A Special Meeting of The Highland Council will take place in the Council Chamber, Council Headquarters, Glenurquhart Road, Inverness on Thursday, 11 February 2010 at 10.30am.
Your attendance at the meeting is invited and I append a note of the business to be transacted.
Yours faithfully,
Michelle Morris
Assistant Chief Executive
Declarations of Interest – Members are asked to consider whether they have an interest to declare in relation to any item on the agenda for this meeting. Any Member making a declaration of interest should indicate whether it is a financial or non-financial interest and include some information on the nature of the interest. Advice may be sought from Officers prior to the meeting taking place.
1. Calling of the Roll and Apologies for Absence
2. Revenue Budget and Council Tax 2010/11, Revenue Budget Outlook 2011/12 and 2012/13
There is circulated Report No. HC-46-09 dated 3 February 2010 by the Depute Chief Executive & Director of Finance which sets out information to allow the Council to agree the Revenue Budget and Council Tax for 2010/11.
Booklets A to D – which are circulated separately – set out the Administration’s Growth, Pressure and Saving Proposals as follows:-
The Budget Outlook relating to 2011/12 and 2012/13 is also considered within the report, and arrangements to progress budget planning for those years over the next few months, leading to consideration of a budget for those years in Autumn 2010.
Members are asked to consider the report and:-
(i) agree a Council Tax freeze for 2010/11 with the Council Tax at Band D for
that year being £1,163;
(ii) note the previously agreed savings set out in Booklet A;
(iii) agree the budget savings for 2010/11-2012/13 as set out in Booklets B
and C;
(iv)agree the budget growth and pressures set out in Booklet D, noting the
unallocated sum retained for consideration of other pressures and issues at
a future date;
(v) agree the Revenue Budget for 2010/11 as set out in the report and
Annexes 1 and 3;
(vi) note that consultation proposals will be considered by the Council in March
2010; and
(vii) note that budget proposals for 2011/12 and 2012/13 will be considered
by the Council in Autumn 2010.
3. Housing Revenue Account Estimates 2010/11
At its meeting on 13 January 2010, the Housing and Social Work Committee agreed to make recommendations to the Council on the Housing Revenue Estimates 2010/11 and on rents for houses, garages and other charges.
In this connection, there is circulated Extract from the Minutes of Meeting of the Housing and Social Work Committee which recommends that the Council:-
(i) approve a rent increase of 1.3% for 2010/11 and that this percentage
increase be applied to house rents, hostel rents, garage and garage site
rents, service charges, sheltered housing warden charges, homeless
charges, rechargeable repairs and Gypsy/Traveller pitches, except charges
for energy which will follow market rates (i.e. the rate of inflation that the
Council experiences);
(ii) note the use of an estimated HRA surplus of £2.081m in 2010/11 to fund
the HRA Capital Programme in 2010/11; and
(iii)note the requirement to incur new borrowing estimated at £9.44m in
2010/11 to support the base HRA Capital Programme in addition to
borrowing of £2.75m for Council House building.
For information, there is also re-circulated Report No. HSW-08-10 dated 4 January 2010 by the Director of Housing and Property.
The Council is asked to agree the recommendations from the Housing and Social Work Committee as detailed.