Agenda item

Click here to view the recording of this item on YouTube.

The Assistant Director for Resources and Section 151 Officer presented the Special Expenses report for 2025/2026. She brought to the Committee’s attention it was difficult to determine the Special Expenses before the Council set its own budget. She referred to the recent changes of the Committee to an Area Committee and how this impacted the decisions around special expenses.

She highlighted to the Committee the main changes in the Special Expenses which included Footway Lighting decrease of £4,050, Open spaces increase of £12,950, Bus Shelter increase of £10,700 and Gaywood Remembrance Service increase of £2,000. She added the Parish Partnership Traffic Calming decrease of £640 had ceased.

She highlighted section 3 of the report which related to new schemes and brought to the Committee’s attention  that there were new proposals for schemes separately on the agenda and funding to support these was available from the funds available to KLAC.

Councillor Heneghan sought clarification on the increase of £6.64 a year which was above the notional split of £5.00 increase and the implications of the Committee agreeing the £6.64 increase.

The Assistant Director for Resources and Section 151 Officers referred the Committee to 2.2 of the report. She explained the calculated estimates for 2025/2026 totalled £662,240 and the revised tax base totalled 11,192.1. She explained the estimate divided by the tax base created an average Band D charge of £59.17. She added the Band D charge for 2024/2025 was £52.53 and therefore this equalled an increase of £6.64. She brought to the attention of the Committee that the Borough Council were only allowed to increase Council Tax by £5.00 and added some context in comparison to the Borough Council’s net revenue budget of around 24 million pounds.. The Assistant Director explained in further detail the £5.00 needed to consist of the Borough Council’s costs as well as Special Expenses. She explained the Borough Council would need to consider decreasing the £6.64 by the Borough Council’s subsidy. She highlighted to the Committee the Borough Council could not continue to subsidise and advised Special Expenses would need to be reviewed and the services included, along with identifying the services discreet to King’s Lynn. She concluded that eventually Members of the Committee would decide what Special Expenses included.

Councillor Rust commented public conveniences were paid from Special Expenses and suggested visitors from outside the King’s Lynn area were reliant and benefiting from them. She added going forward, the Committee may ask for these public conveniences to be removed from the Special Expenses.

The Assistant Director for Resources and Section 151 Officer confirmed that was correct however she believed public conveniences were looked at a number of years ago and a proportion was charged to the Borough Council and the other proportion was part of the Special Expenses. She added as part of the detailed review the proportion would need to be considered to ensure it was still correct.

Councillor Rust commented she endorsed the Open Spaces increase and thanked the Open Spaces team for their work. She referred to the recommendations and questioned as part of options considered in the report was to recommend no changes were made to the Special Expenses for 2025/2026 and sought clarification if this suggestion was something the Committee do as the review has not been done and the Committees priorities may change, and the review may provide clarity.

The Assistant Director for Resources and the Section 151 Officer commented the review would provide clarity but reminded the Committee there were schemes under consideration and reminded the Committee to consider if there were any ongoing revenue implications which may have to be included in Special Expenses and a contribution from KLAC’s funding.  

Councillor Rust sought clarification that it was only bus shelters which were an ongoing revenue implication as they need to be maintained.

The Assistant Director for Resources and the Section 151 Officer confirmed Norfolk County Council part funding was from the bus shelters from the parish partnership scheme. She confirmed Norfolk County Council made it clear they would not pay for ongoing costs such as maintenance.

Councillor Heneghan asked for further details on the reasoning of £61,970 being spent on pavilions.

The Assistant Director for Resources and Section 151 Officer clarified these were facilities such as toilets on sports grounds.

Councillor Ware sought clarification on closed churchyards.

The Assistant Director for Resources and Section 151 Officer explained the Borough Council were responsible for the maintenance of closed churchyards. She added open churchyards were maintained by the Church of England.

The Chair, Councillor Everett referred to £366,560 for Open Spaces and asked for further detail of what this included.

The Assistant Director for Resources and Section 151 Officer confirmed this did not include car parks but was for the maintenance of the Walks, Tower Gardens etc.

The Chair, Councillor Everett asked if Central Government have set the national percentage increase yet.

The Assistant Director for Resources and Section 151 Officer confirmed the percentage increase was not yet known. She added the provisional settlement was expected to be announced around the 18^th December when the consultation would begin and the Borough Council has the opportunity to respond. She explained the Government would then make an announcement in response to the consultation when the final settlement is confirmed.

Councillor Joyce commented the outturn for 2024/2025 was higher than the charge for 2025/2026 with a high taxbase around 3% and an increase of 11% per Band D Council Tax because the Borough Council wants to remove the subsidy from the Special Expenses.

The Assistant Director for Resources and Section 151 Officer confirmed that was not correct. She explained the subsidy could not be calculated until the Borough Council had set out their own Budget.

Councillor Joyce commented further if the Special Expenses include pavilions, then if the Borough Council collects the income from the sports fields, then the pavilions should not be included in Special Expenses and should be paid for by the Borough Council. He added there was a £20,000 reduction in community centres from 2024/2025 to 2025/2026 and questioned why this was proposed.

The Assistant Director for Resources and Section 151 Officer commented one of the community centres still has Borough Council staff working in and therefore the calculation was the income from renting that space out was supplemented to ensure there was no loss in the Special Expenses. She added she was unable to confirm exact details however there was some income to the Special Expenses from pavilions.

In response to Councillor Kemp under Standing Order 34, the Assistant Director for Resources and Section 151 Officer confirmed she was unable to provide a figure to reduce the Council Tax charge for Band D property as the Borough Council Budget was not yet confirmed and would not be until February 2025.  She added further the Borough Council was unable to breach the £5 increase without a referendum therefore a review would need to be conducted. She commented there was the potential for open spaces to be the Borough Council expense which would be part of the detailed review as previously mentioned.

Under Standing Order 34, Councillor Kemp asked if Members of the Committee could be included in the review.

The Assistant Director for Resources and Section 151 Officer confirmed Members would be included in the review and added KLAC needed to understand Special Expenses services and costs and that they are affordable.

Under Standing Order 34, Councillor Collop thanked Councillor Morley for the Gaywood Remembrance Service being included in the Special Expenses and stated residents of Gaywood were relieved the Remembrance Service was included in the Special Expenses.

Members of the King’s Lynn Area Committee discussed and agreed including the word ‘proposed’ into the recommendation.

RESOLVED:  That the Committee endorse the proposed Special Expenses charge for 2025/2026 as set out in section 2.2 of the report.