Issue - meetings

To make recommendations on the Capital and Revenue Budgets for 2012/13 to 2014/15.

(Report attached)

The meeting received a report setting out the estimates for spending for each service and any high priority capital and revenue bids for the coming years, together with a proposed Statement of Pay Policy document.

Officers highlighted the ongoing financial pressures on the authority and the expectation that these would continue for the next two years at least. The Finance Team had undertaken a rigorous examination of service budgets to identify areas for savings and additional scrutiny of the budget bids had been provided by both the Council’s Budget Jury and the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

Savings were being achieved through measures such as the sharing of services, the Single Management Team and Transformation. However, it was proposed that £259,000 be taken from balances in the current year, retaining what was considered a prudent level of reserves of £901,000.

The Localism Act had placed a new requirement on local authorities, the publication of a Pay Policy Statement, and this had been incorporated as an appendix to the current report. It was noted that the levels of pay reflected in the Policy Statement reflected the position prior to Job Evaluation as that was still awaiting final agreement by all parties. It was also noted that the Statement incorrectly asserted that the Head of Housing post was a shared cost, whereas it was a cost borne solely by Redditch.

The Leader stated that the budget proposals were focussed on investment in the Council’s equipment, staff and physical resources as well as the environment and local neighbourhoods. Whilst the Council would have liked to have invested more in services, this was not possible in the current financial situation.

It was finally noted that the Taxpayers’ Alliance had recently congratulated the Council on the reduction achieved in its management cost by transferring to a shared management team.

RECOMMENDED that

1)         the high bids as identified in Appendix A to the report be approved:

2012/13          £116,000

2013/14          £101,000

2014/15          £101,000;

2)         the high capital bids as detailed in Appendix B to the report be approved:

2012/13          £1,217,000

2013/14          £1,586,000

2014/15          £1,687,000;

3)         the use of balances totalling £259,000 be approved;

4)         the Pay Policy Statement attached at Appendix D to the report be approved;

5)         the retention by Redditch Cricket, Hockey and Rugby Club of the sum representing the refund on VAT on the grant funded works undertaken at their grounds in 2005/06 be approved and, in return, the Club agree to relieve the Council’s of its commitment to provide a sinking fund for the refurbishment/replacement of the all weather pitch (ATP) which will in future be the exclusive responsibility of the Club; and

6)         the Head of Legal, Equalities and Democratic Services be requested to prepare an agreement that brings Resolution 5), above, about.