Issue - meetings

Report No:   CAB/SE/14/016

Cabinet Member: David Ray           Lead Officer: Rachael Mann

RESOLVED:

That the write-off of the amounts detailed in the exempt appendices to Report No: CAB/SE/14/016 be approved, as follows:

(1)     Exempt Appendix 1:   Council Tax totalling £13,945.63; and

(2)     Exempt Appendix 2:   Business Rates totalling £17,736.82.

(At this point it was determined that the meeting did not need to go into private session to consider the Exempt Appendices attached to Report No: CAB/SE/14/016.  Therefore, with the agreement of the Chairman, Agenda Item 19 was taken before Agenda Item 18 whilst the meeting remained in public session.)

The Cabinet considered Report No: CAB/SE/14/016 (previously circulated) which provided the collection data in respect of Council Tax and National Non-Domestic Rates and sought approval for the write-off of debts as contained in the Exempt Appendices.

Councillor Ray, Portfolio Holder for Resources and Performance, drew relevant issues to the attention of the Cabinet, including that as at 31 October 2014, the total National Non Domestic Rates (NNDR) billed by Anglia Revenues Partnership on behalf of St Edmundsbury Borough Council (as the billing Authority) was nearly £47.3 million per annum. The collection rate as at 31 October 2014 was 66.67% against a profile of 66.75%.

As at 31 October 2014, the total Council Tax billed by Anglia Revenues Partnership on behalf of St Edmundsbury Borough Council (included the County, Police and Parish precept elements) was just under £53.8 million per annum. The collection rate as at 31 October 2014 was 67.87% against a profiled target of 68.31%

The Revenues Section collected outstanding debts in accordance with either statutory guidelines or Council agreed procedures.  When all these procedures had been exhausted the outstanding debt was written off using the delegated authority of the Head of Resources and Performance (for debts up to £2,499.99) or by Cabinet (for debts over £2,500).

The specific reasons for recommending each write-off were included in Exempt Appendices 1 and 2.

RESOLVED:

That the write-off of the amounts detailed in the exempt appendices to Report No: CAB/SE/14/016 be approved, as follows:

(1)     Exempt Appendix 1:   Council Tax totalling £13,945.63; and

(2)     Exempt Appendix 2:   Business Rates totalling £17,736.82.