Agenda item

To consider the following recommendations from Cabinet, individual Cabinet members, or committees since the last Council meeting. 

A.        Delivering Accelerated Housing Growth in Science Vale, Southern Oxfordshire

Cabinet, at its meeting on 6 December 2013, will consider a report to approve a project that will accelerate housing growth across the Science Vale area of South and Vale and ask that both Councils establish budgets to allow the project to proceed.

The report of the Strategic Director, which Cabinet will consider on 6 December, was circulated to all councillors. Please bring this report to the meeting.

The recommendations of Cabinet will be circulated to councillors prior to the Council meeting.

B.                Council tax reduction scheme 2014/15

Cabinet, at its meeting on 6 December 2013, will consider a report on a council tax reduction scheme for 2014/15.

The report of the Head of Finance, which Cabinet will consider on 5 December, was circulated to all councillors. Please bring this report to the meeting.

The recommendations of Cabinet will be circulated to councillors on Friday 6 December.

C.        Council tax base 2014/15

Cabinet, at its meeting on 6 December 2013, will consider a report on the council tax base for 2014/15.

The report of the Head of Finance, which Cabinet will consider on 6 December, was circulated to all councillors. Please bring this report to the meeting.

The recommendations of Cabinet will be circulated to councillors priot to the Council meeting.

C.                Council tax reduction scheme grant for town and parish councils

Cabinet, at its meeting on 6 December 2013, will consider a report on the distribution of the council tax reduction scheme grant to parish and town councils.

The report of the Head of Finance, which Cabinet will consider on 5 December, was circulated to all councillors. Please bring this report to the meeting.

The recommendations of Cabinet will be circulated to councillors on Friday 6 December.

Council considered the following recommendations from Cabinet.

A.        Delivering Accelerated Housing Growth in Science Vale, Southern Oxfordshire

Council considered Cabinet’s recommendations, made at its meeting on 6 December 2013, to approve a project to accelerate housing growth across the Science Vale area of South and Vale and establish budgets to allow the project to proceed.

RESOLVED: to

1.     approve a revenue budget to accelerate housing growth in the Science Vale area, in 2013/14 of £500,000 funded from a £1.025 million capacity fund grant;

2.            approve a revenue budget, in 2014/15 of £535,000 funded from the second tranche of capacity fund grant. 

B.                Council tax reduction scheme 2014/15

Council considered Cabinet’s recommendations, made at its meeting on 6 December 2013, on a council tax reduction scheme for 2014/15.

Councillor Richard Webber requested that his views be recorded in the minutes. He stated that the council had a duty to the people of Vale and especially the disadvantaged. The scheme proposed would impact on those people least able to afford to pay their council tax.

In accordance with standing order 29(3), at the request of more than a fifth of councillors present, the chairman asked for a recorded vote. Votes on the recommendations were recorded as follows:

RESOLVED: to

1.            adopt for 2014/15 onwards, the 2013/14 adopted council tax reduction scheme but with the following amendments:

·        entitlement for working age claimants will be capped at 91.5 per cent of their council tax liability, except for these protected groups - people with disabilities, war widows and war disabled pension recipients

·        removal of the second adult rebate scheme

·        entitlement for properties in bands F, G and H will be capped to band E council tax levels

·        the current four week “run on” entitlement will be extended for thirteen weeks when a claimant moves into work.  Any rules concerning eligibility for the run on remain the same

·        personal allowances and non-dependent deductions for working age claimants will be uprated by one per cent each financial year commencing 1 April 2014

2.      establish a hardship fund to assist claimants who may face difficulties  meeting their council tax liability. 

C.        Council tax base 2014/15

Council considered Cabinet’s recommendations, made at its meeting on 6 December 2013, on the council tax base for 2014/15.

RESOLVED:

(a)         To agree that, in accordance with the Local Government Finance Act 1992 (as amended by the Local Government Finance Act 2012) and the Council Tax (Prescribed Classes of Dwellings) (England) Regulations 2003 (as amended)

i.             from 1 April 2014 the council tax discount to be applied on unoccupied and substantially unfurnished dwellings (Class C in the Regulations) be 100 per cent for one calendar month and zero per cent thereafter.  Where an unoccupied and unfurnished dwelling has already received the current 25 per cent discount for more than one calendar month on 1 April 2014, it shall receive zero discount.  Where an unoccupied and unfurnished dwelling has received a 25 per cent discount for less than one calendar month on 1 April 2014, it shall receive a 100 per cent discount for the number of days required to reach one calendar month and then zero per cent discount thereafter.  In considering whether a dwelling has been unoccupied and substantially unfurnished for any period, any one period not exceeding six weeks, during which it was not unoccupied and substantially unfurnished shall be disregarded.

(a)         To approve the report of the Head of Finance for the calculation of the council’s tax base and the calculation of the tax base for each parish area for 2014/15;

(b)         That, in accordance with The Local Authorities (Calculation of Council Tax Base) (England) Regulations 2012, the amount calculated by Vale of White Horse District Council as its council tax base for the year 2014/15 be 46,640.5;

(c)         That, in accordance with The Local Authorities (Calculation of Council Tax Base) (England) Regulations 2012, the amount calculated by Vale of White Horse District Council as the council tax base for the year 2014/15 for each parish be the amount shown against the name of that parish in appendix 1 of the report of the Head of Finance to Cabinet on 6 December 2013.

D.  Counciltax reduction scheme grant for town and parish councils

Council considered Cabinet’s recommendations, made at its meeting on 6 December 2013, on the total amount of council tax reduction scheme grant to pass down to town and parish councils for 2014/15, how to calculate the amounts for individual town and parish councils and the actual grant allocations for each town and parish council.

RESOLVED: That

1.      the total council tax reduction scheme grant to be passed down to town and parish councils for 2014/15 be £160,593;

2.      the individual amounts for town and parish councils be calculated based on their relative need after considering the negative impact of the council tax reduction scheme on parish taxbases and the positive impact of additional charges for empty dwellings and second homes; and

3.      the individual grant amounts for towns and parishes are as set out in the appendix to these minutes.