Agenda and minutes

You are invited to declare any registerable and/or non-registerable interests in matters appearing on the agenda, and the nature of that interest.

Please complete the Declarations of Interests card available at the meeting and return it to the Democratic Services Officer before leaving the meeting.

You are also invited to disclose any dispensation from the requirement to declare any registerable and/or non-registerable interests that have been granted to you in respect of any matters appearing on the agenda.

3. 2025-2029 Financial Planning and Budget Process: Elected Mayor and Cabinet Budget and Council Tax Requirement Resolution for 2025/26.

Councillor Bryan Clark, Registerable Personal, Cllr Clark advised his spouse is a Director and CEO of Justice Prince Community Interest Company and withdrew from the meeting during consideration of this item.

Councillor Carl Johnson, Non-Registerable Personal, Cllr C Johnson advised that he has a family member that works for North Tyneside Council.

Councillor Davey Drummond, Non-Registerable Personal, Cllr Drummond advised that he is an employee of Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service,

Cllr Drummond advised that he is on the Board of Trustees North Tyneside Citizens Advice, Cllr Drummond advised that his wife works for North Tyneside Citizens Advice.

Councillor Dr Olly Scargill, Registerable Personal, Cllr Dr Scargill advised that he is a Director of Pathways 4 All which receives funding from North Tyneside Council and is a tenant of the Council.

Councillor Jane Shaw, Non-Registerable Personal, Cllr Shaw advised that her husband works for Monkseaton High School.

Councillor Josephine Mudzingwa, Non-Registerable Personal, Cllr Mudzingwa advised she is a member of North Tyneside Together for Culture and Diversity Project.

Councillor Julie Cruddas, Registerable Personal, Cllr Cruddas advised that she is an unpaid Director and Development Manager of Justice Prince Community Interest Company and withdrew from the meeting during consideration of this item.

Councillor Julie Cruddas, Non-Registerable Personal, Cllr Cruddas advised that she has family members employed by North Tyneside Council.

Councillor Karen Clark, Registerable Personal, Cllr Clark advised that she is an unpaid Director and CEO of Justice Prince Community Interest Company and withdrew from the meeting during consideration of this item.

Councillor Liam Bones, Registerable Personal, Cllr Bones advised that he is a Director of Pathways 4 All which receives funding from North Tyneside Council and is a tenant of the Council.

Councillor Liam Bones, Non-Registerable Personal, Cllr Bones advised that he has family members employed by North Tyneside Council.

Councillor Martin Murphy, Non-Registerable Personal, Cllr Murphy advised that he has a family member that works for North Tyneside Council.

Councillor Matthew Thirlaway, Registerable Personal, Cllr Thirlaway advised that his Brother in Law is a Company Director of Parkside Care LTD who have contracts with North Tyneside Council to provide Adult Social Care and withdrew from the meeting during consideration of this item.

Councillor Peter Earley, Registerable Personal, Cllr Earley advised that he is a Trustee of North Tyneside Carers Centre.

Councillor Tommy Mulvenna, Non-Registerable Personal, Cllr Mulvenna advised he has a family member that works for North Tyneside Council.

The Constitution sets out the Budget and Policy Framework Procedure Rules, the process that the Authority has agreed for setting the Budget and the Council Tax Requirement.  The 2025-2029 Financial Planning and Budget process, incorporating the 2025/26 Budget, reflects these requirements.  Details of the decision-making process are set out in the report.

(Councillors K Clark, J Cruddas, B Clark, and M Thirlaway withdrew from the meeting and took no part in the discussion or voting on this item).

The Chair explained the procedure for the meeting and indicated that he would first request Councillor A McMullen to move the Elected Mayor and Cabinet proposals.  Once those proposals were seconded, Members would then have the opportunity to asked questions relating to matters of principle.

It was moved by Councillor A McMullen and seconded by Councillor C Johnson that Council:

(a)            Agree the recommendations and delegations set out in paragraph 1.5.27 of the report in relation to the 2025/26 General Fund Revenue Account Budget, the 2025/26 Council Tax Requirement and Council Tax Level for 2025/26, being the Elected Mayor and Cabinet’s Budget and Council Tax Requirement proposal set out below;

(b)            Agree the Elected Mayor and Cabinet’s proposals for the 2025-2030 Investment Plan, including the Capital Investment Strategy and the proposed prudential indicators for 2025-2030, presented to Cabinet on 27 January 2025, set out in the General Fund Annex 1, Appendix D (i), (iii) and (iv) of Appendix A of the 27 January 2025 Cabinet report attached to that report at Appendix 1;  and

(c)            Agree the Elected Mayor and Cabinet’s proposals for the Treasury Management Strategy, Annual Investment Statement for 2025/26, attached in the General Fund Annex 1, Appendix E (i), (ii) of Appendix A of the 27 January 2025 Cabinet report attached to that report at Appendix 1.

The 2025/26 Council Tax Requirement Proposal

That:

1.      The recommended Budgets of the Authority be approved as noted below, subject to the variations listed in paragraphs 2 and 3 below and noting the estimated allocation of £241.392m in Dedicated Schools Grant, for 2025/26:

2.  The following levies be included in the Budget Requirement:

3. The contingency be set as follows:

4. Council note that at its meeting held on 20 January 2025, Cabinet agreed the Council Tax base for 2025/26 for the whole Authority area as 65,021(Item T), in the Formula in Section 31B of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, as amended (the “Act”) and the Local Authorities (Calculation of Council Tax Base) (England) Regulations 2012.

5. Council agree that the Council Tax Requirement for the Authority’s own purposes for 2025/26 is £132,737,468 (as set down in paragraph 1.5.25, Table 4).

6. Council agrees that the following amounts now calculated by the Authority for the year 2025/26 in accordance with Sections 31 to 36 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, as amended (the Act):

(a)            £412,101,862 Being the aggregate of the amounts which the Authority estimates for the items set out in Section 31A(2)of the Act.

(b)            £286,801,019 Being the aggregate of the amounts which the Authority estimates for the items set out in  ...  view the full minutes text for item C74/24