Issue - meetings

With the assistance of a report by the Head of Financial Services to consider the 2007/08 Budget and Medium Term Plan.

Recommend to full Council that the proposed budget, Medium Term Plan and financial strategy appended to the report be approved and that a Tax increase of 4.99%, representing the level of £109.91 for Band D properties be set

Further to Minute No. 06/109 and by way of a report by the Head of Financial Services (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) the Cabinet were acquainted with a number of variations to assumptions made previously for the purpose of preparing the draft financial strategy, Medium Term Plan (MTP), the budget and associated level of Council Tax for 2007/08, together with the deliberations of the Overview and Scrutiny (Corporate & Strategic Framework) thereon.

In reviewing the issues involved, Members were advised of a recent decision by the Government to restrict the funding of housing improvement grants from the revenue budget and expressed their concern as to the likely impact this would place on District Council budgets for the foreseeable future.

Reference having been made to the outcome of consultation with the business community on expenditure proposals and in noting amendments to the housing benefits figures summarised in the capital budget table on page 6, the Cabinet

RECOMMENDED

  (a)  that the proposed budget, Medium Term Plan and financial strategy appended to the report now submitted be approved; and

  (b)  that a Council Tax increase of 4.99%, representing a level of £109.91 for Band D properties, be approved for 2007/2008.