Issue - meetings

To receive the minutes and consider the recommendations and/or referrals from the following meetings of the Executive Committee:

3^rd February 2015

·         Medium term financial plan 2015-16 – 2017-18.

23^rd February 2015

·         Medium Term Financial Plan 2015-16 – 2017-18.

Minutes, decisions and reports from the meeting held on 3^rd February are attached.  The report to the meeting on 23^rd February are included with the agenda papers for that meeting of the Committee.

Note that under the Local Authorities (Standing Orders) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2014, the Council is required to take a named vote when a decision is made on the budget calculation or Council tax at a budget decision meeting of the Council.

Under Section 106 of the Local Government Act 1992, any Councillor who is 2 or more months in arrears with their Council tax payments cannot participate in any item at the Council meeting concerning the budget.  This statutory provision overrides any dispensation granted.

The Council considered the minutes of the meeting of the Executive Committee held on 26^th January in conjunction with the recommendations as detailed and put forward, from the Executive Agenda for the meeting of 23^rd February 2015 in respect of the Medium Term Financial Plan and the Council Tax setting for 2015/16.

In proposing the recommendations, the Deputy Leader thanked all officers for the hard work which had ensured that the Council was able to achieve a balanced budget with a three year plan moving forward, without having an impact on frontline services.  It was highlighted that the Council would continue to provide free swimming for specific groups within the community together with concessionary travel before 9.30 am and continue to support the voluntary sector through the grants panel process.  A new scheme would also be created which would support new small businesses and Borough Council employees would be paid the living wage.

The discussion of a number of matters followed including:

·         Criticisms raised within the Auditors’ Report relating to unidentified savings which it was suggested left some services in a vulnerable position.

·         Support for the additional capital bids – the Essential Living Fund, Small Business Support and Energy Management.

·         The increase in Council Tax and the effect it would have on residents – it was anticipated that on average it meant an increase of 8p per week.

·         The benefits from increasing the Council Tax as opposed to the cumulative effect of not doing so.

·         The use of reserves and the sale of Council assets in order to present a balanced budget.

·         The reduction in government grant funding and the overall impact it  had on the budget.

·         Paying staff the living wage.

·         The availability of data to enable the Council to measure the benefits from providing free swimming and concessionary travel.

·         The increasing number of properties being built and the New Homes Bonus received as a consequence of this.

With reference to the inclusion of savings relating to a change in delivery arrangements for Leisure, a view was expressed that the level of risk in the proposal was too high for the decision on savings to be taken at his stage.  Councillors had not yet considered detailed information about the proposal.  It was accepted that money could be saved, but it was suggested that savings should be used to re-invest in the facilities and that achieving savings should not be the only driver for change.

The Deputy Leader responded by confirming that a number of options would be considered and that the report which would be considered by the Executive Committee would be compiled independently from the Council.  If the proposed savings were not likely to be achieved during the year than alternative options for achieving these would be considered. 

The recommendations on the Medium Term Financial Plan 2015/16 – 2017/18 were the subject of the following named votes in accordance with Council Procedure rule 17.5.  The Mayor agreed to take separate votes on resolutions 1, 2 and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 75