The Mayor to sign the Minutes of the proceedings of the previous Council Meeting.

The Minutes of the meeting held on 30 January 2024 were confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Mayor.

Questions in accordance with Standing Order 10.

(The full text of the questions and replies was made available on the Reading Borough Council website).

Report by Director of Finance

The Director of Finance submitted a report fulfilling the requirement on him under Section 25 of the Local Government Act 2003 as the Council’s Chief Finance Officer to report on the robustness of the estimates made for the purposes of the calculations of the budget and the adequacy of the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 42.

Report by Director of Finance

Further to Minutes 42 and 53 of the Policy Committee meetings held on 13 December 2023 and 19 February 2024 respectively, the Director of Finance submitted a report on the Budget and Medium-Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) for the three years 2024/25 – 2026/27.  The report provided an update on the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 43.

Report by Director of Finance

Further to Minute 54 of the Policy Committee held on 19 February 2024, the Director of Finance submitted a report setting out the draft Capital Strategy 2024/25, which was attached to the report at Appendix 1.

The report noted that the CIPFA 2021 Prudential and Treasury Management Code required  ...  view the full minutes text for item 44.

Report by Director of Finance

Further to Minute 55 of the Policy Committee held on 19 February 2024, the Director of Finance submitted a report setting out a Treasury Management Strategy for endorsement.  The Strategy required approval before the start of the new financial year in accordance with the Chartered Institute of Public Finance  ...  view the full minutes text for item 45.

Report by Director of Finance

The Director of Finance submitted a report seeking approval of the calculations for determining the Council Tax requirement for the year 2024/25, in accordance with the Local Government Finance Act 1992. The report also sought approval to set the Council Tax amounts for each property valuation band in the Borough  ...  view the full minutes text for item 46.

Report by Executive Director of Resources

The Executive Director of Resources submitted a report on this year’s proposed update to the Corporate Plan and outlining the changes that had been made for 2024/25.  The Corporate Plan reflected the Council’s priorities over a three-year period and provided direction in planning and delivering services.  The current Corporate Plan  ...  view the full minutes text for item 47.