Issue - meetings

Cabinet Member: Finance

Forward Plan Ref: 2017/039

Contact: Katy Jurczyszyn, Strategic Finance Manager (Finance, Strategy & Monitoring) Tel: 07584 909518

Report by Director of Finance (CA7).

The report is the first in the series on the Service & Resource Planning process for the forthcoming year which will culminate in Council setting a budget for 2018/19 and a medium term plan and capital programme to 2021/22 in February 2018. This initial report sets the context and the starting point for the process. It sets out:

·           the assumptions on which the existing Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP) agreed in February 2017 is based,

·           information arising from government and other announcements

·           known and potential financial issues for 2018/19 and beyond which impact on the existing MTFP, and

·           a proposed process for Service & Resource Planning for 2018/19 including a timetable of events.

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to:

(a)             Note the report;

(b)            Approve the Service and Resource Planning process for 2018/19; and

(c)             Approve a four year period for the Medium Term Financial Plan and Capital Programme to 2021/22.

Recommendations agreed.

Cabinet had before them the first in a series on the Service & Resource Planning process for the forthcoming year which will culminate in Council setting a budget for 2018/19 and a medium term plan and capital programme to 2021/22 in February 2018. The initial report set the context and the starting point for the process, and sought approval to the proposed process, including the timetable.

Councillor Helen Evans, Shadow Cabinet Member for Finance stated that the paper highlighted the challenges faced by the County Council and referred particularly to the projected overspend despite extra funding being put in place. Children’s Services were at breaking point with it being a national problem with increases in safeguarding. She also referred to the pay cap and the possibility of it being exceeded. She queried how realistic it was to plan for reduced demand and the delivery of savings and what reassurance Cabinet could give that it was able to meet the challenges as local government is expected to do more with less.

Councillor Bartholomew, Cabinet Member for Finance, recognised that there was a problem to be faced in both the short and longer term. However he stressed that the Council would always safeguard those that needed safeguarding. The announcements on the pay cap were quite recent and he was wary of what might happen. However once the scale of any problem was known the Council would deal with it within their constraints.

Councillor Bartholomew introduced the report and moved the recommendations.

RESOLVED:             to:

(a)             note the report;

(b)             approve the Service and Resource Planning process for 2018/19; and

(c)             approve a four year period for the Medium Term Financial Plan and Capital Programme to 2021/22.