Agenda and minutes

            An apology was reported on behalf of Councillor Flynn.

No declarations of interest were reported.

            The information contained in the reports associated with the following item is restricted in accordance with Part 1 of Schedule 6 of the Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 2014.

      Resolved – That the Committee agrees to exclude the Members of the Press and public from the Committee meeting during discussion on the following item as, due to its nature, there would be a disclosure of exempt information as described in Section 42(4) and Section 6 of the Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 2014.

(Mr. T. Wallace, Director of Finance, attended in connection with this item).

            The Committee considered a report of the Director of Finance in relation to the establishment of the District Rate and the compilation of the Estimates of Revenue Expenditure for the year 2026/2027.

            The Director of Finance explained that the decision should not be subject to call-in on the basis that an inability to immediately implement the decision would result in a breach of statutory duty in striking the rate by the legislative deadline of 15th February, 2026.

            He referred to the cash limit for the People and Communities Committee for 2026/2027, as recommended by the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee, at its meeting on 6th February, and outlined the next steps in the rate setting process.

            The Committee noted the next steps in the rate setting process and agreed to the following: 

·        that a cash limit for the People and Communities Committee for 2026/26 be set at £111,192,369 and the individual service cash limits; and

·        that the decision would not be subject to the call-in mechanism on the basis that an inability to immediately implement the decision would result in a breach of statutory duty in striking the rate by the legislative deadline of 15th February, 2026.