Agenda item

Purpose: Council must set a balanced budget for the 2025/26 year by 11 March 2025. The budget acts as an indicator that the Council has set aside sufficient financial resources to achieve its objectives and to ensure that Council Tax bills can be issued to residents across the district prior to the start of the new financial year. This report details the budget proposals for the year ahead that form the basis of the 2025/26 revenue budget and detail the respective Council Tax proposals and resolutions.

Resolved that: Executive referred the report to Council to consider the following recommendations

·         That Council approves the 2025/26 Council Tax requirement of £131.64 million, requiring a Council Tax increase of 2.99% with a 2% Council Tax precept ring-fenced for Adult Social Care.

·         That the fees and charges are approved as set out in Appendix G and that the appropriate statutory written notices be placed where required.

·         That it be noted that the following amounts for the year 2025/26, in accordance with regulations made under Section 31B of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, as amended (by the Localism Act 2011), are as follows: -

o   68,511.33 being the amount calculated by the Council, (Item T) in accordance with regulation 31B of the Local Authorities (Calculation of Council Tax base) Regulations 1992 (as amended by the Localism Act 2011), as its Council Tax base for the year (the number of properties paying Council Tax)

o   Part of the Council’s area as per Appendix J being the amounts calculated by the Council, in accordance with regulation 6 of the Regulations, as the amounts of its Council Tax base for the year for dwellings in those parts of its area to which a Parish precept relates

·         Calculate that the Council Tax requirement for the Council’s own purposes for 2025/26 (excluding Parish precepts) is £131,638,354.

·         That the following amounts be now calculated by the Council for the year 2025/26 in accordance with Sections 31A to 36 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, amended by the Localism Act: -

o   £447,838,985 being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 31A(2), (a) to (f) of the Act taking into account all precepts issued to it by Parish councils

o   £309,920,765 being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 31A(3), (a) to (d) of the Act

o   £137,918,220 being the amount by which the aggregate at 5(a) above, exceeds the aggregate at 5(b) above, calculated by the Council, in accordance with the Section 31A(4) of the Act, as its Council Tax requirement for the year (Item R specified in the Act)

o   £2,013.07 being the amount at 5(c) above (Item R), all divided by 3(a) above (Item T specified in the Act), 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)’

o   £6,279,866 being the aggregate amount of all special items (Parish precepts) referred to in Section 34(1) of the Act (as per Appendix J)

o   £1,921.41 being the amount at 5(d) above less the result given by dividing the amount at 5(e) above by the amount at 5(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 special items relate. 

·         That it be noted that for the year 2025/26, Police and Crime Commissioner for Thames Valley and the Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service have issued precepts to the Council in accordance with Section 40 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 for each category of dwellings in the Council’s area as indicated in Appendix J.

·         That the Council in accordance with Sections 30 and 36 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 hereby sets the aggregate amounts shown in the tables in Appendix J as the amounts of Council Tax for 2025/26 for each part of its area and for each of the categories of dwellings.

·         That the Council approves the fees and charges amounts disclosed in Appendix G.

·         That the Executive ratifies the Exceptional Financial Support request to Government of £16m.

This decision is not subject to call in as:

·         the item is due to be referred to Council for final approval.

therefore it will be implemented immediately.