Agenda item

Revenue Budget and Capital Programme 2021-22

To approve, with or without amendment, the recommendations made by the Cabinet at its meeting held on 17th February 2021, relating to the Revenue Budget for 2021/22 and the Capital Strategy 2021-2026, as set out in the report of the Executive Director, Resources, published with this agenda.

 

 

 

 

Minutes:

6.1

RESOLVED: On the Motion of Councillor Tony Damms, seconded by Councillor Sue Auckland, that, in accordance with Council Procedure Rules 4 (Suspension and Amendment of Council Procedure Rules) and 11 (Motions which may be moved without notice):-

 

 

 

(a)      Council Procedure Rule 17.5 be suspended to remove the 2 minute time limit on the speeches of the movers and seconders of amendments and a new time limit be set whereby a total of 20 minutes will be shared by the mover and seconder of each amendment, and all other speakers shall have 2 minutes;

 

 

 

(b)      Council Procedure Rule 17.6 be suspended to remove the 25 minute time limit for the item of business; and

 

 

 

(c)      Council Procedure Rules 17.7(d) and 17.12(a) be suspended to remove the right of reply for the mover of the motion.

 

 

6.2

It was formally moved by Councillor Tony Damms and formally seconded by Councillor Dianne Hurst, that the following recommendations made by the Cabinet at its meeting held on 17th February, 2021, arising from its consideration of a report of the Executive Director, Resources on the Council’s Revenue Budget for 2021/22 and the Capital Strategy 2021-26, be approved:-

 

 

 

“RESOLVED: That Cabinet recommends to the meeting of the City Council on 3rd March 2021:-

 

 

 

(a)      to approve a net Revenue Budget for 2021/22 amounting to £365.812m;

 

 

 

(b)      to approve a Band D equivalent Council Tax of £1,702.31 for City Council services, i.e. an increase of 4.99% (1.99% City Council increase and 3% national arrangement for the social care precept);

 

 

 

(c)      to approve the proposed amendments to the Long Term Empty premium which applies to Council Tax charges in respect of Long Term Empty Dwellings, as set out in paragraph 47 of the Revenue Budget report, with effect from 1 April 2021;

 

 

 

(d)      to note that the Section 151 Officer has reviewed the robustness of the estimates and the adequacy of the proposed financial reserves, in accordance with Section 25 of the Local Government Act 2003; and that further details can be found in Appendix 4 and within the Section 25 Statutory Statement on Sustainability of Budget and Level of Reserves from paragraph 17 of the Revenue Budget report;

 

 

 

(e)      to approve the savings as set out in Appendix 2 of the Revenue Budget report;

 

 

 

(f)       to approve the revenue budget allocations for each of the services, as set out in Appendices 3a to 3d of the Revenue Budget report;

 

 

 

(g)      to note that, based on the estimated expenditure level set out in Appendix 3 to the Revenue Budget report, the amounts shown in part B of Appendix 6 of the report would be calculated by the City Council for the year 2021/22, in accordance with sections 30 to 36 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992;

 

 

 

(h)      to note the information on the precepts issued by the South Yorkshire Police & Crime Commissioner and of South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Authority, together with the impact of these on the overall amount of Council Tax to be charged in the City Council’s area;

 

 

 

(i)       to note the precepts issued by local parish councils which add £637,944 to the calculation of the budget requirement, in accordance with Sections 31 to 36 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992;

 

 

 

(j)       to approve the Treasury Management and Annual Investment Strategies set out in Appendix 7 of the Revenue Budget report and the recommendations contained therein;

 

 

 

(k)      to approve the Minimum Revenue Provision (MRP) Policy set out in Appendix 7 of the Revenue Budget report; which takes into account the revisions proposed for 2021/22 onwards;

 

 

 

(l)       to agree that authority be delegated to the Executive Director, Resources, to undertake Treasury Management activity, to create and amend appropriate Treasury Management Practice Statements and to report on the operation of Treasury Management activity on the terms set out in these documents;

 

 

 

(m)     to approve a Pay Policy for 2021/22 as set out in Appendix 8 of the Revenue Budget report;

 

 

 

(n)      to agree that the Members’ Allowances Scheme for 2017/18 and onwards, approved on 3 March 2017, and implemented for 2018/19, 2019/20, and 2020/21 be also implemented for 2021/22;

 

 

 

(o)      to approve the contents of the Capital Strategy and the specific projects included in the years 2021/22 to 2025/26; that block allocations are included within the programme for noting at this stage and detailed proposals will be brought back for separate Member approval as part of the monthly monitoring procedures; and

 

 

 

(p)      to approve the proposed Capital Programme for the 5 years to 2025/26, as per appendix 2 of the Capital report.”

 

 

6.3

Whereupon, it was moved by Councillor Terry Fox, seconded by Councillor Bob Johnson, as an amendment, that the recommendations of the Cabinet held on 17th February 2021, as relates to the City Council's Revenue Budget and Capital Programme 2021/22, be replaced by the following resolution:-

 

 

 

RESOLVED: That this Council:-

 

 

1.

believes the last twelve months have been some of the most challenging in Britain’s recent peacetime history and that, against this backdrop, Sheffield staff (every single one of them a key worker) deserve the upmost praise for helping the city through the crisis and for their continued dedication;

 

 

2.

believes that challenge will not diminish in the short term, and that we must rise to the new challenges still to come; the COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on our City and its people, but we must also be aware of adverse climate change and that the window for implementing meaningful change diminishes with each passing year;

 

 

3.

notes that, against this challenging backdrop, this Administration will spend our resources as effectively as it can to ‘build back better’ from the pandemic, improving our resilience and sustainability for the long term, and that our Administration will respond swiftly and with flexibility to emerging needs and trends to support the City in its recovery and, as ever, we will strive to deliver the best possible value to the taxpayer;

 

 

4.

notes that throughout the pandemic this Administration’s focus has been working alongside our partners and communities to keep people safe and well, protect the most vulnerable, help people to get back to school and work, and support economic recovery and this has included helping 22,000 people through our community helpline, distributing hundreds of thousands of PPE items per week, and supporting schools to stay open for children of key worker and vulnerable families;

 

 

5.

believes the Government have been placed in a difficult position in these unprecedented times, but that, however, clear mistakes have been made and they have failed to act sufficiently on numerous occasions, and where the Government have failed to deliver, this Administration has acted for Sheffield including:-

 

 

 

(i)       providing 6,000 laptops to school children of all age for home schooling during lockdown, with connectivity also funded for families who do not have access to education resources at home;

 

 

 

(ii)       providing free school meal vouchers to over 22,000 children to help feed children over school holidays, after the Government initially refused to act; and

 

 

 

(iii)      providing additional support from Council funds to residents struggling to pay for heating, utilities, or food, via hardship schemes;

 

 

6.

notes/believes the following in response to the pandemic support for businesses:-

 

 

 

(i)       the demand for support has been vast and the Council has delivered over £100 million in grant funding, assisting 4,700 businesses across the city;

 

 

 

(ii)       believes staff have worked hard to spend every penny of support available for businesses, but notes that there is strict funding criteria which is set by Government, and the Council has no power to alter the criteria, meaning some businesses have missed out; and

 

 

 

(iii)      the small underspend favours well compared with other local authorities – delivering a higher percentage of grants than our South Yorkshire neighbours and comparable core cities such as Manchester and Nottingham, and thanks staff for their hard work in delivering this;

 

 

7.

notes/believes the following in regard to managing the city’s finances:-

 

 

 

(i)       we have achieved a balanced position, but there remains an uncertain picture beyond 2022 as the impact of responding to the pandemic continues;

 

 

 

(ii)       after setting a balanced budget in 2020/21 we faced unprecedented resource and financial pressures when coronavirus plunged the country into lockdown last March;

 

 

 

(iii)      reiterates that throughout the pandemic the focus has been on working alongside our partners and communities to keep people safe and well, protect the most vulnerable, help people to get back to school and work, and support economic recovery;

 

 

 

(iv)      however, the impacts of the pandemic on people’s livelihoods and businesses, the care sector, and on families, and the additional support they may need, will continue well into the future;

 

 

 

(v)      there is no indication from Government as to whether any additional financial support will continue beyond 2021/22, and there is the very real prospect of an even harsher period of austerity than we have already had to endure;

 

 

 

(vi)      notes that a balanced position has been reached for the coming financial year, but this relies on increasing council tax and delivering £21 million of in-service and corporate savings;

 

 

 

(vii)     believes that Government are wilfully passing the burden of responsibility onto Sheffield tax payers, but that this Administration will always do what it can to support those struggling to pay and have increased the Council Tax Hardship Fund by £200k for 2021/22, meaning the Hardship Fund now totals £1.8m per year; and

 

 

 

(viii)    agrees with the comments of Liberal Democrat Group Councillor, Mike Levery, at February’s Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee meeting who stated that the Council has used “financial management, prudence and adequate reserves.  Congratulations to the finance team, this is a well-run council”;

 

 

8.

believes that the Budget clearly shows that under this Administration the Council continues to push forward with a programme to transform its services, whilst putting citizens at the heart of these services, via learning lessons from how we have all adapted to the pandemic by making better use of technology to provide services in a more accessible way, focusing on preventing family breakdown and ill-health, and in enabling vulnerable people to live safely in their own homes wherever possible;

 

 

9.

believes this Administration’s funding programme for next year will enable citizen-centred services to be provided, whilst helping to contain costs, allowing scarce resources to be used to support social services for both adults and children;

 

 

10.

notes the following regarding social care:-

 

 

 

(i)       (A) the rising cost of social care for our elderly people, as our population ages, remains a national issue that urgently needs addressing, (B) it is accepted by most commentators that the current model for adult social care is unsustainable, (C) however, despite various reviews over the past 10 years, no solution has emerged from Central Government, and one is urgently required and (D) this lack of funding puts additional operational and financial pressures on the Council and on its partners; and

 

 

 

(ii)       notes that over the last 4 years, the Council has provided these vital services with above inflation funding increases and this year is no different; a 14% increase for 2021/22 and an average of 11% over the last 4 years has seen the budget for adults and children’s social services rise by a total of £88m;

 

 

11.

believes that Sheffield can ‘Build Back Better’ under this Administration and that key to our activities over the coming years will be helping Sheffield to recover from the effects of the pandemic and our careful financial management in recent years means that we are starting from a position of relative financial strength; we want to make Sheffield a great place for everyone to live, work and enjoy themselves, building on the spirit of its people, and the many great amenities in the City and its beautiful surrounding countryside;

 

 

12.

notes that the Budget details numerous ways in which we intend to match this ambition including, but not limited to:-

 

 

 

(i)       £5.3m towards growing an inclusive economy;

 

(ii)       £6.1m for transport;

 

(iii)      £6.8m in the ‘People Portfolio’ to support children, young people and their families, and adults and communities; and

 

(iv)      £55.6 million for a ‘Cleaner, Greener, Sheffield’;

 

 

13.

believes that following the economic impact of the pandemic and lockdown over the past year, it is more important than ever that the Council takes action to boost the economy, and welcomes the proactive partnership with the Business Recovery Group to produce the city’s Business Recovery Plan, and this Administration will continue to prioritise new initiatives to support the economic development of the city;

 

 

14.

notes the additional investment commitments in the 2021/22 Budget also include:-

 

 

 

(i)       £4.2million extra into the Care Sector to improve pay for the staff providing services on behalf of the Council; we plan to work with care providers to deliver enhanced pay terms for front line workers in 2021/22;

 

 

 

(ii)       £2million for Youth Services - This investment is planned to increase delivery of youth clubs and social action groups, provide youth services to the most deprived areas in the city promoting positive engagement and activities, enable keyworkers to support young people experiencing difficulties, and support partnership working with the voluntary sector; and

 

 

 

(iii)      £1million extra for Community Safety – to provide better joint working across the Council, and with partners such as South Yorkshire Police, Voluntary Community Faith sector, Health and Schools, as well as our communities and local Members, to help tackle crime and anti-social behaviour and reduce exploitation of the young and vulnerable with emphasis on prevention and early intervention work;

 

 

15.

believes that due to this Administration’s prudent handling of the budget, we have been able to set an ambitious budget for the future which is underpinned by key labour values – to put wealth in our communities, to invest in people, and to ensure that sustainability and tackling adverse climate change runs through everything we do, for example:-

 

 

 

(i)       sustainability is at the heart of our decision-making process with nearly £140m of projects in our capital programme have a direct impact on the City’s sustainability and resilience;

 

 

 

(ii)       Consideration of Carbon ‘net zero’ is now embedded in Council decision making and we’re mindful of the environmental impact of our own assets – namely our buildings and fleet – and have been investing for several years to begin to mitigate this;

 

 

 

(iii)      ethical procurement practices drive real social value for our City and maximise the benefits for our residents; we have a strong tradition of delivering employment and skills outputs for the communities we serve, and coupled with our focus on sustainability, we’re driving social value through our contracts;

 

 

 

(iv)      we’ll support our local economy wherever we can and do what we can to keep Sheffield’s economy moving; and

 

 

 

(v)      we’re empowering communities and providing effective governance, both of which are critical to the success of our capital programme and we will always look to strengthen locality working – to make the Council more responsive to local needs;

 

 

16.

therefore requests the Executive Director, Resources to implement the City Council’s Revenue Budget and Capital Programme 2021/22 in accordance with the details set out in the reports on the Revenue Budget and Capital Programme now submitted;

 

 

17.

approves the contents of the Capital Strategy & Budget Book and the specific projects included in the years 2021/22 to 2025/26, and that block allocations are included within the programme for noting at this stage and detailed proposals will be brought back for separate Member approval as part of the monthly monitoring procedures;

 

 

18.

approves the proposed Capital Programme for the 5 years to 2025/26, as per appendix 2 of the Capital Strategy report;

 

 

19.

after noting the joint report of the Chief Executive and the Executive Director, Resources, now submitted on the Revenue Budget 2021/22, approves and adopts a net Revenue Budget for 2021/22 amounting to £365.812m, as set out in Appendix 3 of that report, as follows:-

 

 

 

Appendix 3

 

Restated

 

 

 

 

2020/21

 

Summary Revenue Budget

 

2021/22

 

 

 

 

 

£000

 

 

 

£000

 

 

Portfolio budgets:

 

 

214,443

 

People

 

243,745

111,626

 

Place

 

130,965

2,158

 

Policy Performance and Communications

 

2,335

42,285

 

Resources (inc. Housing Benefit & Council Tax Collection)

 

43,369

370,512

 

 

 

420,414

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Corporate Budgets:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Specific Grants

 

 

-5,929

 

New Homes Bonus (LGF)

 

-4,844

-5,834

 

Business Rates Inflation Cap Grant (BRIC)

 

-7,543

-6,852

 

Small Business Rates Relief

 

-7,340

-2,312

 

Retail Relief

 

0

-600

 

Health Income

 

0

0

 

Covid Funding one-off

 

-17,664

0

 

Lower Tier Services Grant

 

-900

0

 

Local Council Tax Support Grant

 

-5,612

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Corporate Items

 

 

5,500

 

Redundancy Provision

 

5,500

5,929

 

New Homes Bonus (LGF)

 

4,844

3,000

 

Better Care Fund

 

0

3,290

 

Social Care Demand Contingency

 

0

4,000

 

Strengthening Families - Think Forward Investment

 

0

900

 

Infrastructure Investment

 

0

11

 

Payment to Parish Councils

 

0

1,500

 

Customer Experience Programme

 

1,500

0

 

Managing Employee Reduction programme

 

-4,000

0

 

Target Operating Model

 

-1,500

0

 

Customer Focus

 

-500

0

 

Council Tax Support Protection

 

500

0

 

Corporate Savings Project Costs

 

1,160

1,975

 

Other

 

5,100

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Capital Financing Costs

 

 

13,662

 

General Capital Financing Costs

 

13,662

5,473

 

Heart of the City 2

 

1,473

12,730

 

Streets Ahead Investment

 

12,387

6,134

 

MSF Capital Financing Costs

 

6,516

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reserves Movements 

 

 

7,082

 

Contribution to / (from)  Reserves

 

-57,341

 

 

 

 

 

420,171

 

Total Expenditure

 

365,812

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Financing of Net Expenditure

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

-37,494

 

Revenue Support Grant

 

-37,694

-103,828

 

NNDR/Business Rates Income

 

-99,512

-43,222

 

Business Rates Top Up Grant

 

-43,222

-207,615

 

Council Tax income

 

-208,795

-8,236

 

Collection Fund (Surplus)/Deficit

 

49,590

-19,776

 

Social Care Precept

 

-26,179

 

 

 

 

 

-420,171

 

Total Financing

 

-365,812

 

 

20.

approves a Band D equivalent Council Tax of £1,702.31 for City Council services, i.e. an increase of 4.99% (1.99% City Council increase and 3% national arrangement for the social care precept);

 

 

21.

approves the proposed amendments to the Long Term Empty premium which applies to Council Tax charges in respect of Long Term Empty Dwellings, as set out in paragraph 47 of the Revenue Budget report, with effect from 1 April 2021;

 

 

22.

notes that the Section 151 Officer has reviewed the robustness of the estimates and the adequacy of the proposed financial reserves, in accordance with Section 25 of the Local Government Act 2003; and that further details can be found in Appendix 4 and within the Section 25 Statutory Statement on Sustainability of Budget and Level of Reserves from paragraph 17 of the Revenue Budget report;

 

 

23.

approves the savings as set out in Appendix 2 of the Revenue Budget report;

 

 

24.

approves the revenue budget allocations for each of the services, as set out in Appendices 3a to 3d of the Revenue Budget report;

 

 

25.

approves the Treasury Management and Annual Investment Strategies set out in Appendix 7 of the Revenue Budget report and the recommendations contained therein;

 

 

26.

approves the Minimum Revenue Provision (MRP) Policy set out in Appendix 7 of the Revenue Budget report, which takes into account the revisions proposed for 2021/22 onwards;

 

 

27.

agrees that authority be delegated to the Executive Director, Resources, to undertake Treasury Management activity, to create and amend appropriate Treasury Management Practice Statements and to report on the operation of Treasury Management activity on the terms set out in these documents;

 

 

28.

approves a Pay Policy for 2021/22 as set out in Appendix 8 of the Revenue Budget report;

 

 

29.

agrees that the Members’ Allowances Scheme for 2017/18 and onwards, approved on 3 March 2017, and implemented for 2018/19, 2019/20 and 2020/21, be also implemented for 2021/22;

 

 

30.

notes the precepts issued by local parish councils which add £637,944 to the calculation of the budget requirement in accordance with Sections 31 to 36 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992;

 

 

31.

notes the information on the precepts issued by the South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner and the South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority, together with the impact of these on the overall amount of Council Tax to be charged in the City Council’s area;

 

 

32.

notes that, based on the estimated expenditure level of £365.812m set out in paragraph (19) above, the amounts shown in Appendix 6b below would be calculated by the City Council for the year 2021/22, in accordance with Sections 30 to 36 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992;

 

Appendix 6

CITY OF SHEFFIELD

CALCULATION OF RECOMMENDED COUNCIL TAX FOR 2021/22
REVENUE BUDGET

 

 

The Council is recommended to resolve as follows:

 

1.

It be noted that on 15th January 2021, the Council calculated the Council Tax Base 2021/22

 

 

 

(a)   for the whole Council area as :

 

        138,032.6368

(item T in the formula in Section 31B of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, as amended (the "Act")); and

 

 

 

(b)   for dwellings in those parts of its area to which a Parish precept relates as in the attached Appendix 6c.

 

 

2.

Calculate that the Council Tax requirement for the Council's own purposes for 2021/22 (excluding Parish precepts) is:

 

£234,973,700.

 

 

3.

That the following amounts be calculated for the year 2021/22 in accordance with Sections 31 to 36 of the Act:

 

 

(a)

£1,521,459,644

being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 31A(2) of the Act taking into account all precepts issued to it by Parish Councils.

 

 

 

(b)

£1,285,848,000

being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 31A(3) of the Act.

 

 

 

(c)

£235,611,644

being the amount by which the aggregate at 3(a) above exceeds the aggregate at 3(b) above, calculated by the Council in accordance with Section 31A(4) of the Act as its Council Tax requirement for the year (item R in the formula in Section 31B of the Act).

 

 

 

(d)

£1,706.9271

being the amount at 3(c) above (Item R), all divided by item T (1(a) above), calculated by the Council, in accordance with Section 31B of the Act, as the basic amount of its Council Tax for the year (including Parish Precepts).

 

 

 

(e)

£637,944

being the aggregate amount of all special items (Parish precepts) referred to in Section 34(1) of the Act (as per the attached Appendix 6b).

 

 

 

(f)

£1,702.3054

being the amount at 3(d) above less the result given by dividing the amount at 3(e) above by Item T (1(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 Parish precept relates.

 

 

 

4.

To note that the Police and Crime Commissioner and the Fire and Rescue Authority have issued 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 as indicated in the table overleaf.

 

 

5.

£26,178,793

The amount set by the authority at 2 above, under Section 30 of the Act, includes an amount attributable to the adult social care precept.

 

 

6.

That the Council, in accordance with Sections 30 and 36 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, hereby sets the aggregate amounts shown in the tables below as the amounts of Council Tax for 2021/22 for each part of its area and for each of the categories of dwellings.

 

 

Sheffield City Council (Non-Parish Areas)

 

Valuation Band

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

Sheffield City Council

1,134.87

1,324.02

1,513.16

1,702.31

2,080.60

2,458.89

2,837.18

3,404.61

South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Authority

50.71

59.17

67.62

76.07

92.97

109.88

126.78

152.14

South Yorkshire Police & Crime Commissioner

142.03

165.70

189.37

213.04

260.38

307.72

355.07

426.08

Aggregate of Council Tax Requirements

1,327.61

1,548.89

1,770.15

1,991.42

2,433.95

2,876.49

3,319.03

3,982.83

 

Bradfield Parish Council

 

Valuation Band

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

Sheffield City Council

1,134.87

1,324.02

1,513.16

1,702.31

2,080.60

2,458.89

2,837.18

3,404.61

Bradfield Parish Council

28.49

33.24

38.00

42.74

52.23

61.73

71.23

85.48

South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Authority

50.71

59.17

67.62

76.07

92.97

109.88

126.78

152.14

South Yorkshire Police & Crime Commissioner

142.03

165.70

189.37

213.04

260.38

307.72

355.07

426.08

Aggregate of Council Tax Requirements

1,356.10

1,582.13

1,808.15

2,034.16

2,486.18

2,938.22

3,390.26

4,068.31

 

Ecclesfield Parish Council

 

Valuation Band

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

Sheffield City Council

1,134.87

1,324.02

1,513.16

1,702.31

2,080.60

2,458.89

2,837.18

3,404.61

Ecclesfield Parish Council

19.03

22.20

25.37

28.54

34.88

41.23

47.57

57.08

South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Authority

50.71

59.17

67.62

76.07

92.97

109.88

126.78

152.14

South Yorkshire Police & Crime Commissioner

142.03

165.70

189.37

213.04

260.38

307.72

355.07

426.08

Aggregate of Council Tax Requirements

1,346.64

1,571.09

1,795.52

2,019.96

2,468.83

2,917.72

3,366.60

4,039.91

 

Stocksbridge Town Council

 

Valuation Band

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

Sheffield City Council

1,134.87

1,324.02

1,513.16

1,702.31

2,080.60

2,458.89

2,837.18

3,404.61

Stocksbridge Town Council

22.57

26.32

30.08

33.84

41.36

48.88

56.41

67.70

South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Authority

50.71

59.17

67.62

76.07

92.97

109.88

126.78

152.14

South Yorkshire Police & Crime Commissioner

142.03

165.70

189.37

213.04

260.38

307.72

355.07

426.08

Aggregate of Council Tax Requirements

1,350.18

1,575.21

1,800.23

2,025.26

2,475.31

2,925.37

3,375.44

4,050.53

 

 

7.

The Council's basic amount of Council Tax is not excessive in accordance with the principles approved under Section 52ZB of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, therefore no referendum is required.

 

Appendix 6b

Council Tax Schedule 2021/22

 

Band A

Band B

Band C

Band D

Band E

Band F

Band G

Band H

Sheffield City Council

1,134.87

1,324.02

1,513.16

1,702.31

2,080.60

2,458.89

2,837.18

3,404.61

South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Authority

50.71

59.17

67.62

76.07

92.97

109.88

126.78

152.14

South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner

142.03

165.70

189.37

213.04

260.38

307.72

355.07

426.08

Total charge for non-parish areas of Sheffield

1,327.61

1,548.89

1,770.15

1,991.42

2,433.95

2,876.49

3,319.03

3,982.83

Bradfield Parish Council

1,356.10

1,582.13

1,808.15

2,034.16

2,486.18

2,938.22

3,390.26

4,068.31

Ecclesfield Parish Council

1,346.64

1,571.09

1,795.52

2,019.96

2,468.83

2,917.72

3,366.60

4,039.91

Stocksbridge Town Council

1,350.18

1,575.21

1,800.23

2,025.26

2,475.31

2,925.37

3,375.44

4,050.53

 

Appendix 6c

Parish Council Precepts

 

Parish

Council

2020/21

Tax
Base
(£)

Council
Tax
Income
(£)

Council
Tax
Band D
(£)

 

CTS Grants
(£)

Total
Precept

(£)

Bradfield

5,838.92

249,542

42.7378

 

4,098

253,640

Ecclesfield

9,237.21

263,622

28.5392

 

4,113

267,735

Stockbridge

3,831.33

129,669

33.8443

 

2,959

132,628

Total/Average

18,907.46

642,834

105.12

 

11,170

654,004

 

Parish

Council

2021/22

 

Tax
Base
(£)

Council
Tax
Income
(£)

Council
Tax
Band D
(£)

 

CTS
Grants
(£)

Total
Precept

(£)

Council
Tax
Increase

Bradfield

5,822.23

248,829

42.7378

 

-

248,829

0.00%

Ecclesfield

9,145.00

260,991

28.5392

 

-

260,991

0.00%

Stockbridge

3,785.69

128,124

33.8443

 

-

128,124

0.00%

Total/Average

18,752.92

637,944

105.12

 

 

637,944.06

0.00%

 

 

6.4

Whereupon, it was moved by Councillor Simon Clement-Jones, seconded by Councillor Shaffaq Mohammed, as an amendment, that the recommendations of the Cabinet held on 17th February 2021, as relates to the City Council's Revenue Budget and Capital Programme 2021/22, be replaced by the following resolution:-

 

 

 

RESOLVED: That this Council:-

 

 

1.

would like to thank the staff who have been so helpful and accommodating during this budget setting process, and all of Sheffield City Council’s staff who continue to work so hard for the people of Sheffield especially during these unprecedented times and thanks them in advance for the hard work to come to help Sheffield recover from the impact of Covid;

 

 

2.

believes this budget amendment sets out a positive liberal vision for Sheffield that will support employment and business recovery, improve our natural environment and cut emissions, and devolve power and decision-making back to local communities;

 

 

3.

is concerned that the 2020 spending review only set out funding for local government until 2022 and that public finances will undoubtedly be under huge strain in the years ahead but investment in our local public services is critical to our national recovery next year and beyond;

 

 

4.

believes that this uncertainty forces Local Authorities to raise regressive Council Tax, instead of funding local government more fairly out of general taxation;

 

 

5.

particularly condemns the current Government’s approach to funding the NHS and Adult Social Care, and believes that a new long term funding settlement for social care is desperately needed to sustain vital services, particularly for places like Sheffield which had a relatively low council tax base but a high level of need;

 

 

6.

believes that the Liberal Democrat proposal of raising income tax by a penny in the pound will make progress in meeting this need for a long term funding settlement and greatly relieve the pressure on adult social care and the NHS;

 

 

7.

believes that Sheffield City Council’s financial situation is aggravated by the potential impact of Brexit, and on the capacity of both the local and national economy to generate the resources that our public services badly need;

 

 

8.

believes that Sheffield City Council's financial situation is aggravated by the infighting and parochialism of South Yorkshire Labour leaders who have squandered many of the wider benefits of Sheffield City Region, and deprived Sheffield of automatic early access to £10’s of millions of central government funding;

 

 

9.

specifically calls upon the City Region Mayor to more urgently take action to improve our local bus network, to exercise powers to bring bus services back under local control (franchising), and calls on central government to provide significant long-term funding to revitalise local transport and aid Covid recovery;

 

 

10.

believes that although the Council is facing financially difficult times, the current Administration has still had choices about where to spend our money, and have often made the wrong choices over the past ten years, for example:-

 

 

 

(a)      protecting taxpayer subsidies for Trade Unions whilst slashing funding to local communities;

 

 

 

(b)      continuing to spend vast amounts on Council spin doctors whilst cutting front line services;

 

 

 

(c)      spending millions on costly consultants whilst allowing important road safety schemes to be delayed; and

 

 

 

(d)      spending thousands on hospitality of no-hope investors whilst ignoring struggling local businesses in the city centre and across the city;

 

 

11.

further believes that this city still suffers from the poor choices made by previous Labour Administrations, particularly the financial burden of around £19million every year until 2024 to repay the debt from the major sports facilities associated with the financially disastrous World Student Games, even after Don Valley Stadium has now been demolished;

 

 

12.

notes that, further to this, the Administration is now giving millions to Sheffield International Venues (SIV) to keep the venues open after what the Liberal Democrat Group believe are years of poor oversight by Sheffield City Council including SIV propping up failing venues as far away as Scarborough;

 

 

13.

believes that to recover from the pandemic Sheffield needs clear leadership and a clear, positive vision for business in the city, flexible enough to adapt to a changing economy; the multi-national firm of accountants and business advisers, KPMG, estimate that 30% of Sheffield’s retail jobs will be lost; Sheffield needs investment and a wide range of businesses to improve our prosperity and enable us to compete on equal terms with other major UK cities;

 

 

14.

believes that bringing inward investment and jobs to the city supporting people to start their own business should always be a priority for the Council;

 

 

15.

notes that we are in a Climate Emergency and if we do not act now to reduce carbon emissions we will soon be in a Climate Catastrophe;

 

 

16.

believes that this Council currently has no real plan to tackle the climate emergency and is falling behind on its commitments to be carbon neutral by 2030;

 

 

17.

believes the Liberal Democrats are the only party with a full plan to tackle climate change and this budget includes proposals that will help Sheffield achieve its target of carbon zero by 2030 by increasing Sheffield’s tree cover, making recycling easier and investing in infrastructure that will help to mitigate climate change;

 

 

18.

believes that by making Sheffield a greener place to live and supporting community gyms and sports projects will improve people’s health and well-being across the city; as well as helping to tackle knife crime by treating it as a public health issue;

 

 

19.

believes that, even more concerning than some of their financial choices, is the way this Administration operates, centralising decision making and often ignoring the concerns and wishes of the people of Sheffield;

 

 

20.

condemns Labour’s mismanagement of the ‘Streets Ahead’ contract, particularly with the felling of healthy street trees, and that for more than three years the Council refused to engage with residents about the implementation of the ‘Streets Ahead’ contract; trees were felled; and tax-payers’ money wasted on huge legal costs; and believes that the Council needs to learn lessons from this episode and the report of the Local Government Ombudsman and engage in a meaningful way with Sheffield’s citizens;

 

 

21.

asserts that the purpose of this Council is to represent, work for and be the voice of the people of Sheffield, and that it is important that our decision making reflects the interests of the city as a whole and always putting people at the forefront of our choices;

 

 

22.

further asserts that this could be better achieved by the Liberal Democrat policy of devolving local decision-making to give local areas as much control as possible over decisions that directly affect their communities;

 

 

23.

supports the proposed change to a committee system which would give more control of decision making to all elected councillors and not just a selected few;

 

 

24.

believes that proposed Local Area Committees would need significant initial investment and our budget would commit £1million into realising an open and transparent system for the governance of Sheffield;

 

 

25.

resolves to include in any new system significant delegation of powers and budgets to formal Area Committees which comprise all the elected members in an area, allowing local communities a more direct path to decisions made about their futures;

 

 

26.

understands the huge financial strain this Council has been put on by central government cuts to local government and that this was needed to reduce the deficit bought on by recession;

 

 

27.

however, believes that there is a better, different way for a city council to operate and that this budget amendment demonstrates that it is possible, even in difficult times, to be responsive and work with local people;

 

 

28.

believes that local Councillors and local people are often best placed to take decisions over the things that affect them and their local areas and therefore wants to revolutionise how decisions are made in this Council, by devolving real budgets over to communities, to be spent on their priorities, not the Labour Party’s;

 

 

29.

asserts that, by making some simple savings and spending the same money differently, the Liberal Democrat alternative budget would:-

 

 

 

Demand a More Successful Sheffield

 

 

 

(i)       invest £2million in local and district shopping centres to support businesses outside the city centre, in Woodseats, Chapeltown, Hillsborough, Woodhouse, Darnall, Crookes, Page Hall and Mosborough;

 

 

 

(ii)       double Council funding for the Launchpad business support programme, with particular emphasis on young people who want to start their own business and introducing a grant/award scheme to support the above;

 

 

 

(iii)      increase funding to Business Sheffield and work collaboratively with local chambers of commerce to support business owners recovering from the economic impact of Covid, providing a one-stop shop for businesses to access information, support, marketing, communications and networking events;

 

 

 

(iv)      reinstate a free city centre bus service to reduce journeys by car into the city centre and recognise the city centre as a vibrant hub to live, work and play; the buses will be electric and run every 30 minutes around the city;

 

 

 

(v)      provide cycle storage at key points in the city centre and at local centres;

 

 

 

(vi)      invest £1million in all road safety schemes; such as, traffic systems, pedestrian crossings and school crossing patrols, paying particular attention to where the community have made a call for a particular scheme in their area;

 

 

 

(vii)     put aside extra funding for more school crossing wardens to help children get to school safely;

 

 

 

(viii)    over the medium term, use at least 10% of the unallocated community infrastructure levy (CIL) money to support small business infrastructure to allow the city’s independent businesses to flourish by amending the Regulation 123 list which governs how CIL can be spent; and

 

 

 

(ix)      support Associate Libraries and their volunteers by providing £144k’s worth of professional librarian support;

 

 

 

Demand a Better Environment

 

 

 

(i)       double the city’s current tree planting target to 200,000 trees over the next 10 years;

 

 

 

(ii)       recognise that walking and cycling is by far the best way to travel for the environment and for the health of people in Sheffield and would ensure at least 10% of CIL is invested over the medium term in major cycling schemes to encourage uptake of cycling and improve safety for cyclists and pedestrians in our city;

 

 

 

(iii)      provide businesses with E-cargo bikes to reduce congestion emissions by vans across Sheffield;

 

 

 

(iv)      over the medium term ensure at least 20% of city wide CIL is used for infrastructure that will help to mitigate the effects of climate change, such as planting trees, flood defences and improved moorland management;

 

 

 

(v)      invest in the creation of an energy efficiency service in the Council’s Private Sector Housing service which will provide the go to place for people to improve the energy efficiency of their homes and for landlords to improve homes for their tenants;

 

 

 

(vi)      improve Sheffield’s recycling record by committing more than £600k to  pilot a scheme to increase the types of plastic that can be recycled here in our city;

 

 

 

(vii)     invest almost £0.9million in increasing the size of the blue bin so the first 10% of households in Sheffield who request them are able to recycle cardboard and paper more easily;

 

 

 

(viii)    commit more than £500k to keep all Sheffield City Council recycling centres open seven days a week to improve access for everyone;

 

 

 

(ix)      provide “Bring Out Your Rubbish” days in areas where there is typically low car ownership; residents will be provided with a skip for large items of rubbish from their homes, to help reduce fly tipping in our local areas;

 

 

 

(x)      increase the number of on-street recycling bins across Sheffield by replacing single bins for rubbish only with double bins for rubbish and glass, paper and plastic, making it easier for people to recycle;

 

 

 

(xi)      investigate a food waste collection scheme to help people in Sheffield lower their wastage and use the food waste to generate electricity or fertilise farmer’s fields;

 

 

 

(xii)     investigate a reverse vending recycling system where people will receive a cash reward for recycling cans and plastic bottles;

 

 

 

(xiii)    clean up Sheffield by investing £150k in a task force to crack down on litter, fly tipping, graffiti and dog mess, and reversing a cut to this budget;

 

 

 

(xiv)    investigate the organisation of volunteer graffiti teams so residents who want to help clean up graffiti in their areas are supported to do so;

 

 

 

(xv)     create a £50k fund available to local communities from a ‘Greener Sheffield’ pot, an additional pot of money to decide how best they would like to invest in their environment;

 

 

 

(xvi)    investigate providing all schools with air-quality monitors to educate children on the importance of air quality and to monitor carbon levels around schools;

 

 

 

(xvii)   start a climate warden scheme, giving local people the support to clear icy footpaths and roads in their local communities, support communities in times of severe flooding and help with adapting to a changing climate;

 

 

 

(xviii)  reduce rents on community allotments by half to encourage more people to grow their own food and reap the mental health benefits of spending times outdoors; and

 

 

 

(xix)    encourage wildlife by planting wildflowers and rewilding areas to improve Sheffield’s natural environment;

 

 

 

Demand a Better Council

 

 

 

(i)       invest £1million into reinstating Local Area Committees;

 

 

 

(ii)       increase the neighbourhood portion of CIL from 15% to 30% for use by local communities to spend money on infrastructure and fully compensate them for the disruption and pressures that come from big developments in their area; and

 

 

 

(iii)      create a fund available to local councillors to use on projects and capital investments in their wards through boosting ward pots to £10,000 in every ward;

 

 

 

Demand Better Health and Social Care

 

 

 

(i)       strive to improve the quality of care and the retention of staff in the crucial social care sector by investing in a training and development supplement for front line, paid physical & mental health and disability carers;

 

 

 

(ii)       invest £250k in a pot of money that community groups who provide sports activities can bid for, in recognition that knife crime is a public health issue and these groups and projects are vital to reduce knife crime in Sheffield;

 

 

 

(iii)      support Sheffield’s foster carers, who look after some of our city’s most challenging and vulnerable children, and encourage more people to sign up to become foster families with a discretionary reimbursement of Council Tax; this has the potential to save the Council significant sums in reducing the amount spent on agency foster placements;

 

 

 

(iv)      invest £60k in Sheffield Young Carers so they can provide their service users’ free bus travel across Sheffield;

 

 

 

(v)      provide support for mental health in schools following disruption to pupils during the pandemic;

 

 

 

(vi)      support Citizen’s Advice Bureau with an increase of £50k in grant funding;

 

 

 

(vii)     recognise the importance of Ward luncheon clubs and provide an extra £50k to reinstate clubs and help their recovery post covid; and

 

 

 

(viii)    invest in extra members of staff in the Council’s Private Sector Housing team to deal with some of the problems in the city’s fast growing private housing sector;

 

 

30.

believes that the people of Sheffield deserve a City Council that provides good value for money for all residents of Sheffield, is open for business, is responsive to and works with the people of Sheffield and protects our natural environment and heritage which make our city such a great place to live;

 

 

31.

therefore requests the Executive Director, Resources to implement the City Council’s Revenue Budget and Capital Programme 2021/2022 in accordance with the details set out in the reports on the Revenue Budget and Capital Programme now submitted, but with the following amendments:-

 

 

 

Revenue Budget Proposals

 

2021/22

2021/22

Savings Proposals

(£'000)

Spending Proposals

(£'000)

 

 

 

 

Allocate part of the New Homes Bonus

3,380

Grant for local sports clubs and community groups to bid on for sport activities

250

 

 

 

 

Reduce posts within the Communications team

75

Community Assemblies

500

Delete 3 senior manager posts

100

Private housing sector officers (x 2)

64

Cut to taxpayer subsidy to trade unions

353

100% Council tax relief for Foster Carers (up to Band D)

300

Reallocation of Invest in Sheffield Fund

430

Free bus pass for members of Sheffield Young Carers

60

Set a modest savings target for shared services with other Local Authorities in Sheffield City Region (conditional on agreement with other bodies; an additional £100k of NHB would be used to fund proposals if the conditional saving is not achieved)

100

Provide additional professional librarian support for associate libraries

144

Increase grant to Citizen's Advice Bureau

50

Community allotments (50% discount)

2

Invest in crossing patrols for schools which currently fall below threshold for wardens, and where road safety conditions allow

40

Support young people who want to start their own business in Sheffield

95

Mental Health in schools

50

Ward Based Luncheon Club Covid Recovery Fund

25

Fund training for front line staff who provide direct care to those with physical and mental health needs or disability in order to improve the quality of care and the retention of staff.

200

Wild Flowers / Rewilding

20

Business Support for "Local Committees" - Buy Local 6 month (Marketing)

50

A one-stop shop for businesses to access information & support, marketing, communications & networking events - Grant

30

A one-stop shop for businesses to access information & support, marketing, communications & networking events - Officers

126

Reverse cut in fly tipping and graffiti contract budget

9

Reinstatement of free, city centre electric bus - revenue element (Every 30min*2 buses)

285

Volunteer Graffiti Teams - Investigate

25

Reinstate snow wardens/Climate Wardens (kit, etc.)

35

Create a Greener Sheffield fund

50

Bring Out Your Rubbish Days

108

Double tree strategy planting target

98

Increase funding for the Environmental Enforcement team for a "Clean Up Sheffield" task force with a target of 25% recovery, via fines, for littering, fly tipping, dog fouling and graffiti

150

Energy efficiency advice service for householders

48

Investigate reverse vending machines

25

Investigate food waste collection scheme

50

Increased blue bin capacity collection - revenue costs of providing bigger blue bins to the first 10% of households who request them

290

Explore air quality monitors for schools

25

Introduce a six month pilot to increase the types of plastic that can be recycled in Sheffield - e.g. yoghurt pots, carrier bags, margarine tubs, food trays and bottle tops (half year)

684

Keep recycling centres open seven days a week

550

Savings Total

4,438

Spending Total

4,438

 

 

Capital Budget Proposals

 

2021/22

2021/22

Savings Proposals

(£'000)

Spending Proposals

(£'000)

 

 

 

 

New Homes Bonus

2,163

Road Safety (Local schemes)

670

CIL

2,670

Increase ward pots to £10,000 across the city as a minimum (to be used for capital purposes)

50

Additional spending on walking and cycling schemes

200

Reinstatement of free, City Centre electric bus (capital element)

720

Provide bigger blue bins to the first 10% of households that request them

603

Local and District Centres - Woodseats, Chapeltown, Hillsborough, Woodhouse, Darnall, Crookes, Page Hall and Mosborough

2,000

Additional spending on road safety schemes to be allocated over the year

500

E-Cargo Bikes

50

Replace 50 single street bins with double aperture bins with recycling facility

40

Over the medium term, ensure at least 40% of CIL is devoted to these proposals, which would be in addition to any spend subsequently agreed via TCF, Active Travel Fund, Road Safety Fund, etc.

Cost Neutral

Walking, Cycling and Active Travel Schemes, Green and Small Business Infrastructure

Cost Neutral

Devote 30% of CIL to the neighbourhood portion on an ongoing basis

Cost Neutral

Increase neighbourhood portion of CIL from 15% to 30%

Cost Neutral

Financing of Capital Proposals

4,833

Capital Spending Proposals

4,833

 

 

Local Transport Plan Budget Proposal

 

(£'000)

(£'000)

Devolve decision making over up to £1.3 million of transport funding (assuming at least this much is available when the grant award is confirmed) away from Cabinet Member to local communities to be allocated via Community Assemblies.

Cost Neutral

Nil

Cost Neutral

 

 

 

32.

approves the contents of the Capital Strategy & Budget Book and the specific projects included in the years 2021/22 to 2025/26, subject to the amendments outlined in paragraph (31) above, and that block allocations are included within the programme for noting at this stage and detailed proposals will be brought back for separate Member approval as part of the monthly monitoring procedures;

 

 

 

 

33.

approves the proposed Capital Programme for the 5 years to 2025/26, as per appendix 2 of the Capital Strategy report, subject to the amendments outlined in paragraph (31) above;

 

 

 

 

34.

after noting the joint report of the Chief Executive and the Executive Director, Resources, now submitted on the Revenue Budget 2021/22, approves and adopts a net Revenue Budget for 2021/22 amounting to £366.242m, as set out in Appendix 3 of that report, and subsequently amended in the light of paragraph (31) above, as follows:-

 

 

Restated

 

 

 

 

2020/21

 

Summary Revenue Budget

 

2021/22

 

 

 

 

 

£000

 

 

 

£000

 

 

Portfolio budgets:

 

 

214,443

 

People

 

244,866

111,626

 

Place

 

133,782

2,158

 

Policy Performance and Communications

 

2,760

42,285

 

Resources (inc. Housing Benefit & Council Tax Collection)

 

42,816

370,512

 

 

 

424,224

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Corporate Budgets:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Specific Grants

 

 

-5,929

 

New Homes Bonus (LGF)

 

-4,844

-5,834

 

Business Rates Inflation Cap Grant (BRIC)

 

-7,543

-6,852

 

Small Business Rates Relief

 

-7,340

-2,312

 

Retail Relief

 

0

-600

 

Health Income

 

0

0

 

Covid Funding one-off

 

-17,664

0

 

Lower Tier Services Grant

 

-900

0

 

Local Council Tax Support Grant

 

-5,612

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Corporate Items

 

 

5,500

 

Redundancy Provision

 

5,500

5,929

 

New Homes Bonus (LGF)

 

4,844

3,000

 

Better Care Fund

 

0

3,290

 

Social Care Demand Contingency

 

0

4,000

 

Strengthening Families - Think Forward Investment

 

0

900

 

Infrastructure Investment

 

0

11

 

Payment to Parish Councils

 

0

1,500

 

Customer Experience Programme

 

1,500

0

 

Managing Employee Reduction programme

 

-4,000

0

 

Target Operating Model

 

-1,500

0

 

Customer Focus

 

-500

0

 

Council Tax Support Protection

 

500

0

 

Corporate Savings Project Costs

 

1,160

1,975

 

Other

 

5,100

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Capital Financing Costs

 

 

13,662

 

General Capital Financing Costs

 

13,662

5,473

 

Heart of the City 2

 

1,473

12,730

 

Streets Ahead Investment

 

12,387

6,134

 

MSF Capital Financing Costs

 

6,516

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reserves Movements 

 

 

7,082

 

Contribution to / (from) Reserves

 

-60,721

 

 

 

 

 

420,171

 

Total Expenditure

 

366,242

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Financing of Net Expenditure

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

-37,494

 

Revenue Support Grant

 

-37,694

-103,828

 

NNDR/Business Rates Income

 

-99,942

-43,222

 

Business Rates Top Up Grant

 

-43,222

-207,615

 

Council Tax income

 

-208,795

-8,236

 

Collection Fund (Surplus)/Deficit

 

49,590

-19,776

 

Social Care Precept

 

-26,179

 

 

 

 

 

-420,171

 

Total Financing

 

-366,242

 

 

35.

approves a Band D equivalent Council Tax of £1,702.31 for City Council services, i.e. an increase of 4.99% (1.99% City Council increase and 3% national arrangement for the social care precept);

 

 

36.

approves the proposed amendments to the Long Term Empty premium which applies to Council Tax charges in respect of Long Term Empty Dwellings, as set out in paragraph 47 of the Revenue Budget report, with effect from 1 April 2021;

 

 

37.

notes that the Section 151 Officer has reviewed the robustness of the estimates and the adequacy of the proposed financial reserves, in accordance with Section 25 of the Local Government Act 2003; and that further details can be found in Appendix 4 and within the Section 25 Statutory Statement on Sustainability of Budget and Level of Reserves from paragraph 17 of the Revenue Budget report;

 

 

38.

approves the savings as set out in Appendix 2 of the Revenue Budget report, subject to the amendments outlined in paragraph (31) above;

 

 

39.

approves the revenue budget allocations for each of the services, as set out in Appendices 3a to 3d of the Revenue Budget report, subject to the amendments outlined in paragraph (31) above;

 

 

40.

approves the Treasury Management and Annual Investment Strategies set out in Appendix 7 of the Revenue Budget report and the recommendations contained therein;

 

 

41.

approves the Minimum Revenue Provision (MRP) Policy set out in Appendix 7 of the Revenue Budget report, which takes into account the revisions proposed for 2021/22 onwards;

 

 

42.

agrees that authority be delegated to the Executive Director, Resources, to undertake Treasury Management activity, to create and amend appropriate Treasury Management Practice Statements and to report on the operation of Treasury Management activity on the terms set out in these documents;

 

 

43.

approves a Pay Policy for 2021/22 as set out in Appendix 8 of the Revenue Budget report;

 

 

44,

agrees that the Members’ Allowances Scheme for 2017/18 and onwards, approved on 3 March 2017, and implemented for 2018/19, 2019/20 and 2020/21, be also implemented for 2021/22;

 

 

45.

notes the precepts issued by local parish councils which add £637,944 to the calculation of the budget requirement in accordance with Sections 31 to 36 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992;

 

 

46.

notes the information on the precepts issued by the South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner and the South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority, together with the impact of these on the overall amount of Council Tax to be charged in the City Council’s area;

 

 

47.

notes that, based on the estimated expenditure level of £366.242m set out in paragraph (34) above, the amounts shown in Appendix 6b below would be calculated by the City Council for the year 2021/22, in accordance with Sections 30to 36 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992;

 

 

 

Appendix 6

 

CITY OF SHEFFIELD

CALCULATION OF RECOMMENDED COUNCIL TAX FOR 2021/22
REVENUE BUDGET

 

 

 

The Council is recommended to resolve as follows:

 

 

1.

It be noted that on 15th January 2021, the Council calculated the Council Tax Base 2021/22

 

 

 

(a)   for the whole Council area as :

 

        138,032.6368

(item T in the formula in Section 31B of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, as amended (the "Act")); and

 

 

 

(b)   for dwellings in those parts of its area to which a Parish precept relates as in the attached Appendix 6c.

 

 

2.

Calculate that the Council Tax requirement for the Council's own purposes for 2021/22 (excluding Parish precepts) is:

 

£234,973,700.

 

 

3.

That the following amounts be calculated for the year 2021/22 in accordance with Sections 31 to 36 of the Act:

 

 

(a)

£1,525,269,644

being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 31A(2) of the Act taking into account all precepts issued to it by Parish Councils.

 

 

 

(b)

£1,289,658,000

being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 31A(3) of the Act.

 

 

 

(c)

£235,611,644

being the amount by which the aggregate at 3(a) above exceeds the aggregate at 3(b) above, calculated by the Council in accordance with Section 31A(4) of the Act as its Council Tax requirement for the year (item R in the formula in Section 31B of the Act).

 

 

 

(d)

£1,706.9271

being the amount at 3(c) above (Item R), all divided by item T (1(a) above), calculated by the Council, in accordance with Section 31B of the Act, as the basic amount of its Council Tax for the year (including Parish Precepts).

 

 

 

(e)

£637,944

being the aggregate amount of all special items (Parish precepts) referred to in Section 34(1) of the Act (as per the attached Appendix 6b).

 

 

 

(f)

£1,702.3054

being the amount at 3(d) above less the result given by dividing the amount at 3(e) above by Item T (1(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 Parish precept relates.

 

 

 

4.

To note that the Police and Crime Commissioner and the Fire and Rescue Authority have issued 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 as indicated in the table overleaf.

 

 

5.

£26,178,793

The amount set by the authority at 2 above, under Section 30 of the Act, includes an amount attributable to the adult social care precept.

 

 

6.

That the Council, in accordance with Sections 30 and 36 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, hereby sets the aggregate amounts shown in the tables below as the amounts of Council Tax for 2021/22 for each part of its area and for each of the categories of dwellings.

 

 

Sheffield City Council (Non-Parish Areas)

 

Valuation Band

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

Sheffield City Council

1,134.87

1,324.02

1,513.16

1,702.31

2,080.60

2,458.89

2,837.18

3,404.61

South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Authority

50.71

59.17

67.62

76.07

92.97

109.88

126.78

152.14

South Yorkshire Police & Crime Commissioner

142.03

165.70

189.37

213.04

260.38

307.72

355.07

426.08

Aggregate of Council Tax Requirements

1,327.61

1,548.89

1,770.15

1,991.42

2,433.95

2,876.49

3,319.03

3,982.83

 

Bradfield Parish Council

 

Valuation Band

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

Sheffield City Council

1,134.87

1,324.02

1,513.16

1,702.31

2,080.60

2,458.89

2,837.18

3,404.61

Bradfield Parish Council

28.49

33.24

38.00

42.74

52.23

61.73

71.23

85.48

South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Authority

50.71

59.17

67.62

76.07

92.97

109.88

126.78

152.14

South Yorkshire Police & Crime Commissioner

142.03

165.70

189.37

213.04

260.38

307.72

355.07

426.08

Aggregate of Council Tax Requirements

1,356.10

1,582.13

1,808.15

2,034.16

2,486.18

2,938.22

3,390.26

4,068.31

 

Ecclesfield Parish Council

 

Valuation Band

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

Sheffield City Council

1,134.87

1,324.02

1,513.16

1,702.31

2,080.60

2,458.89

2,837.18

3,404.61

Ecclesfield Parish Council

19.03

22.20

25.37

28.54

34.88

41.23

47.57

57.08

South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Authority

50.71

59.17

67.62

76.07

92.97

109.88

126.78

152.14

South Yorkshire Police & Crime Commissioner

142.03

165.70

189.37

213.04

260.38

307.72

355.07

426.08

Aggregate of Council Tax Requirements

1,346.64

1,571.09

1,795.52

2,019.96

2,468.83

2,917.72

3,366.60

4,039.91

 

Stocksbridge Town Council

 

Valuation Band

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

Sheffield City Council

1,134.87

1,324.02

1,513.16

1,702.31

2,080.60

2,458.89

2,837.18

3,404.61

Stocksbridge Town Council

22.57

26.32

30.08

33.84

41.36

48.88

56.41

67.70

South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Authority

50.71

59.17

67.62

76.07

92.97

109.88

126.78

152.14

South Yorkshire Police & Crime Commissioner

142.03

165.70

189.37

213.04

260.38

307.72

355.07

426.08

Aggregate of Council Tax Requirements

1,350.18

1,575.21

1,800.23

2,025.26

2,475.31

2,925.37

3,375.44

4,050.53

 

 

7.

The Council's basic amount of Council Tax is not excessive in accordance with the principles approved under Section 52ZB of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, therefore no referendum is required.

 

Appendix 6b

Council Tax Schedule 2021/22

 

Band A

Band B

Band C

Band D

Band E

Band F

Band G

Band H

Sheffield City Council

1,134.87

1,324.02

1,513.16

1,702.31

2,080.60

2,458.89

2,837.18

3,404.61

South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Authority

50.71

59.17

67.62

76.07

92.97

109.88

126.78

152.14

South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner

142.03

165.70

189.37

213.04

260.38

307.72

355.07

426.08

Total charge for non-parish areas of Sheffield

1,327.61

1,548.89

1,770.15

1,991.42

2,433.95

2,876.49

3,319.03

3,982.83

Bradfield Parish Council

1,356.10

1,582.13

1,808.15

2,034.16

2,486.18

2,938.22

3,390.26

4,068.31

Ecclesfield Parish Council

1,346.64

1,571.09

1,795.52

2,019.96

2,468.83

2,917.72

3,366.60

4,039.91

Stocksbridge Town Council

1,350.18

1,575.21

1,800.23

2,025.26

2,475.31

2,925.37

3,375.44

4,050.53

 

 

Appendix 6c

Parish Council Precepts

 

Parish

Council

2020/21

Tax
Base
(£)

Council
Tax
Income
(£)

Council
Tax
Band D
(£)

 

CTS Grants
(£)

Total
Precept

(£)

Bradfield

5,838.92

249,542

42.7378

 

4,098

253,640

Ecclesfield

9,237.21

263,622

28.5392

 

4,113

267,735

Stockbridge

3,831.33

129,669

33.8443

 

2,959

132,628

Total/Average

18,907.46

642,834

105.12

 

11,170

654,004

 

Parish

Council

2021/22

 

Tax
Base
(£)

Council
Tax
Income
(£)

Council
Tax
Band D
(£)

 

CTS
Grants
(£)

Total
Precept

(£)

Council
Tax
Increase

Bradfield

5,822.23

248,829

42.7378

 

-

248,829

0.00%

Ecclesfield

9,145.00

260,991

28.5392

 

-

260,991

0.00%

Stockbridge

3,785.69

128,124

33.8443

 

-

128,124

0.00%

Total/Average

18,752.92

637,944

105.12

 

 

637,944.06

0.00%

 

 

6.5

Whereupon, it was moved by Councillor Douglas Johnson, seconded by Councillor Alison Teal, as an amendment, that the recommendations of the Cabinet held on 17th February 2021, as relates to the City Council's Revenue Budget and Capital Programme 2021/22, be replaced by the following resolution:-

 

 

 

RESOLVED: That this Council:-

 

 

1.

recalls the Director of Public Health’s briefing to this Council, at the March 2020 budget-setting meeting, where it was advised that coronavirus was a developing situation and changing rapidly but there were no cases in Sheffield;

 

 

2.

notes how the global and local situation changed so dramatically so soon after that, in ways that were then unimaginable; and believes that the global pandemic has changed all of our lives for ever;

 

 

3.

reminds itself of another global issue with local impacts, namely climate change, and notes the need to address it as the emergency it is;

 

 

4.

believes that central Government has failed to manage the coronavirus pandemic well and that too many premature deaths have resulted from inadequate and ineffective testing and tracing at a national level;

 

 

5.

therefore has little confidence that central government will rise to the challenge of tackling climate change;

 

 

6.

believes it is therefore vital for councils to take a lead on acting locally; and that cities, in particular, are uniquely placed to respond to climate change;

 

 

7.

notes the shifting burden of local government funding from central government (through national redistribution of wealth) to greater taxation on Sheffield residents;

 

 

8.

acknowledges the very substantial need for care of older and disabled people and in children’s services and that, even passing on extra costs through council tax increases, the sum raised is still wholly inadequate to meet the cost of social care;

 

 

9.

nevertheless, supports the necessary increase in council tax rates, whilst remembering the need to protect the poorest households;

 

 

10.

notes, however, that long-term, outsourced contracts with big private businesses have not taken an equivalent share of the cuts to council services over the last ten years; and that long-term costs of finance stretch into Sheffield’s future until 2057;

 

 

11.

believes that Elected Members in Sheffield, however difficult the crisis we face, have a responsibility to do the best we can for the people of Sheffield, prioritising the available resources to protect communities and the most vulnerable and working towards a more equitable and resilient city;

 

 

12.

thanks staff in the Council, voluntary and private sectors for the way they have responded to austerity, worked through the pandemic and made sacrifices;

 

 

13.

welcomes the progress now being made on issues in previous amendments submitted by the Green Group, including:-

 

 

 

(a)      webcasting of council meetings;

 

 

 

(b)      mental health resilience work in schools;

 

 

 

(c)      steps towards re-opening the Don Valley Railway;

 

 

 

(d)      supporting the least well-off with council tax bills;

 

 

 

(e)      funding to prepare brownfield sites for development, in order to save greenfield locations;

 

 

 

(f)       the recruitment of safer neighbourhoods co-ordinators with a focus on young people;

 

 

 

(g)      bolstering the work of the private sector housing team to take enforcement action on substandard rented housing in the private sector;

 

 

 

(h)      putting greater resources into working in local areas;

 

 

 

(i)       recognising climate change as a priority for the housing service;

 

 

 

(j)       commitment not to hold any direct investments in fossil fuels or companies involved in tax evasion or grave misconduct;

 

 

 

(k)      more resources into cycling and walking infrastructure;

 

 

 

(l)       a scheme to provide e-cargo bikes;

 

 

 

(m)     electric vehicles charging points in and around the city centre;

 

 

14.

believes that the city’s resilience will be tested by the climate crisis and is therefore disappointed that, despite declaring a “climate emergency” in 2019, no substantial proposals appear in the Administration’s revenue budget to address the climate emergency;

 

 

15.

will therefore provide funding to recruit an entire team of environmental sustainability officers to address the need for warmer homes; locally-owned, clean energy production, such as solar farms; increased walking, cycling and public transport; and to support businesses and householders to make carbon-reducing changes in response to the climate emergency;

 

 

16.

will support this with funds specifically to investigate a large-scale solar farm;

 

 

17.

will support this further by the creation of a Carbon Reduction Investment Fund of £3 million, setting aside funds to complete new sustainability projects that reduce carbon consumption in order to avoid unnecessary delay in achieving a 2030 net carbon zero targets;

 

 

18.

regrets the lost opportunity of jobs in the renewable energy industry and thousands of cheaper energy bills for council tenants when proposed by Green Councillors in 2014;

 

 

19.

will, however, still promote energy efficiency schemes in maintained schools by using £500,000 of unallocated Community Infrastructure Levy receipts;

 

 

20.

will go further and set aside £1 million of unallocated New Homes Bonus to introduce solar panels on council housing, to generate energy and to reduce tenants’ bills;

 

 

21.

will build climate resilience into the city’s housing stock by ensuring that all funding for new-build council housing is only used for housing designed at high standards of thermal efficiency, so that future tenants do not risk fuel poverty;

 

 

22.

will earmark £1 million for walking and cycling, offering people riding bikes the protection of segregated cycle lanes and secure bike storage, thereby increasing the numbers of Sheffield citizens cycling to work and contributing towards improved physical and mental health and better air quality;

 

 

23.

will recognise the failure to build this city’s cycling infrastructure and will therefore appoint a cycling officer to promote the ability of Sheffield residents to choose this form of transport;

 

 

24.

welcomes the take-up of the e-cargo bikes promoted in the Green Group’s 2020 budget proposals; and will develop this idea further through working up ideas to create a zero-emission last-mile distribution hub, to allow the Council, businesses and organisations to deliver goods around the city in a cleaner, quieter, more sustainable way;

 

 

25.

will ensure that all future Local Transport Plan spending is used only on sustainable modes of transport that do not have any adverse impact on air quality;

 

 

26.

in line with this principle, will encourage use of public transport by providing free bus and tram travel on the six Sundays before Christmas, in place of the current subsidy for free car parking in the city centre;

 

 

27.

will take steps to reduce the demand for individual car ownership by investing in a new scheme to develop car-sharing in line with the “liftshare” scheme;

 

 

28.

believes the public is becoming more aware and concerned at the dangers of illegal levels of air pollution and will therefore invest in public-facing visual displays on the city’s air quality monitoring stations, to ensure the public can see and monitor the measure of air pollution affecting them in real time;

 

 

29.

will stop reimbursing car-parking claims for Elected Members who do not have a blue badge;

 

 

30.

will tackle dangerous and irresponsible parking, by creating 6new jobs for parking enforcement officers, to be provided with e-bikes instead of patrol cars, where possible;

 

 

31.

will develop proposals to introduce a workplace parking levy for larger employers, in order to generate additional long-term revenue to invest in the city’s public transport, whilst improving air quality and encouraging more active forms of travel to work;

 

 

32.

will reduce the price of residents’ parking permits to 2010 levels and dissuade commuters from driving into the city centre by increasing on-street parking by 40p, meaning that people living in some of the most congested and polluted areas of the city are not subsidising other transport services;

 

 

33.

will re-introduce the FreeBee bus service in the city centre, operating every 10 minutes, 12 hours a day, 6 days a week, by investing in 3 new electric buses owned directly by the local authority;

 

 

34.

will take steps to increase the potential for more affordable housing in the city by funding a pilot project of a small number of energy-efficient “container homes”, such as those already being pioneered at Heeley City Farm;

 

 

35.

will create an additional officer post to bring empty homes back into use, in order to tackle the blight and waste of empty houses and increase housing supply with far less energy consumption than new buildings;

 

 

36.

will reduce the cost to low-income households for bulky waste collections, reversing the Administration’s previous cut imposed on the poorest households and reducing fly-tipping and the burden on volunteer litter-pickers;

 

 

37.

notes the growing demand for food waste collections and better recycling and will therefore examine a wider recycling offer, including food waste and further plastics collection, as well as repair and reuse models;

 

 

38.

recognises the cultural and economic importance of the city’s heritage and will therefore expand skills in the Planning Service with funding for a dedicated heritage officer;

 

 

39.

asserts that in a properly regulated planning system, it is essential that developers comply with planning conditions and will therefore fund an additional planning enforcement officer to maintain high standards for the benefit of the public;

 

 

40.

will maximise the expertise of our planning officers and bring fees for pre-application planning advice for larger property developers into line with other major cities;

 

 

41.

will improve transparency by separately publishing the accounts of the licensing service, which are still not made available, despite statements to the contrary by the Leader of the Council;

 

 

42.

will cut political spin from the Town Hall and will remove the posts of Group Policy Officers from the Council payroll, requiring politicians to do their own research and press work;

 

 

43.

will support the voluntary sector with a substantial increase of £142,000 for anti-poverty work in advice centres, which was previously cut by this Administration, thus protecting jobs and helping people facing the real difficulties of universal credit and other issues arising from the Covid pandemic;

 

 

44.

and, recognising the number of people in serious financial hardship, will increase the council tax hardship fund to £2 million, to protect the poorest families in the city;

 

 

45.

will recognise the expertise of the voluntary sector in obtaining external funding by providing money for a post in a voluntary sector organisation to assist the council in monitoring and applying for funding from central government and elsewhere, thus maximising future revenue to the city;

 

 

46.

recognises the particular difficulties faced by young people leaving care setting up their own homes for the first time and will therefore set aside funds to meet council tax bills paid until the age of 25;

 

 

47.

recognises the ongoing value of the city’s library service and rewards the hard work of volunteers who have supported their local branch libraries by providing funding to ensure a paid, professional librarian in every branch library;

 

 

48.

will pilot the development of a “Library of Things” in a staffed library to reduce individual consumption of occasionally-used household items;

 

 

49.

will continue funding for music lessons for children from low-income households, who experience significant barriers to culture and learning;

 

 

50.

notes that Green Councillors first proposed the Council adopt a Living Wage in 2008 to address low pay and will now tackle the principle of income inequality head-on by reducing the pay of senior officers on salaries over £50,000 a year, narrowing the gap between the highest and lowest paid in the Council to within a 10:1 ratio;

 

 

51.

will further reduce eight posts in the HR function to protect frontline services;

 

 

52.

notes that the proposals in this amendment will provide over £1 million in every future year for social care;

 

 

53.

will promote health, activity and fun by funding outdoor gym equipment in the city’s parks and developing the network of park runs throughout the whole city, working alongside community organisations;

 

 

54.

will commemorate the very origins of a municipal authority for public health by providing the public with clean, fresh water through the provision of new drinking fountains in major parks, thereby reducing waste and litter from single-use disposable plastics;

 

 

55.

will also support community environmental activism through Friends of Parks groups;

 

 

56.

recognises the benefits of community growing schemes and will therefore fund initial work on urban food production;

 

 

57.

remembering that parks are for people, not cars, will support these further improvements in the city’s parks by increasing car parking charges for those who choose to drive to them;

 

 

58.

will also invest in planting trees bearing edible fruit in open spaces and parks, to be decided and distributed fairly on a Ward basis;

 

 

59.

will promote the city’s economic opportunity of specialist tourism by engaging two part-time ecologists to market and lead specialist nature tours on Sheffield’s nearby and unique moorland, thereby generating further income for the Council and for the city’s economy;

 

 

60.

will fund an extra four Police Community Safety Officers (PCSOs);

 

 

61.

will support the many voluntary, business and public sector agencies trying to address homelessness, substance misuse, anti-social behaviour and aggressive begging in the city centre, by providing funds for a new worker under the Help Us Help umbrella;

 

 

62.

will put further resource into prevention work by supporting an additional substance misuse worker;

 

 

63.

will extend the contracts of the business advisers to the end of 2021 to support local businesses with recovery from lockdown and the coronavirus pandemic;

 

 

64.

believes these overall proposals would result in the creation of over 50 new jobs;

 

 

65.

recognises the hard work of Sheffield citizens who have highlighted the economic risks attached to fossil fuels and the need for Sheffield City Council to do business ethically, and welcomes the inclusion, in its Treasury Management Strategy, of commitments not to hold any direct investments in fossil fuels or companies involved in tax evasion or grave misconduct;

 

 

66.

approves the updating of the statutory Regulation 123 list to include the spending of unallocated Community Infrastructure Levy within the limits set out above;

 

 

67.

therefore requests the Executive Director, Resources, to implement the City Council’s Revenue Budget and Capital Programme 2021/22 in accordance with the details set out in the reports on the Revenue Budget and Capital Programme now submitted, but with the following amendments:-

 

 

 

Revenue Budget Proposal

 

 

2021/22

 

2021/22

Savings proposals

(£'000)

Spending proposals

(£'000)

 

 

Recurrent

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Remove Elected Members' car parking claims

2

Recruitment of a 6 person sustainability team (1xG10, 4xG8 and 1xG5 - 9 months allowing for recruitment of full team)

212

 

 

Additional 40p on street parking charge

772

Cycling officer (grade 8)

48

 

 

Increase fees for pre-application planning advice for larger property developers

74

Free Christmas bus / tram travel on 6 Sundays before Christmas

66

 

 

Remove Group Policy Officers (half year saving)

51

Recruitment of 6 extra parking enforcement officers at net £4k each

24

 

 

Reduce pay on employees paid over £150,000 by 20% (assume 6 month saving)

67

Reduce Parking Permit Fees to 2010 levels

322

 

 

Reduce pay on employees paid over £100,000 by 15% (assume 6 month saving)

57

Re-introduce the Free Bee Bus - low emission vehicle at 10 minute frequency, 12 hrs/ day , 6 days / week

427

 

 

Reduce pay on employees paid over £50,000 by 10% (assume 6 month saving)

1,033

Additional Empty Homes Officer to bring empty properties back into use (grade 7)

42

 

 

Remove 8 posts in HR (assume half-year saving)

162

Reinstate reduced-cost bulky waste collection for low-income households

25

 

 

Increase parking fees in parks from 50p to £1 per hour

82

Heritage officer (grade 8)

48

 

 

Remove free City Centre parking at Christmas

83

Extra Planning enforcement officer (grade 7)

42

 

 

 

Publish licensing accounts

10

 

 

 

Increase funding to voluntary sector for advice work

142

 

 

 

Increase Council Tax hardship fund to £2 million

200

 

 

 

Fund voluntary sector (SYFAB) to work on external grant funding for SCC including green grants

40

 

 

 

Provide Young Care Leavers with a fund to cover Council Tax bills

30

 

 

 

Staff for branch libraries (based on 16 PT members of staff)

336

 

 

 

Fund for music lessons for children from low-income households (to replace lost grant)

17

 

 

 

Investment in parks, including maintenance of drinking fountains (8k) & gym equipment (4k), & developing park runs in all areas of the city

50

 

 

 

Community liaison officers for parks (G6)

36

 

 

 

Ecology officers to promote nature tourism (2 half-time G8 posts)

48

 

 

 

Four extra Police Community Safety Officers

138

 

 

 

Help Us Help worker (grade 5) to assist DACT with admin work, liaison and co-ordination with relevant agencies.

32

 

 

 

Additional substance misuse worker in DACT

48

 

 

 

2,383

 

2,383

 

 

Non-recurrent

 

 

 

Use of New Homes Bonus

398

Feasibility study on a Warrington-style solar farm

25

 

 

 

Feasibility study on a zero-emission last-mile delivery hub

25

 

 

 

Promote car-sharing with "Liftshare" scheme

100

 

 

 

Workplace Parking Levy Study (Grade 8 post to develop work)

48

 

 

 

Feasibility study in to a wider recycling offer, including food waste and further plastics collection, repair and reuse

50

 

 

 

Library of Things pilot

30

 

 

 

Feasibility study in to urban food production

25

 

 

 

Continue team of business advisers (2.3 FTE) to support local businesses for a further 6 months

95

 

 

 

398

 

398

 

 

Savings – subtotal

2,781

 Spending - subtotal

2,781

 

 

Capital Budget Proposal

 

 

2021/22

 

2021/22

Savings proposals

(£'000)

Spending proposals

(£'000)

 

 

Use of unallocated New Homes Bonus

1,000

Introduce further Solar Panels on the HRA Estate

1,000

 

 

Use of unallocated New Homes Bonus

3,000

Creation of a Carbon Reduction Investment Fund

3,000

 

 

Use of unallocated New Homes Bonus

1,080

Purchase of 3 x Electric Freebee buses

1,080

 

 

Reprioritise funding for acquiring new council homes

250

Fund to establish low-energy "container homes" pilot

250

 

 

Use of unallocated Local Transport Plan spending if available (figure not confirmed yet) - if not use CIL

1,000

Improved transport infrastructure, including segregated cycle lanes & bike storage

1,000

 

 

Use of unallocated Local Transport Plan spending if available (figure not confirmed yet) - if not use CIL

54

Air Quality Monitoring Digital Displays

54

 

 

Use of unallocated CIL

500

Energy efficiency for schools fund

500

 

 

Use of unallocated CIL

40

Outdoor gym equipment in parks

40

 

 

Use of unallocated CIL

100

Provision of fruit trees on a ward basis

100

 

 

Use of unallocated CIL

24

Drinking Fountains for City Centre & parks

24

 

 

Financing of capital proposals total

7,048

Capital spending total

7,048

 

 

68.

approves the contents of the Capital Strategy & Budget Book and the specific projects included in the years 2021/22 to 2025/26, subject to the amendments outlined in paragraph (67) above, and that block allocations are included within the programme for noting at this stage and detailed proposals will be brought back for separate Member approval as part of the monthly monitoring procedures;

 

 

69.

approves the proposed Capital Programme for the 5 years to 2025/26, as per appendix 2 of the Capital Strategy report, subject to the amendments outlined in paragraph (67) above;

 

 

70.

after noting the joint report of the Chief Executive and the Executive Director, Resources, now submitted on the Revenue Budget 2021/22, approves and adopts a net Revenue Budget for 2021/22 amounting to £365.812m, as set out in Appendix 3 of that report, and subsequently amended in the light of paragraph (67) above, as follows:-

 

 

 

Appendix 3

 

Restated

 

 

 

 

2020/21

 

Summary Revenue Budget

 

2021/22

 

 

 

 

 

£000

 

 

 

£000

 

 

Portfolio budgets:

 

 

214,443

 

People

 

243,639

111,626

 

Place

 

131,723

2,158

 

Policy Performance and Communications

 

2,301

42,285

 

Resources (inc. Housing Benefit & Council Tax Collection)

 

42,949

370,512

 

 

 

420,612

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Corporate Budgets:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Specific Grants

 

 

-5,929

 

New Homes Bonus (LGF)

 

-4,844

-5,834

 

Business Rates Inflation Cap Grant (BRIC)

 

-7,543

-6,852

 

Small Business Rates Relief

 

-7,340

-2,312

 

Retail Relief

 

0

-600

 

Health Income

 

0

0

 

Covid Funding one-off

 

-17,664

0

 

Lower Tier Services Grant

 

-900

0

 

Local Council Tax Support Grant

 

-5,612

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Corporate Items

 

 

5,500

 

Redundancy Provision

 

5,500

5,929

 

New Homes Bonus (LGF)

 

4,844

3,000

 

Better Care Fund

 

0

3,290

 

Social Care Demand Contingency

 

0

4,000

 

Strengthening Families - Think Forward Investment

 

0

900

 

Infrastructure Investment

 

0

11

 

Payment to Parish Councils

 

0

1,500

 

Customer Experience Programme

 

1,500

0

 

Managing Employee Reduction programme

 

-4,000

0

 

Target Operating Model

 

-1,500

0

 

Customer Focus

 

-500

0

 

Council Tax Support Protection

 

500

0

 

Corporate Savings Project Costs

 

1,160

1,975

 

Other

 

5,300

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Capital Financing Costs

 

 

13,662

 

General Capital Financing Costs

 

13,662

5,473

 

Heart of the City 2

 

1,473

12,730

 

Streets Ahead Investment

 

12,387

6,134

 

MSF Capital Financing Costs

 

6,516

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reserves Movements 

 

 

7,082

 

Contribution to / (from)  Reserves

 

-57,739

 

 

 

 

 

420,171

 

Total Expenditure

 

365,812

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Financing of Net Expenditure

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

-37,494

 

Revenue Support Grant

 

-37,694

-103,828

 

NNDR/Business Rates Income

 

-99,512

-43,222

 

Business Rates Top Up Grant

 

-43,222

-207,615

 

Council Tax income

 

-208,795

-8,236

 

Collection Fund (Surplus)/Deficit

 

49,590

-19,776

 

Social Care Precept

 

-26,179

 

 

 

 

 

-420,171

 

Total Financing

 

-365,812

 

 

71.

approves a Band D equivalent Council Tax of £1,702.31 for City Council services, i.e. an increase of 4.99% (1.99% City Council increase and 3% national arrangement for the social care precept);

 

 

72.

approves the proposed amendments to the Long Term Empty premium which applies to Council Tax charges in respect of Long Term Empty Dwellings, as set out in paragraph 47 of the Revenue Budget report, with effect from 1 April 2021;

 

 

73.

notes that the Section 151 Officer has reviewed the robustness of the estimates and the adequacy of the proposed financial reserves, in accordance with Section 25 of the Local Government Act 2003; and that further details can be found in Appendix 4 and within the Section 25 Statutory Statement on Sustainability of Budget and Level of Reserves from paragraph 17 of the Revenue Budget report;

 

 

74.

approves the savings as set out in Appendix 2 of the Revenue Budget report, subject to the amendments outlined in paragraph (67) above;

 

 

75.

approves the revenue budget allocations for each of the services, as set out in Appendices 3a to 3d of the Revenue Budget report, subject to the amendments outlined in paragraph (67) above;

 

 

76.

approves the Treasury Management and Annual Investment Strategies set out in Appendix 7 of the Revenue Budget report and the recommendations contained therein;

 

 

77.

approves the Minimum Revenue Provision (MRP) Policy set out in Appendix 7 of the Revenue Budget report, which takes into account the revisions proposed for 2021/22 onwards;

 

 

78.

agrees that authority be delegated to the Executive Director, Resources, to undertake Treasury Management activity, to create and amend appropriate Treasury Management Practice Statements and to report on the operation of Treasury Management activity on the terms set out in these documents;

 

 

79.

approves a Pay Policy for 2021/22 as set out in Appendix 8 of the Revenue Budget report, subject to the amendment outlined in paragraph (67) above relating to salary reductions;

 

 

80.

agrees that the Members’ Allowances Scheme for 2017/18 and onwards, approved on 3 March 2017, and implemented for 2018/19, 2019/20 and 2020/21, be also implemented for 2021/22;

 

 

81.

notes the precepts issued by local parish councils which add £637,944 to the calculation of the budget requirement in accordance with Sections 31 to 36 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992;

 

 

82.

notes the information on the precepts issued by the South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner and the South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority, together with the impact of these on the overall amount of Council Tax to be charged in the City Council’s area;

 

 

83.

notes that, based on the estimated expenditure level of £365.812m set out in paragraph (70) above, the amounts shown in Appendix 6b below would be calculated by the City Council for the year 2021/22, in accordance with Sections 30 to 36 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992;

 

 

Appendix 6

 

 

CITY OF SHEFFIELD

CALCULATION OF RECOMMENDED COUNCIL TAX FOR 2021/22
REVENUE BUDGET

 

 

The Council is recommended to resolve as follows:

 

 

1.

It be noted that on 15th January 2021, the Council calculated the Council Tax Base 2021/22

 

 

 

(a)   for the whole Council area as :

 

138,032.6368

(item T in the formula in Section 31B of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, as amended (the "Act")); and

 

 

 

(b)   for dwellings in those parts of its area to which a Parish precept relates as in the attached Appendix 6c.

 

 

2.

Calculate that the Council Tax requirement for the Council's own purposes for 2021/22 (excluding Parish precepts) is:

 

£234,973,700.

 

 

3.

That the following amounts be calculated for the year 2021/22 in accordance with Sections 31 to 36 of the Act:

 

 

(a)

£1,521,857,644

being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 31A(2) of the Act taking into account all precepts issued to it by Parish Councils.

 

 

 

(b)

£1,286,246,000

being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 31A(3) of the Act.

 

 

 

(c)

£235,611,644

being the amount by which the aggregate at 3(a) above exceeds the aggregate at 3(b) above, calculated by the Council in accordance with Section 31A(4) of the Act as its Council Tax requirement for the year (item R in the formula in Section 31B of the Act).

 

 

 

(d)

£1,706.9271

being the amount at 3(c) above (Item R), all divided by item T (1(a) above), calculated by the Council, in accordance with Section 31B of the Act, as the basic amount of its Council Tax for the year (including Parish Precepts).

 

 

 

(e)

£637,944

being the aggregate amount of all special items (Parish precepts) referred to in Section 34(1) of the Act (as per the attached Appendix 6b).

 

 

 

(f)

£1,702.3054

being the amount at 3(d) above less the result given by dividing the amount at 3(e) above by Item T (1(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 Parish precept relates.

 

 

 

4.

To note that the Police and Crime Commissioner and the Fire and Rescue Authority have issued 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 as indicated in the table overleaf.

 

 

5.

£26,178,793

The amount set by the authority at 2 above, under Section 30 of the Act, includes an amount attributable to the adult social care precept.

 

 

6.

That the Council, in accordance with Sections 30 and 36 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, hereby sets the aggregate amounts shown in the tables below as the amounts of Council Tax for 2021/22 for each part of its area and for each of the categories of dwellings.

 

 

Sheffield City Council (Non-Parish Areas)

 

Valuation Band

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

Sheffield City Council

1,134.87

1,324.02

1,513.16

1,702.31

2,080.60

2,458.89

2,837.18

3,404.61

South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Authority

50.71

59.17

67.62

76.07

92.97

109.88

126.78

152.14

South Yorkshire Police & Crime Commissioner

142.03

165.70

189.37

213.04

260.38

307.72

355.07

426.08

Aggregate of Council Tax Requirements

1,327.61

1,548.89

1,770.15

1,991.42

2,433.95

2,876.49

3,319.03

3,982.83

 

Bradfield Parish Council

 

Valuation Band

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

Sheffield City Council

1,134.87

1,324.02

1,513.16

1,702.31

2,080.60

2,458.89

2,837.18

3,404.61

Bradfield Parish Council

28.49

33.24

38.00

42.74

52.23

61.73

71.23

85.48

South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Authority

50.71

59.17

67.62

76.07

92.97

109.88

126.78

152.14

South Yorkshire Police & Crime Commissioner

142.03

165.70

189.37

213.04

260.38

307.72

355.07

426.08

Aggregate of Council Tax Requirements

1,356.10

1,582.13

1,808.15

2,034.16

2,486.18

2,938.22

3,390.26

4,068.31

 

Ecclesfield Parish Council

 

Valuation Band

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

Sheffield City Council

1,134.87

1,324.02

1,513.16

1,702.31

2,080.60

2,458.89

2,837.18

3,404.61

Ecclesfield Parish Council

19.03

22.20

25.37

28.54

34.88

41.23

47.57

57.08

South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Authority

50.71

59.17

67.62

76.07

92.97

109.88

126.78

152.14

South Yorkshire Police & Crime Commissioner

142.03

165.70

189.37

213.04

260.38

307.72

355.07

426.08

Aggregate of Council Tax Requirements

1,346.64

1,571.09

1,795.52

2,019.96

2,468.83

2,917.72

3,366.60

4,039.91

 

Stocksbridge Town Council

 

Valuation Band

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

 

Sheffield City Council

1,134.87

1,324.02

1,513.16

1,702.31

2,080.60

2,458.89

2,837.18

3,404.61

 

Stocksbridge Town Council

22.57

26.32

30.08

33.84

41.36

48.88

56.41

67.70

 

South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Authority

50.71

59.17

67.62

76.07

92.97

109.88

126.78

152.14

 

South Yorkshire Police & Crime Commissioner

142.03

165.70

189.37

213.04

260.38

307.72

355.07

426.08

 

Aggregate of Council Tax Requirements

1,350.18

1,575.21

1,800.23

2,025.26

2,475.31

2,925.37

3,375.44

4,050.53

 

 

 

7.

The Council's basic amount of Council Tax is not excessive in accordance with the principles approved under Section 52ZB of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, therefore no referendum is required.

 

Appendix 6b

Council Tax Schedule 2021/22

 

Band A

Band B

Band C

Band D

Band E

Band F

Band G

Band H

Sheffield City Council

1,134.87

1,324.02

1,513.16

1,702.31

2,080.60

2,458.89

2,837.18

3,404.61

South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Authority

50.71

59.17

67.62

76.07

92.97

109.88

126.78

152.14

South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner

142.03

165.70

189.37

213.04

260.38

307.72

355.07

426.08

Total charge for non-parish areas of Sheffield

1,327.61

1,548.89

1,770.15

1,991.42

2,433.95

2,876.49

3,319.03

3,982.83

Bradfield Parish Council

1,356.10

1,582.13

1,808.15

2,034.16

2,486.18

2,938.22

3,390.26

4,068.31

Ecclesfield Parish Council

1,346.64

1,571.09

1,795.52

2,019.96

2,468.83

2,917.72

3,366.60

4,039.91

Stocksbridge Town Council

1,350.18

1,575.21

1,800.23

2,025.26

2,475.31

2,925.37

3,375.44

4,050.53

 

Appendix 6c

Parish Council Precepts

 

Parish

Council

2020/21

Tax
Base
(£)

Council
Tax
Income
(£)

Council
Tax
Band D
(£)

 

CTS Grants
(£)

Total
Precept

(£)

Bradfield

5,838.92

249,542

42.7378

 

4,098

253,640

Ecclesfield

9,237.21

263,622

28.5392

 

4,113

267,735

Stockbridge

3,831.33

129,669

33.8443

 

2,959

132,628

Total/Average

18,907.46

642,834

105.12

 

11,170

654,004

 

Parish

Council

2021/22

 

Tax
Base
(£)

Council
Tax
Income
(£)

Council
Tax
Band D
(£)

 

CTS
Grants
(£)

Total
Precept

(£)

Council
Tax
Increase

Bradfield

5,822.23

248,829

42.7378

 

-

248,829

0.00%

Ecclesfield

9,145.00

260,991

28.5392

 

-

260,991

0.00%

Stockbridge

3,785.69

128,124

33.8443

 

-

128,124

0.00%

Total/Average

18,752.92

637,944

105.12

 

 

637,944.06

0.00%

 

 

6.6

After contributions from another 35 Members, the amendment moved by Councillor Terry Fox was put to the vote and was carried.

 

 

6.6.1

The votes on the amendment were ordered to be recorded and were as follows:-

 

 

 

For the amendment (44)

-

The Lord Mayor (Councillor Tony Downing) and Councillors Chris Rosling Josephs, Sophie Wilson, Denise Fox, Bryan Lodge, Karen McGowan, Jackie Drayton, Talib Hussain, Mark Jones, Anne Murphy, Mazher Iqbal, Mary Lea, Zahira Naz, Andy Bainbridge, Moya O’Rourke, Abdul Khayum, Abtisam Mohamed, Lewis Dagnall, Cate McDonald, Bob Johnson, George Lindars-Hammond, Josie Paszek, Terry Fox, Sioned-Mair Richards, Jim Steinke, Julie Dore, Ben Miskell, Jack Scott, Mike Drabble, Dianne Hurst, Dawn Dale, Peter Price, Garry Weatherall, Mike Chaplin, Tony Damms, Jayne Dunn, Julie Grocutt, Francyne Johnson, Ben Curran, Neale Gibson, Adam Hurst, Mick Rooney, Jackie Satur and Paul Wood.

 

 

 

 

 

Against the amendment (26)

-

The Deputy Lord Mayor (Councillor Gail Smith) and Councillors Simon Clement-Jones, Bob Pullin, Richard Shaw, Bob McCann, Tim Huggan, Mohammed Mahroof, Joe Otten, Colin Ross, Martin Smith, Vic Bowden, Roger Davison, Barbara Masters, Shaffaq Mohammed, Sue Alston, Andrew Sangar, Cliff Woodcraft, Ian Auckland, Sue Auckland, Steve Ayris, Kevin Oxley, David Baker, Penny Baker, Vickie Priestley, Alan Hooper and Mike Levery.

 

 

 

 

 

Abstained from voting on the amendment (9)

-

Councillors Angela Argenzio, Kaltum Rivers, Douglas Johnson, Ruth Mersereau, Martin Phipps, Paul Turpin, Peter Garbutt, Alison Teal and Jack Clarkson.

 

 

6.7

The amendment moved by Councillor Simon Clement-Jones was then put to the vote and was negatived.

 

 

6.7.1

The votes on the amendment were ordered to be recorded and were as follows:-

 

 

 

For the amendment (26)

-

The Deputy Lord Mayor (Councillor Gail Smith) and Councillors Simon Clement-Jones, Bob Pullin, Richard Shaw, Bob McCann, Tim Huggan, Mohammed Mahroof, Joe Otten, Colin Ross, Martin Smith, Vic Bowden, Roger Davison, Barbara Masters, Shaffaq Mohammed, Sue Alston, Andrew Sangar, Cliff Woodcraft, Ian Auckland, Sue Auckland, Steve Ayris, Kevin Oxley, David Baker, Penny Baker, Vickie Priestley, Alan Hooper and Mike Levery.

 

 

 

 

 

Against the amendment (44)

-

The Lord Mayor (Councillor Tony Downing) and Councillors Chris Rosling Josephs, Sophie Wilson, Denise Fox, Bryan Lodge, Karen McGowan, Jackie Drayton, Talib Hussain, Mark Jones, Anne Murphy, Mazher Iqbal, Mary Lea, Zahira Naz, Andy Bainbridge, Moya O’Rourke, Abdul Khayum, Abtisam Mohamed, Lewis Dagnall, Cate McDonald, Bob Johnson, George Lindars-Hammond, Josie Paszek, Terry Fox, Sioned-Mair Richards, Jim Steinke, Julie Dore, Ben Miskell, Jack Scott, Mike Drabble, Dianne Hurst, Dawn Dale, Peter Price, Garry Weatherall, Mike Chaplin, Tony Damms, Jayne Dunn, Julie Grocutt, Francyne Johnson, Ben Curran, Neale Gibson, Adam Hurst, Mick Rooney, Jackie Satur and Paul Wood.

 

 

 

 

 

Abstained from voting on the amendment (8)

-

Councillors Angela Argenzio, Kaltum Rivers, Douglas Johnson, Ruth Mersereau, Martin Phipps, Paul Turpin, Peter Garbutt and Alison Teal.

 

 

 

 

6.8

The amendment moved by Councillor Douglas Johnson was then put to the vote and was negatived.

 

 

6.8.1

The votes on the amendment were ordered to be recorded and were as follows:-

 

 

 

For the amendment (8)

-

Councillors Angela Argenzio, Kaltum Rivers, Douglas Johnson, Ruth Mersereau, Martin Phipps, Paul Turpin, Peter Garbutt and Alison Teal.

 

 

 

 

 

Against the amendment (70)

-

The Lord Mayor (Councillor Tony Downing), the Deputy Lord Mayor (Councillor Gail Smith) and Councillors Simon Clement-Jones, Bob Pullin, Richard Shaw, Bob McCann, Chris Rosling-Josephs, Sophie Wilson, Denise Fox, Bryan Lodge, Karen McGowan, Jackie Drayton, Talib Hussain, Mark Jones, Tim Huggan, Mohammed Mahroof, Anne Murphy, Mazher Iqbal, Mary Lea, Zahira Naz, Joe Otten, Colin Ross, Martin Smith, Andy Bainbridge, Vic Bowden, Moya O’Rourke, Roger Davison, Barbara Masters, Shaffaq Mohammed, Abdul Khayum, Abtisam Mohamed, Sue Alston, Andrew Sangar, Cliff Woodcraft, Lewis Dagnall, Cate McDonald, Ian Auckland, Sue Auckland, Steve Ayris, Bob Johnson, George Lindars-Hammond, Josie Paszek, Terry Fox, Sioned-Mair Richards, Kevin Oxley, Jim Steinke,  Julie Dore, Ben Miskell, Jack Scott, Mike Drabble, Dianne Hurst, Dawn Dale, Peter Price, Garry Weatherall, Mike Chaplin, Tony Damms, Jayne Dunn, David Baker, Penny Baker, Vickie Priestley, Julie Grocutt, Francyne Johnson, Ben Curran, Neale Gibson, Alan Hooper, Adam Hurst, Mike Levery, Mick Rooney, Jackie Satur and Paul Wood.

 

 

 

 

 

Abstained from voting on the amendment (1)

-

Councillor Jack Clarkson.

 

 

6.9

The original Motion, as amended, was then put as a Substantive Motion in the following form and carried:-

 

RESOLVED: That this Council:-

 

 

1.

believes the last twelve months have been some of the most challenging in Britain’s recent peacetime history and that, against this backdrop, Sheffield staff (every single one of them a key worker) deserve the upmost praise for helping the city through the crisis and for their continued dedication;

 

 

2.

believes that challenge will not diminish in the short term, and that we must rise to the new challenges still to come; the COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on our City and its people, but we must also be aware of adverse climate change and that the window for implementing meaningful change diminishes with each passing year;

 

 

3.

notes that, against this challenging backdrop, this Administration will spend our resources as effectively as it can to ‘build back better’ from the pandemic, improving our resilience and sustainability for the long term, and that our Administration will respond swiftly and with flexibility to emerging needs and trends to support the City in its recovery and, as ever, we will strive to deliver the best possible value to the taxpayer;

 

 

4.

notes that throughout the pandemic this Administration’s focus has been working alongside our partners and communities to keep people safe and well, protect the most vulnerable, help people to get back to school and work, and support economic recovery and this has included helping 22,000 people through our community helpline, distributing hundreds of thousands of PPE items per week, and supporting schools to stay open for children of key worker and vulnerable families;

 

 

5.

believes the Government have been placed in a difficult position in these unprecedented times, but that, however, clear mistakes have been made and they have failed to act sufficiently on numerous occasions, and where the Government have failed to deliver, this Administration has acted for Sheffield including:-

 

 

 

(i)       providing 6,000 laptops to school children of all age for home schooling during lockdown, with connectivity also funded for families who do not have access to education resources at home;

 

 

 

(ii)       providing free school meal vouchers to over 22,000 children to help feed children over school holidays, after the Government initially refused to act; and

 

 

 

(iii)      providing additional support from Council funds to residents struggling to pay for heating, utilities, or food, via hardship schemes;

 

 

6.

notes/believes the following in response to the pandemic support for businesses:-

 

 

 

(i)       the demand for support has been vast and the Council has delivered over £100 million in grant funding, assisting 4,700 businesses across the city;

 

 

 

(ii)       believes staff have worked hard to spend every penny of support available for businesses, but notes that there is strict funding criteria which is set by Government, and the Council has no power to alter the criteria, meaning some businesses have missed out; and

 

 

 

(iii)      the small underspend favours well compared with other local authorities – delivering a higher percentage of grants than our South Yorkshire neighbours and comparable core cities such as Manchester and Nottingham, and thanks staff for their hard work in delivering this;

 

 

7.

notes/believes the following in regard to managing the city’s finances:-

 

 

 

(i)       we have achieved a balanced position, but there remains an uncertain picture beyond 2022 as the impact of responding to the pandemic continues;

 

 

 

(ii)       after setting a balanced budget in 2020/21 we faced unprecedented resource and financial pressures when coronavirus plunged the country into lockdown last March;

 

 

 

(iii)      reiterates that throughout the pandemic the focus has been on working alongside our partners and communities to keep people safe and well, protect the most vulnerable, help people to get back to school and work, and support economic recovery;

 

 

 

(iv)      however, the impacts of the pandemic on people’s livelihoods and businesses, the care sector, and on families, and the additional support they may need, will continue well into the future;

 

 

 

(v)      there is no indication from Government as to whether any additional financial support will continue beyond 2021/22, and there is the very real prospect of an even harsher period of austerity than we have already had to endure;

 

 

 

(vi)      notes that a balanced position has been reached for the coming financial year, but this relies on increasing council tax and delivering £21 million of in-service and corporate savings;

 

 

 

(vii)     believes that Government are wilfully passing the burden of responsibility onto Sheffield tax payers, but that this Administration will always do what it can to support those struggling to pay and have increased the Council Tax Hardship Fund by £200k for 2021/22, meaning the Hardship Fund now totals £1.8m per year; and

 

 

 

(viii)    agrees with the comments of Liberal Democrat Group Councillor, Mike Levery, at February’s Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee meeting who stated that the Council has used “financial management, prudence and adequate reserves.  Congratulations to the finance team, this is a well-run council”;

 

 

8.

believes that the Budget clearly shows that under this Administration the Council continues to push forward with a programme to transform its services, whilst putting citizens at the heart of these services, via learning lessons from how we have all adapted to the pandemic by making better use of technology to provide services in a more accessible way, focusing on preventing family breakdown and ill-health, and in enabling vulnerable people to live safely in their own homes wherever possible;

 

 

9.

believes this Administration’s funding programme for next year will enable citizen-centred services to be provided, whilst helping to contain costs, allowing scarce resources to be used to support social services for both adults and children;

 

 

10.

notes the following regarding social care:-

 

 

 

(i)       (A) the rising cost of social care for our elderly people, as our population ages, remains a national issue that urgently needs addressing, (B) it is accepted by most commentators that the current model for adult social care is unsustainable, (C) however, despite various reviews over the past 10 years, no solution has emerged from Central Government, and one is urgently required and (D) this lack of funding puts additional operational and financial pressures on the Council and on its partners; and

 

 

 

(ii)       notes that over the last 4 years, the Council has provided these vital services with above inflation funding increases and this year is no different; a 14% increase for 2021/22 and an average of 11% over the last 4 years has seen the budget for adults and children’s social services rise by a total of £88m;

 

 

11.

believes that Sheffield can ‘Build Back Better’ under this Administration and that key to our activities over the coming years will be helping Sheffield to recover from the effects of the pandemic and our careful financial management in recent years means that we are starting from a position of relative financial strength; we want to make Sheffield a great place for everyone to live, work and enjoy themselves, building on the spirit of its people, and the many great amenities in the City and its beautiful surrounding countryside;

 

 

12.

notes that the Budget details numerous ways in which we intend to match this ambition including, but not limited to:-

 

 

 

(i)       £5.3m towards growing an inclusive economy;

 

(ii)       £6.1m for transport;

 

(iii)      £6.8m in the ‘People Portfolio’ to support children, young people and their families, and adults and communities; and

 

(iv)      £55.6 million for a ‘Cleaner, Greener, Sheffield’;

 

 

13.

believes that following the economic impact of the pandemic and lockdown over the past year, it is more important than ever that the Council takes action to boost the economy, and welcomes the proactive partnership with the Business Recovery Group to produce the city’s Business Recovery Plan, and this Administration will continue to prioritise new initiatives to support the economic development of the city;

 

 

14.

notes the additional investment commitments in the 2021/22 Budget also include:-

 

 

 

(i)       £4.2million extra into the Care Sector to improve pay for the staff providing services on behalf of the Council; we plan to work with care providers to deliver enhanced pay terms for front line workers in 2021/22;

 

 

 

(ii)       £2million for Youth Services - This investment is planned to increase delivery of youth clubs and social action groups, provide youth services to the most deprived areas in the city promoting positive engagement and activities, enable keyworkers to support young people experiencing difficulties, and support partnership working with the voluntary sector; and

 

 

 

(iii)      £1million extra for Community Safety – to provide better joint working across the Council, and with partners such as South Yorkshire Police, Voluntary Community Faith sector, Health and Schools, as well as our communities and local Members, to help tackle crime and anti-social behaviour and reduce exploitation of the young and vulnerable with emphasis on prevention and early intervention work;

 

 

15.

believes that due to this Administration’s prudent handling of the budget, we have been able to set an ambitious budget for the future which is underpinned by key labour values – to put wealth in our communities, to invest in people, and to ensure that sustainability and tackling adverse climate change runs through everything we do, for example:-

 

 

 

(i)       sustainability is at the heart of our decision-making process with nearly £140m of projects in our capital programme have a direct impact on the City’s sustainability and resilience;

 

 

 

(ii)       Consideration of Carbon ‘net zero’ is now embedded in Council decision making and we’re mindful of the environmental impact of our own assets – namely our buildings and fleet – and have been investing for several years to begin to mitigate this;

 

 

 

(iii)      ethical procurement practices drive real social value for our City and maximise the benefits for our residents; we have a strong tradition of delivering employment and skills outputs for the communities we serve, and coupled with our focus on sustainability, we’re driving social value through our contracts;

 

 

 

(iv)      we’ll support our local economy wherever we can and do what we can to keep Sheffield’s economy moving; and

 

 

 

(v)      we’re empowering communities and providing effective governance, both of which are critical to the success of our capital programme and we will always look to strengthen locality working – to make the Council more responsive to local needs;

 

 

16.

therefore requests the Executive Director, Resources to implement the City Council’s Revenue Budget and Capital Programme 2021/22 in accordance with the details set out in the reports on the Revenue Budget and Capital Programme now submitted;

 

 

17.

approves the contents of the Capital Strategy & Budget Book and the specific projects included in the years 2021/22 to 2025/26, and that block allocations are included within the programme for noting at this stage and detailed proposals will be brought back for separate Member approval as part of the monthly monitoring procedures;

 

 

18.

approves the proposed Capital Programme for the 5 years to 2025/26, as per appendix 2 of the Capital Strategy report;

 

 

19.

after noting the joint report of the Chief Executive and the Executive Director, Resources, now submitted on the Revenue Budget 2021/22, approves and adopts a net Revenue Budget for 2021/22 amounting to £365.812m, as set out in Appendix 3 of that report, as follows:-

 

 

 

Appendix 3

 

<

Restated

 

 

 

 

2020/21

 

Summary Revenue Budget

 

2021/22

 

 

 

 

 

£000

 

 

 

£000

 

 

Portfolio budgets:

 

 

214,443

 

People

 

243,745

111,626

 

Place

 

130,965

2,158

 

Policy Performance and Communications

 

2,335

42,285

 

Resources (inc. Housing Benefit & Council Tax Collection)

 

43,369

370,512

 

 

 

420,414

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Corporate Budgets:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Specific Grants

 

 

-5,929

 

New Homes Bonus (LGF)

 

-4,844

-5,834

 

Business Rates Inflation Cap Grant (BRIC)

 

-7,543

-6,852

 

Small Business Rates Relief

 

-7,340

-2,312

 

Retail Relief

 

0

-600

 

Health Income

 

0

0

 

Covid Funding one-off

 

-17,664

0

 

Lower Tier Services Grant

 

-900

0

 

Local Council Tax Support Grant

 

-5,612

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Corporate Items

 

 

5,500

 

Redundancy Provision

 

5,500

5,929

 

New Homes Bonus (LGF)

 

4,844

3,000

 

Better Care Fund

 

0

3,290

 

Social Care Demand Contingency

 

0

4,000

 

Strengthening Families - Think Forward Investment

 

0

900

 

Infrastructure Investment

 

0

11

 

Payment to Parish Councils

 

0

1,500

 

Customer Experience Programme

 

1,500

0

 

Managing Employee Reduction programme

 

-4,000

0

 

Target Operating Model

 

-1,500

0

 

Customer Focus

 

-500

0

 

Council Tax Support Protection

 

500

0

 

Corporate Savings Project Costs

 

1,160

1,975

 

Other

 

5,100

 

 

 

Supporting documents: