Agenda item

Report of the Head of Finance (Copy herewith)

2.1      Cabinet recommended to Council to approve the tax base for 2019/20 at 68,418.55 Band D equivalent properties and associated parish tax bases within this report.

            ‘Band D’ is used as a denominator value and changes to discounts, exemptions and collection rates will impact on the calculated ‘tax base’, in addition to any gains or losses in the number of physical properties.

2.2       Cabinet delegated to the Section 151 Officer in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Finance to make any technical adjustments necessary arising out of the Local Government draft settlement which impacts on the tax base, and to confirm, and inform the relevant authorities, the estimated surplus/deficit on the Collection Fund and how much would be attributable to each council, including NBC, after the statutory date of the 15th January 2019.

2.3       Cabinet agreed the above figures include the movement of properties between Upton and Hunsbury Meadow as part of the boundary change.

2.4       Cabinet recommended the detailed breakdown of how the tax base and the associated parish tax bases are calculated is shown as a band D equivalent in appendix 1.

2.5      Cabinet recommended that the long-term empty property premium of 100% is implemented for properties vacant for over two years to Council, to take effect from the 1^st April 2019.

Councillor Eldred, as the relevant Cabinet Member, submitted his report and elaborated thereon. It was explained that one of the most significant proposed changes was the recommendation that the long-term empty property premium of 100% is implemented for properties vacant for over two years.

In response to questions asked by Councillor Beardsworth, Councillor Eldred confirmed that the Council Tax Reduction Scheme would be kept at the current rate. He explained that some fees and charges may increase above the rate of inflation and reported that this may include car parking charges, taxi licenses and bulky waste charges, but a definitive figure had yet to be determined.

Councillor Stone commented that she was largely in favour of the recommendations but had two issues of concern. She stated that the Council were spending large sums of money on cleaning up after students and landlords, who were exempt from paying Council Tax and suggested that student landlords should be contributing something for the clean-up operations. The second issue raised was concerning care-leavers and asked if there could be a scheme whereby care-leavers could be given a reduction up until the age of 25 years old.

Councillor Eldred reported that they would continue to challenge Government on the funding provided. He commented that he would work with the Cabinet Member for Environment and explore ways to tackle the student landlord issue that were financially burdensome to the Council. Councillor Eldred stated that care-leavers could apply for Council Tax Reduction Scheme and the Chief Finance Officer explained that giving an exemption to Council tax to care-leavers would be financially untenable due to the Borough Council having to cover a much larger proportion of the costs compared to the County Council.

Councillor Hibbert commented he would discuss the issue raised by Councillor Stone at a future Landlord forum.

RESOLVED:

2.1      That Cabinet recommend to Council to approve the tax base for 2019/20 at 68,418.55 Band D equivalent properties and associated parish tax bases within this report.

            ‘Band D’ is used as a denominator value and changes to discounts, exemptions and collection rates will impact on the calculated ‘tax base’, in addition to any gains or losses in the number of physical properties.

2.2       That authority be delegated to the Section 151 Officer in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Finance to make any technical adjustments necessary arising out of the Local Government draft settlement which impacts on the tax base, and to confirm, and inform the relevant authorities, the estimated surplus/deficit on the Collection Fund and how much would be attributable to each council, including NBC, after the statutory date of the 15th January 2019.

2.3       That the above figures include the movement of properties between Upton and Hunsbury Meadow as part of the boundary change be agreed.

2.4       That the detailed breakdown of how the tax base and the associated parish tax bases are calculated is shown as a band D equivalent in appendix 1 be recommended.

2.5      That it be recommended that the long-term empty property premium of 100% is implemented for properties vacant for over two years to Council, take effect from the 1^st April 2019.