Issue - meetings

To consider a report on the Medium Term Financial Plan for 2015-16 to 2017-18.

Members received a report which set out the current financial position for the revenue budget 2015/16 to 2017/18.  Members also considered with the report the minute and recommendation of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee’s meeting on 13th January 2015, which had been circulated as Additional Papers 2, in relation to the pre-scrutiny of the Medium Term Financial Plan.

Officers explained the background to the report and the report appendices which outlined the unavoidable pressures (including income shortfalls) and proposed strategic purpose savings, and responded to Member questions in this regard.

In relation to the current financial position, Officers stated that the table detailed at paragraph 3.21 of the report, which showed an overall shortfall for 2015/16 of £205k, was correct at the time of the report going to print.  However the position with this was changing daily and by the first week of February a balanced budget would be presented to Members.

Significantly, a plot of Council land had that week been sold, the revenue from which would be utilised to fund any equal pay claims under Job Evaluation.  The provisional settlement received by the Council for 2015/16 was £3,580.  This confirmed a £647k reduction in the grant allocation for 2014/15 and there had been a 52% cut in local government funding since 2010/11.

Heads of Service were continuing to identify all possible savings which would not affect front-line services and details of specific service review outcomes would follow.  The final business rates figures were also currently being worked on.  The Chair thanked Officers for the great deal of hard work which had gone into the budget process so far.

Members supported the Overview and Scrutiny Committee’s recommendation that Officers approach the Kingfisher Shopping Centre in respect of contributing further funding for the Shopmobility scheme.  The Chair commented that he was unsure as to whether Officers would be making direct contact in this regard, or whether this would be done via the Town Centre Partnership, but that he was happy for Officers to proceed with this via whichever mechanism they deemed most appropriate.          

RESOLVED that

1)            the current position for 2015/16 to 2027/18 be noted and Officers be requested to review the savings that can be delivered to achieve a balanced budget; and

2)            the recommendation from the 13th January 2015 Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting that Officers approach the Kingfisher Shopping Centre in respect of contributing further funding for the Shopmobility scheme be supported.