Agenda item

Cabinet Member: Finance

Forward Plan Ref: 2016/074

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

Report by Chief Finance Officer (CA9).

1.     This report is the second in the series on the Service & Resource Planning process for 2017/18 which will culminate in Council setting a budget for 2017/18 and a medium term plan to 2020/21 in February 2017.  The report sets out:

·      the new pressures and savings for 2017/18 and the medium term,

·      the key announcements of the Autumn Statement announced on 23 November 2016; and

·      the capital programme proposals for 2017/18 to 2020/21. 

Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to take the issues set out in the report into consideration in forming their proposed budget for 2017/18, Medium Term Financial Plan to 2020/21 and Capital Programme to 2020/21.

Cabinet considered the second in the series of reports on the Service & Resource Planning process for 2017/18 which will culminate in Council setting a budget for 2017/18 and a medium term plan to 2020/21 in February 2017.  The report set out:

·      the new pressures and savings for 2017/18 and the medium term,

·      the key announcements of the Autumn Statement announced on 23 November 2016; and

·      the capital programme proposals for 2017/18 to 2020/21. 

Cabinet also had before them a supplementary report from the Chief Finance Officer containing additional information.

Councillor Nick Hards, Shadow Cabinet Member for Finance, thanked the Finance Team for their work on the budget. He commented that the report was quite upbeat and reflected the quality of the work being done already. He noted that the additional New Homes Bonus was not new money and some Oxfordshire District Councils such as West Oxfordshire DC had lost out. Councillor Hards welcomed the adult social care grant and awaited with interest how this would be used. There was a need however to face the difficult problems facing adult social care.

Councillor Heathcoat, recognised the challenges facing adult social care and commented that a lot of work was being carried out and reports would follow.

Councillor Stratford moved the recommendations and stated that he had attended the Performance Scrutiny Committee where there had been strong support for the work done by officers. Councillor Stratford added his own thanks for the work being done.

Lorna Baxter, Chief Finance Officer, explained how the changes to the adult social care precept set out in the addenda would work noting that it could be only 6% over the period. If Council chose to make the precept 3% for the coming year this would not be additional money. Lorna Baxter stressed that the details of the scheme had not yet been made available and that the information received was only a provisional settlement.

RESOLVED:             to take the issues set out in the report into consideration in forming their proposed budget for 2017/18, Medium Term Financial Plan to 2020/21 and Capital Programme to 2020/21.