Agenda item

The Executive Member for Resources and Internal Support submitted a report recommending the revenue budget for 2011/12.

The joint meeting of Scrutiny Committees, in supporting the proposals at their meeting held on 18 January 2011, had made a number of comments for the Executive to consider as follows. 

They had recommended that consideration be given to the addition of a member development officer (1 day a week).  The Executive Member for Community Development, Leisure and Culture welcomed this suggestion as a valuable resource towards achieving accreditation for the Member Development Charter.  The Executive recommended that £5k of the savings already agreed for deleting support for non-statutory meetings be redirected towards this for 2011/12 only.

The Scrutiny Committees had also suggested that support for PCSOs should be continued for a further year.  The Executive supported this on the basis that the Community Safety Review in 2011/12 would consider a more long-term approach.

The Scrutiny Committees had also supported the aim to freeze council tax for a further year after 2011/12.  The Executive Member for Resources and Internal Support recommended this suggestion and further advised Members that changes to the formula grant had only been received the day before.  He tabled an amendment to the recommendations and also referred to a summary of an additional consultation meeting that had been held with representatives of the business community.

In response to Members’ questions and comments, the Executive Member indicated that areas where savings had been identified could be reconsidered later, if the impact on service delivery was found to be unacceptable. 

The Executive commended the proposals as now detailed.

RECOMMENDED - that (A) the comments and proposals of the Joint Scrutiny Committees of 18 January 2011, be received;

(B)      the probable outturn for 2010/11 be approved;

(C)      the revenue budget for 2011/12 be approved as now submitted, subject to the following amendments:

                                                                                           £k

PCSOs savings be deleted                                          46

Redirection of part savings from support

for non-statutory meetings to support for

member development                                                  5

to be offset by:

Increased formula grant from £6046k

to £6079k                                                                         -33

Reducing the balancing figure from

£4k to £0k                                                                        -4

Increasing contribution from General

Reserve from £38k to £52k                                          -14

(D)      the medium term financial plan to 2014/15, be approved, subject to the following amendments:

In 2012/13 only                                                                £k

Reduced formula grant from £5315k

to 5306k                                                                            9

to be offset by:

Reducing the planning contingency

from £169k to £161k                                                      -8

Reducing the balancing figure from

£239k to £238k                                                                -1

In each year 2012/13 - 2014/15

Redirection of part savings from support

for non-statutory meetings to support for

member development                                                   5

to be offset by a reduction in the

balancing figure in each year:

2012/13 from £238k to £233k                                       -5

2013/14 from £470k to £465k                                       -5

2014/15 from £702k to £697k                                       -5

(E)      there to be no increase in council tax for 2011/12; and

(F)       in respect of 2012/13, the planning assumption for council tax be amended from a 2.5% increase to nil increase with the consequential adjustments, as now submitted at Essential Reference Paper ‘A’ to these Minutes.