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Cabinet approved the Council Tax base for 2026/27, the measure of the Council's tax-raising power used when setting the budget. It also kept the nil discount on second homes and empty properties and agreed that a further report on premiums will come later.
Executive Members (with Portfolios): Councillors: Anthony Hunt – Leader and Executive Member for Strategic Leadership Richard Clark – Deputy Leader and Executive Member for Children, Families and Education Fiona Cross – Executive Member for Communities David Daniels – Executive Member for Adult Services and Housing Joanne Gauden – Executive Member for Economy, Skills and Regeneration Peter Jones – Executive Member for Corporate Governance and Resources Sue Morgan – Executive Member for Waste and Sustainability Mandy Owen – Executive Member for Environment Officers: Rachel Beale – Personal Assistant to Leader and Deputy Leader Robert Green – Head of Financial Services Delyth Harries – Monitoring Officer Dave Leech – Deputy Chief Executive Jason O’Brien - Strategic Director for Children and Family Services Andrew Lovegrove - Strategic Director for Resources Stephen Vickers – Chief Executive
2.1 There were no apologies received.
3.1 There were no interests declared.
4.1 The Strategic Director for Resources presented the report to Cabinet, making the following points: • The paper focused on an important part of the Council Tax setting process, which was agreeing on the Council Tax base, which was done annually. • The Council Tax base measured the Council’s tax-raising power and was used when setting the budget and was also used by the Welsh Government to calculate grant settlements for councils. • An increase in the number of dwellings was expected in 2026–27, although growth in 2025–26 was slower than anticipated due to a slight downturn in the delivery of new properties in the borough. • The expected increase was based on detailed analysis of new homes coming on stream and information provided by the Valuation Office Agency. • The key metric was the collection rate, which measured how much Council Tax was collected from residents and dwellings. • The proposal was to maintain the collection rate at 98%, the same as in previous years. • Residents who were struggling to pay their Council Tax were encouraged to contact the team for support, as there were schemes available to help households in financial difficulty, such as the Council Tax Support Scheme. • The report also sought Cabinet approval to continue the practice of applying no discount for certain property types, as detailed in the report. • It was noted that Deb Smith, one of the co-authors of the report, would be retiring next week after nearly 38 years of service to the Council, and her contribution was acknowledged. 4.2 The Leader commented that: • The report outlined assumptions regarding collection rates, property numbers, and discounts, rather than focusing on Council Tax rates themselves. • It was one of the foundational reports for the annual budget and must be approved each year. • Anyone struggling to pay Council Tax was encouraged to contact the Revenue and Benefits team, who were ready and willing to provide assistance wherever possible. • Deb Smith had made a significant contribution to the Council. Deb had played a key role in helping the Revenue and Benefits team become a leader in Wales, not only through efficiency but also through the humanity with which the team delivered its services. Her work had consistently balanced financial responsibilities with a people-focused approach, including contributions to Welsh benefits initiatives aimed at improving support for residents. He expressed sincere thanks to Deb for her hard work, along with best wishes for a long and happy retirement. 4.3 A number of questions were asked, and the Strategic Director gave the following responses: • They were actively working on bringing empty properties back into beneficial use and a dedicated officer was being appointed to work with owners of empty properties to ensure they were brought back into use as soon as possible. It was a priority for the Council to get those dwellings occupied. • The Council was interested in reviewing outcomes from other local authorities that have implemented the double Council Tax for long term empty properties particularly after it has had time to bed in. • A paper would be brought to a future Cabinet meeting which would outline the impact of new initiatives. The newly appointed officer had experience from Cornwall Council, where they were involved in trailblazing activities related to second homes, holiday homes, and bringing empty homes back into use. This expertise would help inform future actions. 4.4 Cabinet agreed that: · the Tax Base for 2026/27 as detailed in the report be approved · for properties in Prescribed Classes A and B i.e. Second Homes, the Council continues to apply a nil discount. · for properties in Prescribed Class C i.e., Empty Properties, the Council continues to apply a nil discount. · a further report on premiums will be brought forward at the appropriate time. · the required formal statutory financial information will be issued with the Council Tax demand notices.
Councillors must say when they have a personal link to something being discussed, such as a job, a property or a family member. A prejudicial interest is one strong enough that the councillor usually leaves the room and takes no part.
The minutes record no declarations of interest.
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