The Council of Bromley met on Wednesday 27 February 2013, with the main focus of the meeting being the setting of the Council Tax for the upcoming financial year and the approval of the capital programme. The Council also discussed and approved various other financial and policy statements, including the Treasury Management Statement, Annual Investment Strategy, Pay Policy Statement, and Members' Allowances Scheme.

Budget and Council Tax Setting

The Council debated and ultimately approved the recommendations for the 2013/14 Council Tax. This included a 1.89% increase in Bromley's Council Tax, alongside a 1.21% reduction in the Greater London Authority (GLA) precept, resulting in an overall increase of 1.16%. The final Band D Council Tax for 2013/14 was set at £1,313.07.

An amendment proposed by Councillor Tom Papworth and seconded by Councillor Reg Adams sought to prevent several revenue savings within the Children's Services (ECS) department, totalling £810,000, and to allocate £8.1 million for temporary accommodation to reduce the use of nightly paid accommodation. This amendment was LOST.

The approved recommendations also included a reduction in the provision for unallocated inflation by £123,000 and the approval of a contingency sum of £13,022,000. Two new government grants were noted: £76,000 for the transfer of financial responsibility for remands to youth detention accommodation and £698,000 for the Adoption Reform Grant. The revised provisions for levies, including those from the London Pension Fund Authority, London Boroughs Grant Committee, Environment Agency, and Lee Valley Regional Park, were also incorporated into the budget.

Capital Programme Monitoring and Annual Capital Review

The Council approved the recommendations concerning the Capital Programme, covering monitoring for Q3 2012/13 and the Annual Capital Review for 2013-2017.

Treasury Management Statement and Annual Investment Strategy

A motion to approve the inclusion of Certificates of Deposit, Commercial Paper, and Floating Rate Notes as eligible investment vehicles was carried. The Council also adopted the Treasury Management Statement and the Annual Investment Strategy for 2013/14, along with the prudential indicators and the Minimum Revenue Provision (MRP) policy statement.

Pay Policy Statement

The Pay Policy Statement for 2013/14 was approved by the Council.

Workplace Pensions: Automatic Enrolment

Recommendations from the General Purposes and Licensing Committee regarding reforms under the Pensions Act 2008, specifically concerning workplace pensions and the automatic enrolment of eligible employees, were approved.

Members' Allowances Scheme

The Members' Allowances Scheme for 2013/14, which included a freeze on current allowances, was approved.

Health and Wellbeing Board: Interim Arrangements

The Council adopted recommendations for the interim arrangements for the establishment of the Health and Wellbeing Board, subject to amendments. These amendments stipulated that the Leader of the Council would appoint up to 11 members, with representation from minority parties, that a quorum would consist of one-third of the membership with at least half being Council members, and that substitute members could be nominated. The Health and Social Care Act 2012 mandated the establishment of Health and Wellbeing Boards from 1st April 2013.

Council Meeting on 12th November 2012: Motion on Government Planning Policies

The response from the Government concerning a previous Council Motion on Government Planning Policies was noted.

Motion on Lewisham Hospital

A motion proposed by Councillor John Getgood and seconded by Councillor Kathy Bance MBE, which deplored the decision of the Secretary of State for Health to downgrade the Maternity and Accident and Emergency Units at Lewisham Hospital and called for a reversal of this decision, was LOST. An attempt to amend the motion was not agreed, and a further amended motion was ruled unacceptable by the Mayor.