Public Document Pack The Local Authorities and Police and Crime Please ask for: Panels (Coronavirus) (Flexibility of Local Authority and Alison Marston Police and Crime Panel Meetings) (England and Wales) Regulations 2020) came into force on Saturday 4 April 2020 to enable councils to hold remote committee meetings during the Covid19 pandemic period. This is to ensure local authorities can conduct business during this current public health emergency. This meeting of Special Council will be held remotely under these regulations, via the Zoom application and will be webcast to ensure accessibility by the public and press. 15 February 2021 Dear Councillor You are requested to attend a special meeting of the WELWYN HATFIELD BOROUGH COUNCIL to be held on Tuesday 23 February 2021 at 7.30 pm via Zoom. Yours faithfully Corporate Director Public Protection, Planning and Governance A G E N D A PART 1 1. APOLOGIES To receive apologies for absence, if any. 2. MINUTES To confirm as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting held on 1 February 2021 (previously circulated). 3. DECLARATIONS OF INTERESTS BY MEMBERS To note declarations of Members’ disclosable pecuniary interests, non- disclosable pecuniary interests and non-pecuniary interests in respect of items on the Agenda. 4. COUNCIL TAX SETTING 2021/22 (Pages 3 - 12) Report of the Chief Executive on setting the Council Tax for 2021/22. Circulation: The Mayor and Members of the Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council Corporate Management Team Press and Public (except Part II Items) If you require any further information about this Agenda please contact Alison Marston, Governance Services on 01707 357444 or email – [email protected] Agenda Item 4 Part I Item No: 0 Main author: Richard Baker Executive Member: Duncan Bell All Wards WELWYN HATFIELD BOROUGH COUNCIL SPECIAL COUNCIL – 23 FEBRUARY 2021 REPORT OF THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE COUNCIL TAX SETTING 2021/22 1 Executive Summary 1.1 The Council is required under the Local Government Finance Act 1992 to set the Council Tax for its area by no later than 11th March. The Council has always aimed to approve the budget and Council Tax by February in order to ensure prompt despatch of bills and hence quicker collection of sums due. The Council approved the 2021/22 budget on 1 February and the purpose of this report is to set the Council tax for 2021/22. 1.2 The 2021/22 Local Government Finance Settlement was announced 4 February 2021, and does not alter the 2021/22 budget that was approved. 1.3 As set out in the budget report, the Council will increase the average Band D Council tax (excluding parish precepts) by £4.23 (1.97%) to £219.15 for 2021/22. 1.4 Parish Precepts have increased by 5% overall to £1.787m and this is an area which the council has no control over, as is determined by Town and Parish Councils. 1.5 For 2021/22, the referendum limits for a band D property set by Government are as follows: County Councils: a core principle of up to 2%, with an additional 3% Adult Social Care precept District/Borough Councils: 2% or up to £5 on a Band D, whichever is greater Police: up to £15 on a Band D 2 Recommendation(s) 2.1 That it be noted that the 2021/22 General Fund budget as approved by Council meeting on 1 February is shown in Appendix A. 2.2 That it be noted that at the Cabinet, Special Cabinet and Council meetings on the 5 January, 19 January and 1 February respectively, the following amounts for the year 2021/22 were agreed in accordance with regulations made under Section 31B of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, as amended (the “Act”). a) The gross 2021/22 Tax base for the Borough is 43,724.7 equivalent Band D properties before the application of a collection rate. b) 43,462.4 being the amount calculated by the Council, in accordance with Regulation 3 of the Local Authorities (Calculation of Council Tax Base) (England) Regulations Page 3 2012 (the Regulations), as its Council Tax Base for the year 2021/22; including deductions for council tax support and a collection rate of 99.4%. c) Part of the Council's Area being the amounts calculated by the Council, in accordance with Regulation 6 of the Regulations, as the amounts of its Council Tax Base for the year for dwellings in those parts of its area to which one or more special items relate; 100% 99.40% TAXBASE TAXBASE Welwyn Garden City 18,084.8 17,976.3 Hatfield 12,241.0 12,167.6 Welwyn 4,713.2 4,684.9 Ayot St Lawrence 70.1 69.7 Ayot St Peter 113.9 113.2 North Mymms 4,424.9 4,398.4 Essendon 427.2 424.6 Northaw &Cuffley 3076.8 3,058.3 Woolmer Green 572.8 569.4 Total 43,724.7 43,462.4 2.3 In accordance with the statutory legislation the Council is recommended to resolve: 2.4 That the following amounts be calculated by the Council for the year 2021/22 in accordance with sections 31 - 36 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992. a) £138,141,956 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) £126,830,072 being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 31A(3) of the Act. c) £11,311,884 being the amount by which the aggregate at 2.4(a) above exceeds the aggregate at 2.4(b) above, calculated by the Council in accordance with Section 31A(4) of the Act as its Council Tax requirement for the year. d) £260.27 being the amount at 2.4(c) above, all divided by the Council tax base at 2.2(b) above, calculated by the Council, in accordance with Section 31B of the Act, as the basic amount of its Council Tax for the year. e) £2,418,868 being the aggregate amount of all special items referred to in Section 34(1) of the Act. f) £204.62 being the amount at 2.4(d) above less the result given by dividing the amount at 2.4(e) by 2.2(b) 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 special item relates. g) Part of the Council's area: Being the amounts given by adding to the amount at 2.4(f) above the amounts of the special item or items relating to dwellings in those parts of the Council's area mentioned above divided in each case by the amount at 2.2(c) above, calculated by the Council, in accordance with Section 34 (3) of the Act, as the basic amounts of its Council Tax for the year for dwellings in those parts of its area to which one or more special items relate. Page 4 Band D Amount (£) Ayot St Lawrence 216.10 Ayot St Peter 226.70 Essendon 277.50 Hatfield 286.84 North Mymms 248.52 Northaw & Cuffley 290.11 Welwyn 303.54 Welwyn Garden City 229.02 Woolmer Green 252.85 h) Part of the Council’s Area: Amounts given by multiplying the amounts at 2.4(g) above by the number which, in the proportion set out in Section 5(1) of the Act, is applicable to dwellings listed in a particular valuation band divided by the number which in that proportion is applicable to dwellings listed in valuation band D, calculated by the Council, in accordance with Section 36(1) of the Act, as the amounts to be taken into account for the year in respect of categories of dwellings listed in different valuation bands. Valuation Bands Band Band Band Band Band Band Band Band (£) A B C D E F G H Ayot St Lawrence 144.07 168.08 192.09 216.10 264.12 312.14 360.17 432.20 Ayot St Peter 151.13 176.32 201.51 226.70 277.08 327.46 377.83 453.40 Essendon 185.00 215.83 246.67 277.50 339.17 400.83 462.50 555.00 Hatfield 191.23 223.10 254.97 286.84 350.58 414.32 478.07 573.68 North Mymms 165.68 193.29 220.91 248.52 303.75 358.97 414.20 497.04 Northaw & Cuffley 193.41 225.64 257.88 290.11 354.58 419.05 483.52 580.22 Welwyn 202.36 236.09 269.81 303.54 370.99 438.45 505.90 607.08 Welwyn Garden City 152.68 178.13 203.57 229.02 279.91 330.81 381.70 458.04 Woolmer Green 168.57 196.66 224.76 252.85 309.04 365.23 421.42 505.70 2.5 That it be noted that for the year 2021/22 the major precepting authorities, Hertfordshire County Council and the Police and Crime Commissioner for Hertfordshire have stated the amounts in precepts issued to the Council, in accordance with Section 40 of the Local Government Act 1992, for each of the categories of dwellings in the Council’s area as indicated in the following tables. Hertfordshire County Council (£) Band Band Band Band Band Band Band Band A B C D E F G H Ayot St Lawrence 980.42 1,143.82 1,307.22 1,470.63 1,797.44 2,124.24 2,451.05 2,941.26 Ayot St Peter 980.42 1,143.82 1,307.22 1,470.63 1,797.44 2,124.24 2,451.05 2,941.26 Essendon 980.42 1,143.82 1,307.22 1,470.63 1,797.44 2,124.24 2,451.05 2,941.26 Hatfield 980.42 1,143.82 1,307.22 1,470.63 1,797.44 2,124.24 2,451.05 2,941.26 North Mymms 980.42 1,143.82 1,307.22 1,470.63 1,797.44 2,124.24 2,451.05 2,941.26 Northaw & Cuffley 980.42 1,143.82 1,307.22 1,470.63 1,797.44 2,124.24 2,451.05 2,941.26 Welwyn 980.42 1,143.82 1,307.22 1,470.63 1,797.44 2,124.24 2,451.05 2,941.26 Welwyn Garden City 980.42 1,143.82 1,307.22 1,470.63 1,797.44 2,124.24 2,451.05 2,941.26 Woolmer Green 980.42 1,143.82 1,307.22 1,470.63 1,797.44 2,124.24 2,451.05 2,941.26 Page 5 Police and Crime Commissioner for Hertfordshire (£) Band Band Band Band A Band B Band C D Band E F G Band H Ayot St Lawrence 142.00 165.67 189.33 213.00 260.33 307.67 355.00 426.00 Ayot St Peter 142.00 165.67 189.33 213.00 260.33 307.67 355.00 426.00 Essendon 142.00 165.67 189.33 213.00 260.33 307.67 355.00 426.00 Hatfield 142.00 165.67 189.33 213.00 260.33 307.67 355.00 426.00 North Mymms 142.00 165.67 189.33 213.00 260.33 307.67 355.00 426.00 Northaw & Cuffley 142.00 165.67 189.33 213.00 260.33 307.67 355.00 426.00 Welwyn 142.00 165.67 189.33 213.00 260.33 307.67 355.00 426.00 Welwyn Garden City 142.00 165.67 189.33 213.00 260.33 307.67 355.00 426.00 Woolmer Green 142.00 165.67 189.33 213.00 260.33 307.67 355.00 426.00 2.6 That having calculated the aggregate in each case of the amounts at 2.4(h) and 2.5 (a) and (b) above, the Council, in accordance with Section 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 categories of dwellings.