Issue - meetings

Cabinet Member: Finance

Forward Plan Ref: 2019/116

Contact: Hannah Doney, Strategic Finance Manager (Assurance & Reporting) Tel: 07584 174654

Report by Director of Finance (CA6).

This report is the culmination of the Service & Resource Planning process for 2020/21 to 2023/24 and sets out the Cabinet’s proposed Corporate Plan and supporting budget, medium term financial plan, capital programme and supporting strategies.

The report is set out in three sections; the Corporate Plan; the revenue budget including the draft council tax precept for 2020/21 and the Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP) to 2023/24; and the Capital & Investment Strategy and Capital Programme including the Treasury Management Strategy.  Information outstanding at the time of the Cabinet meeting will be reported to Council when it considers the budget on 11 February 2020.

Cabinet’s Corporate Plan and revenue and capital budget proposals take into consideration the latest information on the council’s financial position outlined in this report and comments from the Performance Scrutiny Committee meeting on 9 January 2020.

The public consultation on the budget closes on 29 January 2020. The budget consultation report and any changes to the proposed budget as a result of comments received will be incorporated into the Service & Resource Planning 2020/21 – 2023/24 report to Council on 11 February 2020.

As final notification of some funding streams is awaited, some further changes may be made to the budget proposals ahead of full Council on 11 February 2020.

In relation to the Corporate Plan (Annex 1);

Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to RECOMMEND Council to:

(a)       approve the Corporate Plan.

In relation to the Revenue Budget and Medium Term Financial Plan (Annex 2);

Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to:

(a)       approve the Review of Charges for 2020/21;

(b)       approve the Financial Strategy for 2020/21;

(c)       approve the Earmarked Reserves and General Balances Policy Statement 2020/21; and

(d)       to delegate authority to the Leader of the Council, following consultation with the Director of Finance and the Cabinet Member for Finance, to make appropriate changes to the proposed budget.

Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to RECOMMEND Council to:

(a)       approve a budget for 2020/21 and a Medium Term Financial Plan to 2023/24, based on the proposals set out in Annex 2 – Appendix 2;

(b)       approve a council tax requirement (precept) for 2020/21;

(c)       approve a 2020/21 council tax for band D equivalent properties; and

(d)       approve the virement arrangements to operate within the approved budget.

In relation to the Capital & Investment Strategy and Capital Programme (Annex 3);

Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to:

(a)       approve the Pupil Place Plan 2019/20 – 2023/24; and

(b)       approve the Highways Asset Management Strategy for 2019/20 – 2023/24.

Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to RECOMMEND Council to approve:

(a)       the Capital & Investment Strategy for 2020/21 - 2029/30 including:

(i)         the Investment Strategy;

(ii)       the Prudential Indicators; and

(iii)     the Minimum Revenue Provision Methodology Statement;

(b)       the new capital proposals for inclusion in the Capital Programme as set out in Annex 3 – Appendix C;

(c)       the Treasury Management Strategy Statement and Annual Investment Strategy for 2020/21  ...  view the full agenda text for item 4

Recommendations Agreed.

Recommendations Agreed, subject to the revised Annex 2 – Appendix 8 set out the Addenda.

Recommendations Agreed, subject to an explanatory note being added to the Investment Advisory Panel in Appendix B for when roles are held by the same person.

The Cabinet considered the final report in the series of the Service & Resource Planning process for 2020/21 to 2023/24.  The report was set out in three sections; the Corporate Plan; the revenue budget including the draft council tax precept for 2020/21 and the Medium-Term Financial Plan (MTFP) to 2023/24; and the Capital & Investment Strategy and Capital Programme including the Treasury Management Strategy.  Information outstanding at the time of the Cabinet meeting would be reported to Council when it considers the budget on 11 February 2020.

Cabinet’s Corporate Plan and revenue and capital budget proposals took into consideration the latest information on the council’s financial position outlined in this report and comments from the Performance Scrutiny Committee meeting on 9 January 2020.

The public consultation on the budget closed on 29 January 2020. The budget consultation report and any changes to the proposed budget as a result of comments received would be incorporated into the Service & Resource Planning 2020/21 – 2023/24 report to Council on 11 February 2020.

Councillor Glynis Phillips, Shadow Cabinet Member for Finance welcomed the additional funding allocated to children’s and adult social care, although noted it was currently for one year only pending a number of reviews, and explained the importance of knowing the sustainable funding position for as many years as possible.

The Labour Group remained concerned about the continued use of one-off financial grants allocated by councillors and felt the money should be used to directly support the work of the Council. When initially challenged on this use of funds the argument presented was that there was no guarantee of funds being available beyond that year. So, recruiting staff was not considered an option because of the short-term nature of the known funding streams. This was not the current situation and she urged the Cabinet to use the funding to recruit more staff to to reduce the number of children in care or put more funds into Public Health to (for example) reduce the number of people dependent on drugs and alcohol.

In relation to the Review of Charges she noted that it still referred to developers making a contribution to the cost of officers providing advice and attending meetings. The Labour Group would support  the strategic objective of moving to charging actual costs.

On the Capital & Investment Strategy, she noted that during 2021/2022 there would be a fundamental review. Given that in the next financial year 2020/2021 only essential requirements were built into the programme, the group felt that should be capacity for this review to take place next year and not the year after.  In relation to 145 she questioned what allocations had been removed and whether they had been removed permanently or reassigned to another year?

The Group were keeping an eye on the current £18.4m shortfall, to ensure that the amount did not drift upwards without some really good reasons.

She echoed Performance Scrutiny’s support given the Director of Public Health’s approach to use health inequalities data to inform service provision.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4