A.   Resolved (61:0) – That Council:

(1)  Approves a Revenue Budget of £329.4m but which differs from the proposals included within the public budget consultation as shown at Appendix 4, producing a revised set of Budget Proposals, consisting of:

Proposal    Value

(2)  That further budget allocation be provided for the following:

1.  To enable development of the wider youth offer in Wirral:  £200,000

(3)  That Council:

a)  Adopts the summary Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP) set out as Appendix 3 and the Medium Term Financial Strategy and Financial Resilience Plan (MTFS) set out as Appendix 11.

b)  Adopts the fees and charges set out as Appendix 7, with delegated authority being granted:

(i)  to the Section 151 Officer to update the Council’s Fees and Charges Directory prior to publication before 1 April 2021.

(ii)  to the relevant Director with portfolio, in consultation with the relevant Committee’s Chair and Group Spokespersons, to vary existing fees and charges.

c)  Approves the Discretionary Rate Relief Policy for Business Rates for 2021/22 set out as Appendix 8.

d)  Set and maintain the level of General Fund Balances the higher of

(i)  £10.7m of general fund; or

(ii)  3% of the Council’s new revenue budget,

to be based on a locally determined assessment of the financial risks that the Council may face in the future in accordance with the report of the s.151 Officer (Appendix 10).

e)  Proceeds with the request for exceptional financial support with the conditions outlined in the letter from the Minister of State for Regional Growth and Local Government dated 2 February 2021.

f)  Approves the 2021/22 Schools Budget of £299.487m.

g)  Authorises, in respect of the Budget Proposals, that:

(i)  the relevant Committee receiving the further work being undertaken in respect of:

(1)  car parking charges;

(2)  enforcement costs recovery; and

(3)  grass cutting and re-wilding

to develop and implement proposals in line with the agreed Budget; and

(ii)  the Director with portfolio to undertake such actions as they consider are necessary to implement the agreed Budget and consequential proposals developed as part of the formulation process and update Committees accordingly.

(iii)  in implementing the proposals Council requests that the Europa Fun Pool re-opens, when its practicable and safe to do so in line with government and public health guidance, during the School Summer holidays.”

In stating this request, Council notes that:

·  Unknown intelligence relating to the COVID situation and what that will look like on / post 21 June 2021 and ‘previous advice given by The Director of Public Health in that the fun pool would  not be able to open under current restrictions’

·  There is currently no guidance on what a “safe” number of people would be.

·  To open the Europa Fun Pool would require a recruitment exercise for additional staffing and supported lifeguard training which would be challenging to undertake between 22 June and the start of the summer holidays, given that the Lifeguard Training takes a minimum of 5 weeks.

·  The following current guidance has been released in relation to events and large gatherings, which would need to be kept under review. The maximum Europa Fun Pool capacity could be considered as similar to a large wedding every 1.5 hours “DCMS and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy have been working with representatives from industry and civil society to explore when and how events with larger crowd sizes, less social distancing or in settings where transmission is more likely (i.e. indoors), will be able to return safely. This includes sports events, music festivals and large weddings and conferences.”

·  That a reduction in numbers to what might be considered a safe level could be considered, given this is a much-used facility during the School Summer holidays.”

B.  Resolved (60:0) (One abstention) –

It be noted that in accordance with Section 31B of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 (as amended), that Policy and Resources Committee on 11^th November 2020 calculated the Council Tax Base 2021/22 for the whole of the properties in its area as 94,198.6 (Item T in the statutory formula).

That the following amounts be calculated and approved by the Council for the year 2021/22 in accordance with Sections 32-36 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 (as amended) (“the Act”);

a)  £156,677,700 being the amount calculated in accordance with Section 31A (4) of the Act (amended) as the Council Tax Requirement for 2021/22 (item R in the statutory formula). This amount (D) is determined as being the difference between:

i)  £859,070,000 this being the aggregate of the amounts calculated in accordance with Section 31A (2) of the Act (as amended), i.e. the aggregate of the amounts that the Council estimates that will be charged to a revenue account for the year in performing its functions, that are required to be set aside for contingencies and reserves and required to be transferred from its General Fund to its Collection Fund in the year and

ii)  £702,392,300 this being the amount calculated in accordance with Section 31A (3) of the Act (as amended), i.e. the aggregate of the amounts of income that the Council estimates will be credited to a revenue account for the year in accordance with proper practices, the amount of reserves that are estimated to be used to provide for the items referred to in paragraph (a) above, and required to be transferred from its Collection Fund to its General Fund in the year.

b)  £1,663.27 being the amount calculated in accordance with Section 31B (1) of the Act (amended) as the Basic Amount of Council Tax for 2021/22. This amount being calculated as item R divided by item T (as above).

c)  That in accordance with section 36(1) of the Act that the following amounts are calculated for each valuation band in the area:

  Wirral – Basic Amount of Council Tax per Valuation Band

These amounts being the amounts given by multiplying the amount calculated as the Basic Amount of Council Tax by the number which in the proportion set out in Section 5(1) of the Act is applicable to dwellings in a particular valuation band which is applicable to dwellings listed in valuation Band D.

It be determined that the amount set in (c) above as the Council’s Basic Amount of Council Tax for 2021/22 is not excessive in accordance with the principles determined by the Secretary of State under section 52ZC of the Act (as amended) and that no Referendum to approve the Basic Amount of Council Tax is required. The principles require a Referendum to be held for any increases of 5% or above, as per the Local Government Finance Settlement for 2021/22. The Settlement included provision for local authorities with social care responsibilities to increase the level of Council Tax by 3% for the Adult Social Care precept; and by up to 2% for the Council element. Where Council Tax is increased at or above 5% a local referendum will be required. The overall proposed increase in the Wirral basic Council Tax is 4.99%, including a Council increase of 1.99%, and is therefore within the Settlement’s ceilings.

  Wirral – Basic Amount of Council Tax Comparison for Referendum

To note that the Police and Crime Commissioner for Merseyside, the Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service and the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority issue 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. This will be as indicated in the tables which when received will be included in updated tables to Council.

  Police and Crime Commissioner for Merseyside

  Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority

Liverpool City Region Combined Authority –Mayoral Precept

That having calculated the amounts for Wirral together with the Police, Fire and Liverpool City Region – Mayoral Precept the Council in accordance with Section 30 (2) of the Act hereby sets the following amounts as the total amount of Council Tax for the year 2021/22 for each of the categories of dwellings.

  Total Council Tax for Wirral