Decision Details

The Council is required to approve a balanced budget for the forthcoming financial year and to set the Band D rate of Council Tax.

The report sets out the context and initial parameters in order to achieve that objective and contribute towards a sustainable position for 2025/26.

 The report brings together all the relevant information to enable Members to review, consider and comment upon the Council’s General Fund revenue budget before making recommendations to Council on 19 February 2025.

That Cabinet recommended to Full Council that it approves:

1. The 2025/26 General Fund Revenue Budget as set out in this report and detailed in Appendix C and D and notes the budget forecasts for 2026/27 and beyond;

2. The movements to and from Earmarked Reserves and the General Fund Balance for 2025/26 to 2028/29 as presented in Appendix E;

3. A proposed Band D Council Tax for East Suffolk Council of £192.15 for 2025/26, an increase of £5.58 (2.99%);

4. The implementation of Council Tax Civil Penalties from 1 April 2025, currently £70, as explained in paragraph 3.9 and as permitted in Schedule 3 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992;

5. No changes to the Council’s Council Tax Discounts and Premiums for 2025/26 as set out in paragraph 3.10;

6. The Council’s discretionary policy for Council Tax Premiums for long-term empty properties and second homes be amended to include the exceptions detailed in paragraph 3.12, with effect from 1 April 2025;

7. To grant the Chief Finance Officer and Section 151 Officer delegated authority to implement the exceptions to Council Tax Premiums for long-term empty properties and second homes with effect from 1 April 2025; and

8. Notes the nine classes of dwellings excluded from the Council Tax Premiums on second homes and long-term empty properties as set out in the Council Tax Regulations 2024, and as summarised in paragraph 3.11, with effect from 1 April 2025

The Council has a statutory duty to deliver a balanced budget and to agree the Council Tax for the forthcoming year.

To approve the implementation of Council Tax Premiums and Discounts.

There is a statutory requirement for the Council to annually review and approve the Council’s Discretionary Policy for Council Tax Premiums and Discounts, including its LCTRS.

Part of the process of delivering a robust medium-term strategy to enable the Council to manage its affairs soundly, is to have regard to both external and internal risks, and to identify actions to mitigate those risks. MTFS key principles and a risk analysis together with mitigating actions are provided in Appendix A1 of the MTFS.

Section 25 of the Local Government Act 2003 places a personal duty on an authority’s Chief Financial Officer to make a report to Council about the robustness of the estimates made for the purposes of the council tax calculations and the adequacy of financial reserves and balances. The Act also requires the Council to have regard to the report before it makes its budget and council tax decisions.

In relation to the statutory duty under the Act, the Chief Financial Officer has to considers the robust of estimates; the General Fund Balance is within the guideline levels established as part of the MTFS; and the contributions to and use of earmarked reserves will assist the Council in meeting its financial challenges and objective of financial sustainability.

The Chief Finance Officer’s report will be reported to Full Council when it considers the budget for 2025/26 on 19 February 2025. The report statement will clearly set out the budget assumptions used to arrive at the final recommendations.

This report forms the basis of the Overview & Scrutiny Committee’s review of the Budget as required under the Council’s Budget and Policy Framework. It brings together the relevant information to enable the Committee to review, consider, and comment upon the Council’s General Fund revenue budgets before making recommendations to Cabinet.