Agenda item

Report of the Group Director of Operations

The Cabinet Member with the Resources Portfolio introduced the report of the Group Director of Operations (previously circulated) providing Members with an update on the collection of Council Tax, Business Rates and Council rents during 2022/23 and requesting that consideration be given to the writing-off of debts over £500 that are considered to be irrecoverable.

The submitted report stated that the collection of Council Tax, Business Rates and Council rents during 2022/23 had continued to be a significant challenge due to the current economic climate; normal recovery and enforcement activities that had been suspended during the Covid-19 pandemic had restarted but this had meant that a backlog of arrears had accumulated; despite the challenges, a total of £128.09M had been collected in 2022/23; and that approval was being sought to write-off a total of £1,138,852 of debts in respect of individual cases exceeding £500 for the financial year 2022/23, where it had become apparent that no further steps could be taken to recover the sums due.

RESOLVED – (a) That the contents of the report be noted.

(b) That the write-off of £1,138,852 for debts over £500, as detailed in the submitted report, subject to further steps for recovery being taken, wherever possible, if and when contact with the debtor is made, be approved.

REASONS – (a) The collection of Council Tax, Business Rates and Council rents underpins the Council’s Medium Term Financial Plan.

(b) The write-off of irrecoverable debts enables the Council’s accounts to be maintained in accordance with Financial Procedure Rules