Agenda and minutes

We received apologies from Country Councillor D. Edwards.

None received.

We welcomed a report from the Head of Finance to provide detailed draft proposals on the budget savings required to meet the gap between available resources and need to spend in 2016/17, for consultation purposes and to consider the 2016/17 budget within the context of the 4 year Medium Term Financial Plan.

Members were recommended to scrutinise the budget savings proposals for 2016/17 released for consultation purposes and consider what alternative proposals could be submitted by 30^th November 2015.

Members were made aware that in January 2015, Cabinet approved a balanced budget for 2015/16 and acknowledged an indicative MTFP position which forecast the gap in resources over the remaining three year period as £10 million. Each year the MTFP model is rolled forward to present a 4 year position and this produced a gap of £13 million, based on original assumptions contained in the model.

Cabinet received a further report on the MTFP in June, agreed some revised assumptions and assessed the level of pressures that needed to be considered. Work has continued over the summer to refine the modelling assumptions and outline the income generation or savings proposals that will need to be considered.

Member Scrutiny

During discussion of the report, Members raised the following:

·         A Member asked for a breakdown of the figure of £400, 000. The Head of Finance answered that the figure was made from a number of sources including an increased collection rate (now 98.5%), new properties and that the demand for Council Tax rate reduction had dropped.

·         A Member questioned if we could quantify the impact the living wage in later years. It was answered, that in terms of Council staff we are already committed to paying the living wage so the impact would not be felt until later years when the Government has indicated it will rise to £9 per hour. It has been estimated in the MTFP an extra pressure of £58,000 in 2018/19 and another £112,000 in 2019/20. There are other impacts included in pressures, contracted out care, this has been included for next year. It was advised that this subject had been discussed in the Adults Select Committee.

Members supported the content of the report, acknowledging that the Adults Select Committee had discussed the Living Wage pressure in greater detail and that Strong Communities Select Committee had scheduled a Special Meeting to discuss 2 pressures relevant to their remit:  Waste and Passenger Transport Unit.

SERVICE AREA BUDGET MANDATES

We welcomed Officers who presented the budget mandates and we heard the proposals before the Committee were invited to ask questions.

Mandate B1 – Assess the feasibility to establish a Not for Profit Service Delivery Model (Tourism and Leisure)

·         The aim is to move the services inside tourism, leisure and culture into a new delivery model (trust) operating at arm’s length from the council. The trust will be commercially driven via a trading company whilst ensuring local services are maintained and improved.

·         The new trust will provide employment, training and ensure  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.

Economy and Development Select Committee

Thursday 26^th November at 10.00am

We noted future meeting of Economy and Development Select Committee as:

·         Special – 16^th November 2015 at 2pm (pre-meeting 1.30pm) with Planning Committee invited.

·         Economy and Development Select Committee Thursday 26^th November at 10am.