Agenda item

Councillor Roger Ramsey, Leader of the Council, introduced the report

Cabinet was reminded that it had received a report on 9 September 2015 setting out the potential funding gap in the Council’s financial strategy over the next three years.

The report before it set out a range of savings options and income generation proposals with the intention of bridging the gap in the financial strategy.  Members were informed that if agreed, those proposals would be integrated within the financial model as part of the Council Tax setting report which would be considered by Cabinet in January 2016 for approval by Council in February 2016.

The outcome of the local government financial settlement (LGFS) for 2016/17 would not be known until early in 2016 and the present report acknowledged the risks associated with the development of the financial strategy in the absence of any great certainty over the level of future funding.

Members were reminded that all proposals would be subject to consultation before any final decisions were made.

Reasons for the Decision

It was essential that the Council’s financial strategy took due account of Government plans and any other material factors where these were likely to have an impact on the Council’s financial position.  The report represented a further significant step in developing the Council’s budget strategy for the next three years and reflected the expected continued Government approach of reduced levels of funding.

Other options considered:

None.  The Constitution required this as a step towards setting the Council’s budget.

Cabinet:

1.            Noted the latest projection of budget gap and the assumptions upon which these had been based, and the risks associated with them.

2.            Noted the latest projection of the draft Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS), covering the period from 2016/17 to 2018/19, as set out in the report.

3.            Noted that a range of corporate strategies would be impacted by the budget strategy and these would need to be updated and approved accordingly.

4.            Agreed the final list of income generation and savings proposals as set out in Appendix A to the report for engagement with the local community, stakeholders, other interested groups, staff and unions.

5.            Agreed to receive a further report in January 2016 which would consider the impact of the Local Government Financial Settlement (LGFS) on the MTFS and the implications for Council Tax setting.

6.            Noted the advice of the Section 151 Officer in setting a robust budget.

7.            Approved the demand management strategy as set out in Appendix B to the report.

8.            Approved that the freehold interest in the sites identified in the report be declared surplus and gave authorisation for their disposal (subject to any necessary planning permissions and other consents as appropriate being obtained) and that the Head of Property, oneSource in consultation with the Director of Legal & Governance, oneSource be authorised to deal with all processes and matters arising and thereafter to complete the disposal.