4 for details) are noted.

 

3.2.4    Financial Strategy & Medium Term Financial Plan:

 

(a)        That the summary Medium Term Financial Plan to 2025/26 (see Section 5 for details) is noted.

 

3.2.5    Collection Fund:

 

(a)        That the estimated surplus on the Collection Fund for Council Tax totalling £1,377,000 for the year ended 31 March 2022, of which the Mid Sussex District Council share is £174,550 (see Section 6 for details) is noted.

 

(b)        That the estimated deficit on the Collection Fund for Business Rates totalling £11,100,373 for the year ended 31 March 2022, of which the Mid Sussex District Council share is £4,440,149 (see Section 6 for details) is noted.

 

3.3       Council Taxes For The Mid Sussex Area:

 

3.3.1    It be noted that at its meeting held on 8th December 2021 the Council calculated the following amounts for the year 2022/23:

 

(a)        63,230.6 being the amount calculated, in accordance with the Local Authorities (Calculation of Council Tax Base) Regulations 2012, as its council tax base for the year; and

 

(b)        for dwellings in those parts of its area to which a Parish precept relates as set out in Table 3 Section 7 of this report.

 

3.3.2    £11,404,274 being the amount calculated as the Council Tax Requirement for the Council’s own purposes for 2022/23 (excluding Parish Precepts).

 

3.3.3    That the following amounts be calculated by the Council for the year 2022/23 in accordance with Section 31 to 36 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 (as amended by The Localism Act 2011):

 

(a)        £71,736,938 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)        £55,448,231 being the aggregate of the amounts, which the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 31A(3) of the Act;

 

(c)        £16,288,707 being the amount by which the aggregate at 3.3.3(a) above exceeds the aggregate at 3.3.3(b) above, calculated by the Council, in accordance with Section 31A(4) of the Act, as its Council Tax requirement for the year;

 

(d)        £257.61 being the amount at 3.3.3(c) above, all divided by the amount at 3.3.1(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)        £4,884,433 being the aggregate amount of all special items (Parish Precepts) referred to in Section 34(1) of the Act (see Section 7 for details);

 

(f)         £180.36 being the amount at 3.3.3(d) above less the result given by dividing the amount at 3.3.3(e) above by the amount at 3.3.1(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 for dwellings in those parts of its area to which no Parish precept relates;

 

 

 

 

 

(g)        Part of the Council’s area

 

Parish area	band A	band B	band C	band D	band E	band F	band G	band H
	£	£	£	£	£	£	£	£
Albourne	152.17	177.53	202.89	228.25	278.97	329.69	380.42	456.50
Ansty & Staplefield	171.72	200.34	228.96	257.58	314.82	372.06	429.30	515.16
Ardingly	199.87	233.18	266.49	299.80	366.42	433.04	499.67	599.60
Ashurst Wood	181.61	211.88	242.15	272.42	332.96	393.50	454.03	544.84
Balcombe	179.09	208.93	238.78	268.63	328.33	388.02	447.72	537.26
Bolney	161.66	188.60	215.55	242.49	296.38	350.26	404.15	484.98
Burgess Hill	170.45	198.86	227.27	255.68	312.50	369.32	426.13	511.36
Cuckfield	215.76	251.72	287.68	323.64	395.56	467.48	539.40	647.28
East Grinstead	181.80	212.10	242.40	272.70	333.30	393.90	454.50	545.40
Fulking	166.46	194.20	221.95	249.69	305.18	360.66	416.15	499.38
Hassocks	177.71	207.32	236.94	266.56	325.80	385.03	444.27	533.12
Haywards Heath	158.97	185.46	211.96	238.45	291.44	344.43	397.42	476.90
Horsted Keynes	173.33	202.22	231.11	260.00	317.78	375.56	433.33	520.00
Hurstpierpoint & Sayers Common	178.97	208.79	238.62	268.45	328.11	387.76	447.42	536.90
Lindfield	164.24	191.61	218.99	246.36	301.11	355.85	410.60	492.72
Lindfield Rural	149.77	174.73	199.69	224.65	274.57	324.49	374.42	449.30
Newtimber	123.95	144.60	165.26	185.92	227.24	268.55	309.87	371.84
Poynings	155.85	181.82	207.80	233.77	285.72	337.67	389.62	467.54
Pyecombe	186.05	217.05	248.06	279.07	341.09	403.10	465.12	558.14
Slaugham	171.01	199.52	228.02	256.52	313.52	370.53	427.53	513.04
Turners Hill	204.61	238.71	272.81	306.91	375.11	443.31	511.52	613.82
Twineham	160.32	187.04	213.76	240.48	293.92	347.36	400.80	480.96
West Hoathly	174.92	204.07	233.23	262.38	320.69	378.99	437.30	524.76
Worth	162.17	189.19	216.22	243.25	297.31	351.36	405.42	486.50

 

 

 

being the amounts given by multiplying the amounts at as set out in Table 3 Section 7 of this report by the number which, in the proportion set out in Section 5(1) of the Act, is applicable to dwellings listed in a particular valuation band divided by the number which in that proportion is applicable to dwellings listed in valuation band D, calculated by the Council, in accordance with Section 36(1) of the Act, as the amounts to be taken into account for the year in respect of categories of dwellings listed in different valuation bands.

 

3.3.4    That it be noted that for the year 2022/23, West Sussex County Council have stated the following amounts in precept issued to the Council, in accordance with Section 40 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, for each of the categories of dwelling shown below:

 

Valuation band	£	Valuation band	£
band  A	1,037.16	band  E	1,901.46
band  B	1,210.02	band  F	2,247.18
band  C	1,382.88	band  G	2,592.90
band  D	1,555.74	band  H	3,111.48

 

3.3.5    That it be noted that for the year 2022/23 the Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner have stated the following amounts in precept issued to the Council, in accordance  with Section 40 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, as amended by the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011, for each of the categories of dwellings shown below:

 

Valuation band	£	Valuation band	£
band  A	149.94	band  E	274.89
band  B	174.93	band  F	324.87
band  C	199.92	band  G	374.85
band  D	224.91	band  H	449.82

 

 

3.3.6    That, having calculated the aggregate in each case of the amounts as at 3.3.3(g), 3.3.4 and 3.3.5 above, the Council in accordance with Sections 30 and 36 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, hereby sets the following amounts as the amounts of Council Tax for the year 2022/23 for each of the categories of dwellings shown below:

 

Parish area	band A	band B	band C	band D	band E	band F	band G	band H
	£	£	£	£	£	£	£	£
Albourne	1,339.27	1,562.48	1,785.69	2,008.90	2,455.32	2,901.74	3,348.17	4,017.80
Ansty & Staplefield	1,358.82	1,585.29	1,811.76	2,038.23	2,491.17	2,944.11	3,397.05	4,076.46
Ardingly	1,386.97	1,618.13	1,849.29	2,080.45	2,542.77	3,005.09	3,467.42	4,160.90
Ashurst Wood	1,368.71	1,596.83	1,824.95	2,053.07	2,509.31	2,965.55	3,421.78	4,106.14
Balcombe	1,366.19	1,593.88	1,821.58	2,049.28	2,504.68	2,960.07	3,415.47	4,098.56
Bolney	1,348.76	1,573.55	1,798.35	2,023.14	2,472.73	2,922.31	3,371.90	4,046.28
Burgess Hill	1,357.55	1,583.81	1,810.07	2,036.33	2,488.85	2,941.37	3,393.88	4,072.66
Cuckfield	1,402.86	1,636.67	1,870.48	2,104.29	2,571.91	3,039.53	3,507.15	4,208.58
East Grinstead	1,368.90	1,597.05	1,825.20	2,053.35	2,509.65	2,965.95	3,422.25	4,106.70
Fulking	1,353.56	1,579.15	1,804.75	2,030.34	2,481.53	2,932.71	3,383.90	4,060.68
Hassocks	1,364.81	1,592.27	1,819.74	2,047.21	2,502.15	2,957.08	3,412.02	4,094.42
Haywards Heath	1,346.07	1,570.41	1,794.76	2,019.10	2,467.79	2,916.48	3,365.17	4,038.20
Horsted Keynes	1,360.43	1,587.17	1,813.91	2,040.65	2,494.13	2,947.61	3,401.08	4,081.30
Hurstpierpoint & Sayers Common	1,366.07	1,593.74	1,821.42	2,049.10	2,504.46	2,959.81	3,415.17	4,098.20
Lindfield	1,351.34	1,576.56	1,801.79	2,027.01	2,477.46	2,927.90	3,378.35	4,054.02
Lindfield Rural	1,336.87	1,559.68	1,782.49	2,005.30	2,450.92	2,896.54	3,342.17	4,010.60
Newtimber	1,311.05	1,529.55	1,748.06	1,966.57	2,403.59	2,840.60	3,277.62	3,933.14
Poynings	1,342.95	1,566.77	1,790.60	2,014.42	2,462.07	2,909.72	3,357.37	4,028.84
Pyecombe	1,373.15	1,602.00	1,830.86	2,059.72	2,517.44	2,975.15	3,432.87	4,119.44
Slaugham	1,358.11	1,584.47	1,810.82	2,037.17	2,489.87	2,942.58	3,395.28	4,074.34
Turners Hill	1,391.71	1,623.66	1,855.61	2,087.56	2,551.46	3,015.36	3,479.27	4,175.12
Twineham	1,347.42	1,571.99	1,796.56	2,021.13	2,470.27	2,919.41	3,368.55	4,042.26
West Hoathly	1,362.02	1,589.02	1,816.03	2,043.03	2,497.04	2,951.04	3,405.05	4,086.06
Worth	1,349.27	1,574.14	1,799.02	2,023.90	2,473.66	2,923.41	3,373.17	4,047.80