Agenda item

To consider the report of the Chief Officer Resources.

Councillors Malcolm Cross, Lyn Elias, John Hill, Wayne Hodgins, Haydn Trollope, Thomas Smith and Bernard Willis declared an interest in this item but remained in the meeting whilst it was considered.

 

Consideration was given to the report of the Chief Officer Resources.

 

The Chief Officer Resources explained that this was the final stage of the budget setting process and outlined the salient points contained within the report as follows:

 

-      The Gwent Office of Police and Crime Commissioner had issued precepts to the Council totalling £6,342,390.

 

-      Town/Community Councils precepts amounted to £555,101.

 

-      Including Discretionary rate relief of £208,000, the total net revenue budget for 2022/2023 was £168,267,696.

 

Section 25, Local Government Act 2003required that the Chief Officer Resources of this Authority to report on the two following points:

 

i.             The robustness of the estimates included in the budget

ii.            The adequacy of the Authority’s reserves.

 

In respect of (i) above, the Chief Officer was able to conclude that the estimates had been compiled with the most up to date information available and are suitably robust. Cost pressures have been considered during the budget setting process and for the medium term.

 

In respect of (ii) above, paragraphs 5.1.9 to 5.1.12 demonstrated that the Authority’s financial position is improving and was looking to achieve a sustainable position for the forthcoming year and in the medium term. The reserves protocol would continue to review reserves in order to ensure that Reserves were kept at a sustainable level in the medium term.

 

In reply to a question raised regarding Town/Community Council precepts, the Chief Officer Resources confirmed that Abertillery & Llanhilleth Community Council had increased its precept for 2022/23 by 52.39%.

 

A Member said whilst it was pleasing that a 0% increase in council tax for the 2022/23 financial year was being proposed, however, he expressed his concern that a Band D property in Blaenau Gwent had the highest council tax levels in Wales and this needed to be addressed. The Member continued by stating that it was pleasing to note that three of the Town Councils had reduced their levels of precepts for this year and asked whether the Council scrutinised and audited the town/community council precept levels for each of the areas.

 

The Chief Officer Resources confirmed that the town/community council had the autonomy to set their own precept levels and the Council had no control over the decisions made.

 

The Leader of the Labour Group suggested that maybe in future dialogue take place with the town/community councils regarding their precept levels.  Another Member said that town/community council’s expenditure should be scrutinised going forward.

 

In reply to question, the Chief Officer Resources advised that she was unaware of any measures that could be imposed to cap the level of town/community council precepts but would undertake to investigate.  Each town/community council was subject to external audit which included the precept and the use of it on an annual basis. 

 

The Leader of the Council wished to place on record his congratulations and appreciation to the Town Councils of Brynmawr, Tredegar and Nantyglo and Blaina for taking a very sensible approach in their budget setting process this year.  He could not disagree with the comments made and said he would be willing to be involved in in-depth discussions with the town/community councils around the level of their precepts going forward.  He, thereupon, proposed that recommendations 3.1 – 3.4 be endorsed.

 

It was unanimously,

 

RESOLVED, subject to the foregoing, that the report be accepted and it was noted that:

 

3.1 The Council agreed at its meeting on 17th February, 2022 a Council Tax increase of 0% for the 2022/2023 financial year.  As a result, the Blaenau Gwent Council element of the full council tax charge would be:-

 

Valuation Bands (£)
A	B	C	D	E	F	G	H	I
1,178.90	1,375.38	1,571.87	1,768.35	2,161.32	2,554.28	2,947.25	3,536.70	4,126.15

 

3.2 The Council has calculated the following amounts for the year (2022/2023) in accordance with regulations made under Section 33(5) of the Local Government Act 1992.

 

3.3 The Council Tax base was the number of chargeable dwellings in each area adjusted for a number of items e.g. discounts payable, multiplied by the assumed collection rate which for 2022/2023 was 95%.

 

a)   The amount calculated by the Council, in accordance with Regulation 3, of the Local Authorities (Calculation of Council Tax Base) Regulations 1992, as its Council Tax base for the year was:

 

20,876.86

 

b)  The amounts calculated by the Council, in accordance with Regulation 6 of the Regulations, as the amount of its Council Tax base for the year for dwellings in those parts of its area to which one or more special items relate were:

 

4,653.90	Abertillery & Llanhilleth
1,703.87	Brynmawr
2,717.74	Nantyglo & Blaina
4,745.30	Tredegar

 

c)   For the year 2022/2023 the Gwent Office of Police and Crime Commissioner has stated the following amounts in precepts issued to the Council (totalling £6,342,390), in accordance with Section 40 of the Local Government Act 1992, for each of the categories of dwellings shown:

 

 

 

Gwent Office of Police and Crime Commissioner
Valuation Bands (£)
A	B	C		D		E		F		G	H	I
202.53	236.29	270.04	303.80		371.31		438.82		506.33		607.60	708.87

 

3.4 That the following amounts be now calculated by the Council for the year 2022/2023 in accordance with Sections 32 to 36 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992:-

 

a) 238,686,776	Being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 32(2)(a) to (d) of the Act.
b) 70,627,080	Being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 32(3)(a) and (c) of the Act.
c) 168,059,696	Being the amount by which the aggregate at (a) above exceeds the aggregate at (b), calculated by the Council, in accordance with Section 32(4) of the Act, as its budget requirement for the year.
d) 208,000	Being the amount the Authority estimates in relation to Sections 47 and 49 of the Local Government Finance Act 1988 as amended by Schedule 1 of the Local Government and Rating Act 1997, for discretionary non-domestic rate relief.
e) 130,795,000	Being the aggregate of the sums which the Council estimates will be payable for the year into its Council fund in respect of redistributed non-domestic rates, revenue support grant and additional grant.
f) 1,794.94	Being the amount at (c) above plus the amount at (d) above and less the amount at (e) above, all divided by the amount at 3.2(a) above, calculated by the Council, in accordance with Section 33(1) of the Act, as the basic amount of its Council Tax for the year.
g) 555,101	Being the aggregate amount of all special items referred to in Section 34(1) of the Act.
h) 1,768.35	Being the amount at (f) above less the result given by dividing the amount at (g) above by the amount at 3.2(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 item related.

 

i.             The amounts given by adding to the amount at (h) above the amounts of the special item or items relating to dwellings in those parts of the Council's area mentioned above divided in each case by the amount at 3.2(b) above, calculated by the Council, in accordance with Section 34(3) of the Act, as the basic amounts of its Council Tax for the year for dwellings in those parts of its area to which one or more special items relate were:

 

j.

1,830.45	Abertillery & Llanhilleth
1,793.59	Brynmawr
1,799.52	Nantyglo & Blaina
1,797.52	Tredegar

 

The amounts given by multiplying the amounts at (h) and (i) above by the number which, in the proportion set out in section 5(1) of the Act, was 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 were:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

k.

	The County Borough Tax including Community Precepts
	Valuation Bands
	A	B	C	D	E	F	G	H	I
Abertillery & Llanhilleth	1,220.30	1,423.68	1,627.07	1,830.45	2,237.22	2,643.98	3,050.75	3,660.90	4,271.05
Brynmawr	1,195.73	1,395.01	1,594.31	1,793.59	2,192.17	2,590.74	2,989.32	3,587.18	4,185.04
Nantyglo & Blaina	1,199.68	1,399.62	1,599.58	1,799.52	2,199.42	2,599.30	2,999.20	3,599.04	4,199.88
Tredegar	1,198.35	1,398.07	1,597.80	1,797.52	2,196.97	2,596.41	2,995.87	3,595.04	4,194.21
Ebbw Vale	1,178.90	1,375.38	1,571.87	1,768.35	2,161.32	2,554.28	2,947.25	3,536.70	4,126.15

 

That, having calculated the aggregate in each case of the amounts at (c) and (j) above, the Council, in accordance with section 30(2) 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:

 

	The Full Tax of the County Borough Tax including Police and Community Precepts
	Valuation Bands
	A	B	C	D	E	F	G	H	I
Abertillery & Llanhilleth	1,422.83	1,659.97	1,897.11	2,134.25	2,608.53	3,082.80	3,557.08	4,268.50	4,979.92
Brynmawr	1,398.26	1,631.30	1,864.35	2,097.39	2,563.48	3,029.56	3,495.65	4,194.78	4,893.91
Nantyglo & Blaina	1,402.21	1,635.91	1,869.62	2,103.32	2,570.73	3,038.12	3,505.53	4,206.64	4,907.75
Tredegar	1,400.88	1,634.36	1,867.84	2,101.32	2,568.28	3,035.23	3,502.20	4,202.64	4,903.08
Ebbw Vale	1,381.43	1,611.67	1,841.91	2,072.15	2,532.63	2,993.10	3,453.58	4,144.30	4,835.02