Budget 2018/19
The council's budget for 2018/19 was agreed on 22 February 2018.
Budget summary
Uttlesford District Council's budget proposals for 2018/19 were approved at Full Council on 22 February 2018.
The Uttlesford District Council part of the Council Tax has increased by 2.99%, giving a total council tax yield of £5,330,374.
The 2.99% increase will cost a Band D property an extra £4.28 per year, taking the total Uttlesford precept in 2017/18 from £142.93 to £147.21 in 2018/19.
You can find out on this page how the budget was approved, where the council's income comes from, what we will be doing in response to the public consultation and how the council will be spending your money in the coming year.
How the budget was approved
The budget proposals were considered at the following meetings where the proposals were formally approved. Reports and background papers which were submitted to each of these meetings can be inspected using the links below.
- Scrutiny pre-review Scrutiny Committee 21 November 2017
- Scrutiny review Scrutiny Committee 6 February 2018
- Finalisation of budget proposals Cabinet 15 February 2018
- Approval of final budget Full Council 22 February 2018
Funding the budget
The budget lays out how much we plan to spend on each of our main services. We collect some of this money through Council Tax, but we have other sources of income from sources such as Localised Business Rates Retention (BRR), New Homes Bonus (NHB), Rural Services Delivery Grant (RSDG), fees charged for services and from investments.This chart show the main sources of the council's income.
Budget 2018/19 breakdown of the council's funding
Council Tax
We (Uttlesford District Council) collect your Council Tax and put it into a separate fund called the collection fund. We share this fund with Essex County Council, Essex Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner and the parish and town councils.
How Uttlesford District Council calculates Council Tax
Uttlesford District Council collects your council tax and puts it into a separate fund called the collection fund. This fund is then shared with Essex County Council, Police Fire and Crime Commissioner for Essex and the parish and town councils. These components of your council tax are called "precepts". The picture below shows, on average, where each pound of your council tax goes.
Council tax 2018/19 who gets what
The Localism Act 2011 has made significant changes to the Local Government Finance Act 1992, and now requires the Council to calculate a council tax requirement for the year, not its budget requirement as previously.
Fees
The council generates some income from the fees it charges for services.
Business Rates (NNDR)
Business rates are charged on most non-domestic properties, like shops, offices, pubs, warehouses, factories, holiday rental homes or guest houses.
How Uttlesford District Council spends the budget
This shows how much we (Uttlesford District Council) plan to spend on each of our main services.
£'000 | 2017/18 | 2017/18 | 2018/19 | |
| Portfolio Budgets | ||||
| Net service expenditure | 11,448 | 12,058 | 12,982 | 924 |
| Corporate Items | ||||
| Capital Financing | 1,861 | 5,227 | 3,572 | (1,655) |
| Recharge to HRA | (1,800) | (1,800) | (2,073) | (273) |
| Other Corporate Items | 648 | 597 | (1,559) | (2,156) |
| Net Expenditure | 12,158 | 16,082 | 12,921 | (3,161) |
| Funding | ||||
| New Homes Bonus Grant | (3,772) | (3,772) | (2,864) | 908 |
| Business Rates Retention | (1,559) | (1,559) | (2,042) | (483) |
| Revenue Support Grant | (255) | (255) | 0 | 255 |
| Rural Services Grant | (285) | (285) | (225) | 60 |
| Council Tax - Collection Fund Balance | (193) | (193) | (14) | 179 |
| (6,064) | (6,064) | (5,145) | 919 | |
| Net Operating Expenditure | 6,094 | 10,018 | 7,776 | (2,242) |
| Strategic Initiatives Reserve | 114 | (445) | (500) | (55) |
| Net transfers to/(from) other earmarked reserves | (1,173) | (4,539) | (1,946) | 2,593 |
| (1,059) | (4,984) | (2,446) | 2,538 | |
| Council Tax Requirement | 5,035 | 5,035 | 5,330 | 296 |
| Council Tax (precept levied on Collection Fund) | (5,035) | (5,035) | (5,330) | (296) |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Breakdown of the council's net service expenditure
Net service expenditure includes £24.6m of income including £5.4m of fees and charges.
Further details are set out in the General Fund and Council Tax 2018/19 report to Council. In this, the budget summary in Appendix A and Appendix B provides details on each of the council's services.
General Fund and Council Tax 2018/19 report [437kb]
Budget 2018/19 what we will be doing in response to the public consultation
During the summer 2017, a consultation on the council's budget priorities was carried out. Residents and businesses were asked for their views on the services that the council should be spending money on. The table below shows where the council will be spending extra money in 2018/19.
| Services that the council should be spending money on* | What is in the budget |
| Emptying Bins, including litter picking and dog bins | Additional resources and capital investment in Street Services, plus new litter picking team |
| Planning how the district will develop in the coming decades, including where new housing and businesses will be located | Local Plan continuing with investment from reserves Investment in Garden Communities delivery plan Investment in Garden Communities delivery plan |
| Deciding planning applications and making sure new buildings and extensions are built according to approved plans and following building regulations | A new schedule of fees has been introduced and this new income will be completely reinvested into the service |
| Working with the police and other organisations to keep Uttlesford Safe | PCSO budget increased by 50% Police sited on the Council site and visitors access in the reception area |
| Enforcement work including prosecuting people for not paying council tax or council house rent, benefit fraud and fly tipping | Joint working with other Essex Local Authorities on fraud prevention |
| Promoting and Supporting businesses in the area | Continued investment in the Economic Development strategy |
| Collecting council tax for Essex County Council, Uttlesford District Council, the police, the fire service, town or parish councils and collecting business rates | This is already a high priority on the council's agenda, this is evidenced by Uttlesford achieving the highest collection rates for Business Rates and the second highest for Council Tax in Essex for 2016/17 |
*As identified by those residents and businesses who responded to the budget consultation
Budget Book 2018/19
The budget book provides an overview of the council's revenue budget for 2018-19 and capital programme 2018/19-2022/23. It also provides information in respect of the council's reserves, fees and charges.
Contact Uttlesford District Council
- Tel: 01799 510510
- Email: uconnect@uttlesford.gov.uk
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