Issue - meetings

Cabinet Member: Cabinet Member for Finance

Forward Plan Ref: 2022/016

Contact: Louise Tustian, Head of Insight & Corporate Programmes Tel: 07741 607452/Kathy Wilcox, Head of Financial Strategy Tel: 07788 302163

Report by Corporate Director Customers, Organisational Development & Resources and Director of Finance (CA8).

To note and seek agreement of the report.

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to

a)          note the report.

b)          agree the virements set out in Annex B-2a

c)          note the virements and supplementary estimate set out in Annex B-2b and B-2c

d)          agree the proposed update to the Review of Charges for 2022/23 as set out in paragraphs 94 and 95 of Annex B.

e)          note the additional £5.9m Business Rate funding set out in Annex B paragraph 130 and agree that this should be added to the Business Rates Reserve pending agreement about the use of this funding.

Recommendations agreed

Cabinet had before it a report summarising the performance and finance position for the council with recommendations on virements, Review of Charges and Business Rate funding.

Councillor Calum Miller, Cabinet Member for Finance, introduced the report.  He noted that it was the first report under the new Outcomes Framework of the Fair Deal Alliance.  He drew particular attention to paragraph 22: Risk Management Overview which he said highlighted some of the real risks in relation to children’s services.  The projected overspend for this financial year was £4.4m which was high for so early in the financial year but will continue to be closely monitored.

Cabinet Members made comments including the following:

·       Paragraph 94 of Annex B refers to new combined parking and bus tickets being introduced for a trial period by the County and City Councils to encourage more use of this more environmentally friendly option.

·       Officers were working hard to limit the continuing overspend in the High Needs Block but it was being driven by high demand for services and central government was not providing any additional funding.  They were looking at better ways of delivering the service but that can only be done by releasing capital to provide our own special schools.

·       Central government has continually cut funding for local government and the contestants to be the next prime minister were all advocating further tax cuts that will hit the most vulnerable hardest.

The recommendations were proposed by Councillor Miller, seconded by Councillor Sudbury and agreed.

RESOLVED to:

a)              note the report.

b)              agree the virements set out in Annex B-2a

c)              note the virements and supplementary estimate set out in Annex B-2b and B-2c

d)              agree the proposed update to the Review of Charges for 2022/23 as set out in paragraphs 94 and 95 of Annex B.

e)              note the additional £5.9m Business Rate funding set out in Annex B paragraph 130 and agree that this should be added to the Business Rates Reserve pending agreement about the use of this funding.