Agenda item

The Executive considered a report setting out the Council’s budget proposals for 2015/16, which included:

·                        the 2014/15 Revised Revenue Estimates;

·                        the 2015/16 Revenue Budget;

·                        the 2015/16 Schedule of Charges;

·                        the 2014/15 (Revised) to 2017/18 Capital Programme;

·                        the refreshed Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP); and

·                        the Council’s Reserves.

The Leader referred to the comments of the joint meeting of Scrutiny Committees, held on 20 January 2015, and set out the Executive’s response.  In respect of staffing resources within Building Control and Enforcement, the Executive supported the underlying principle and was open to any business case for additional resources coming forward for consideration, where capacity issues had been identified.  The Leader reminded Members of the ongoing Building Control partnership project and that some caution was needed in this respect.

In relation to leaf clearance, the Leader reminded Members of the rationale for previous decisions and that this was not a District Council function.  However, the Executive supported the principle of partnership working and was open to ideas coming forward from community groups.

In respect of freezing charges where the Council had discretion, the Executive supported this.  The Executive also supported the suggestion that Scrutiny Committees in 2015/16 be asked to review charges relevant to their specific areas.  The Leader stated that the suggestion relating to Hertford Theatre’s flexibility on charges was also supported by the Executive.

Finally, in respect of the use of capital funding for leisure facilities, the Executive Member for Health, Housing and Community Support undertook to ask Officers to look at this, but expressed caution, given the costs of running a swimming pool.  She acknowledged the need for more sports pitches in Bishop’s Stortford but questioned the land supply for them.  She referred to the need to work closely with schools to encourage them to open up their facilities for community use.  The Executive Member also reminded Members of the funding that would become available from the Bishop’s Stortford North development, which would allow a complete review of leisure across Bishop’s Stortford.

A number of Members commented.  In respect of leisure facilities, some Members referred to the need to expand and/or refurbish Grange Paddocks to provide a 50m pool, which could become a magnet for sporting excellence.  Some believed that contrary to national trends, there was a growing demand for swimming in Bishop’s Stortford.  Mention was also made of Bishop’s Stortford having the lowest number of sports pitches in Hertfordshire.  

The Executive Member for Health, Housing and Community Support reiterated that the Executive would consider a business case that came forward.  She agreed that Bishop’s Stortford needed more sports pitches and encouraged those Members who were school governors to push for greater community access to school pitches.

Councillor M Wood referred to the hazards caused by leaves and their impact on grass verges and gullies, and spoke of the health risks for the elderly on footways where leaves had not been cleared.  The Leader reiterated that the Council could look at assisting on specific activities, but that a budget line could not be reintroduced.  He asked Members to encourage community groups to contact the Council to see what was possible.

In response to a request by Councillor R Beeching, the Director of Neighbourhood Services undertook to circulate advice to parish and town councils on insurance liability and indemnity issues in respect of the use of volunteers for leaf clearance, litter picking, etc.

Councillor G Jones referred to other items on the agenda and whether additional resources were needed in areas of where performance was below target, such as time taken to process housing benefit claims.  The Director of Finance and Support Services advised that investment in staffing resources had been made in this area and that Members could expect to see improved performance.

Councillor J Wing referred to his comments made at the joint meeting of Scrutiny Committees in relation to charges for pre-application advice to charities and community groups and reiterated his desire for such charges to be waived.  In doing so, he declared his position as a trustee of Ware Museum.  Councillor G Jones advised by stating that this point had been answered by the Executive Member for Finance at that meeting.

The Executive supported the recommendations as now detailed.

RECOMMENDED – that (A) the comments of the joint meeting of Scrutiny Committees be received;

(B)      the Revised Revenue Estimates for the current financial year 2014/15 as set out in section 4 of the report submitted, including the proposed contributions to and from Reserves as detailed at paragraph 4.3 of the report submitted, be approved;

(C)      the Revenue Budget underspend for 2014/15 be transferred to the Collection Fund Reserve and the New Homes Bonus Priority Spend Reserve as set out in paragraph 4.5.2 of the report submitted;

(D)      the 2015/16 Revenue Budget be approved including:

·                        the new budget growth as set out in section 6 of the report submitted;

·                        the new budget savings as set out in section 6 of the report submitted;

·                        the Contingency Budget as detailed at paragraph 8.3 of the report submitted;

·                        the use of Earmarked Reserves as set out at section 9 of the report submitted;

·                        consideration of the advice from the Director of Finance and Support Services on the levels of reserves and robustness of the estimates in setting the budget as required by Section 25 of the Local Government Act 2003 and detailed at section 15 of the report submitted;

(E)      the East Herts element of the Council Tax Bill is frozen at the 2014/15 rate, as detailed at section 11 of the report submitted;

(F)       the proposed 2015/16 Schedule of Charges, as set out in section 7 of the report be approved;

(G)      the discounts in charges being proposed for those Private Hire and Hackney Carriages that are able to transport a wheelchair using person whilst s/he remains in the wheelchair, as set out at paragraph 7.6 of the report, be approved;

(H)      the new Capital Programme for the period 2014/15 (Revised) to 2017/18, how the programme will be funded, and the consequential revenue budget implications, as detailed at section 12 of the report, be approved;

(I)        the refreshed Medium Term Financial Plan covering 2014/15 (Revised) to 2018/19, as set out at section 13 of the report submitted, be approved; and

(J)       the proposed changes to the Council’s Reserves, as set out in table 10, section 14 of the report submitted, be approved.