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With the exception of the Development Plan documents, any plans, strategies, policies or schemes which support a policy framework document will not also be part of the Budget and Policy Framework unless the principal document specifies that it is.

Budget

The budget includes the allocation of financial resources to different services and projects, proposed contingency funds, (including the recommended Council tax base), setting the council tax and decisions relating to the control of the Council’s borrowing requirement, the control of its capital expenditure and the setting of virement limits.

Specific procedures apply where Council does not agree to the Mayor’s proposals in respect of budget and policy framework reports. These are set out in the Budget and Policy Framework procedure rules below.

Only Council can agree the Authority’s budget for the year and the specified plans and strategies that are included in the Budget and Policy Framework. The Mayor and Executive will make proposals to Council in relation to the budget and those plans and strategies, for adoption by Council. If Council does not agree with those proposals of the Mayor/ Executive, a dispute resolution process as set out in section 2 below (but summarised here) applies:-

Where Council wishes to amend the Executive’s proposals it may, by a majority vote, send the budget, plan or strategy back to the Executive, who must consider whether or not to make any amendments before re-submitting the item to Council.

Council will be responsible for the adoption of its budget and policy framework as set out in Section 28. In relation to the budget and the plans and strategies listed in Section 7:-

The Mayor as the Executive has responsibility for preparing the draft plan or strategy for submission to Council; and • If Council wishes to amend the Mayor’s proposals in relation to the items included in the Budget and Policy Framework only, the Local Authorities (Standing Orders) (England) Regulations 2001 sets out the dispute resolution procedure to be followed. Council must inform the Mayor of any objections which it has to his proposals (i.e. the amendments it wishes to agree) and must give the Mayor at least five working days, starting on the day following the meeting, to reconsider his proposals and re-submit them (amended or not, with reasons) to a further Council meeting. If at this further meeting Council still wishes to amend the Mayor’s revised proposals, such a decision requires a two-thirds majority of the Members present and voting. If no valid amendment at the further meeting receives two-thirds support, the Mayor’s proposals are deemed adopted in accordance with the regulations.