Issue - meetings

Councillor R C Evans, Cabinet Member for Finance, Governance and Customer Services, presented the report of the Director: Finance & Human Resources (Chief Financial Officer) which set out how the Council would deliver the Strategy and its five key priorities.  It sought approval of the Council’s Medium Term Financial Strategy for the next four years together with the budget framework for 2022/23.  A one year funding settlement had been received and there was increased demand for key services. There was a freeze on council tax for the next two years and the Council continued to invest in the Borough to make it an attractive place to live, work, learn and visit. 

A debate followed which focussed on investment in key services, affordable homes, borrowing, improving the highways, footpaths, cycleways, green spaces and the freezing of council tax.

In accordance with the Local Authorities (Standing Orders) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2014, a recorded vote was taken on the recommendations as follows:-

For (37)

Councillors K T Blundell, M Boylan, A J Burford, E M Callear, L D Carter, G H Cook, S Davies, A R H England, R C Evans, C Healy, V J Holt, T L B Janke, A S Jhawar, J Jones, J E Lavery, A D McClements, R Mehta, K Middleton, L A Murray, G Offland, R A Overton, I Preece, G C W Reynolds, S J Reynolds, S A W Reynolds, H Rhodes, K S Sahota, P J Scott, C F Smith, M Smith, K T Tomlinson, W L Tomlinson, C R Turley, P Watling, B Wennington, D R W White and D Wright

Against (12)

Councillors S Bentley, S P Burrell, N A Dugmore, A J Eade, I T W Fletcher, V Fletcher, J Gough, E J Greenaway, M B Hosken, A Lawrence, T J Nelson, J M Seymour

Abstain (1)

Councillor E J Carter

And it was:

RESOLVED – that Full Council:

a)    approve the MTFS for 2022/23 – 2025/26 and the budget framework for 2022/23 set out in this suite of reports.

b)   approve a 2 year freeze of the general Council Tax level.

c)    apply the Government’s 1% Adult Social Care Precept in 2022/23.

d)   approve the investment of a further £5.16m into Adult Social Care in 2022/23 rising to £6.96m in 2023/24.

e)    approve net investment of £1.31m in to Children’s Safeguarding in 2022/23

f)     approve the budget savings listed in Appendix 13 totalling £5.656m in 2022/23 rising to £8.34m (after “leakage”) in 2023/24.

g)   approve the continuation of work with partner organisations, including Town & Parish Councils and Voluntary Sector and Community Groups to seek to identify ways to mitigate the impact of some of the cuts to services that we can no longer afford and to note the availability of the Invest to Save/Capacity Fund which is available to support partnership working. 

h)   approve the base budget in Appendix 6.

i)     approve the use of £0.220m special fund balances for works at Castle Green Cemetery

j)     approve the use of £250k  ...  view the full minutes text for item 188

The Cabinet Member for Finance, Governance and Customer Services presented the report of the Director: Finance & H.R. (Chief Financial Officer).

The report being presented was broadly the same as that presented at the 6 January 2022 meeting with the addition of an updated risk register, details of the Council’s tax reduction policy, pay policy, and efficiency strategy. It was accompanied by previously agreed strategies with updated budgets and schemes of work; these included the capital strategy that set out the long-term context of decision-making, supported by detailed programme reports covering building investment and highway and transport programmes. The final part of the report included a prudential indicator report together.

Members’ attention was drawn to Appendix 17. The document was a variation to the West Mercia Energy Joint Agreement that would provide more equitable distribution of surpluses. This would have a minimal impact on the Council.

Members welcomed the report and thanked staff for their hard work. The Council continued to invest in the Borough and strived to improve the lives of residents at what was a challenging time for many across the country,

The Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group welcomed the report and stated his Group’s support for the budget. Support was noted in particular for NuPlace and the Borough’s growth fund.

The Leader of the Conservative Group stated concern at the level of the Council’s debt. In response, the Cabinet Member for Finance, Governance and Customer Services stated that there were a number of documents in the report that advised on this matter, such as the prudential indicators report. The Council’s borrowing had been sensible and prudent.

RESOLVED – that Cabinet

Approve the following recommendations for consideration by full Council on 3 March 2022:-

1.         To approve the MTFS for 2022/23 – 2025/26 and the budget framework for 2022/23 set out in this suite of reports.

2.         To approve a 2 year freeze of the general Council Tax level.

3.         To apply the Government’s 1% Adult Social Care Precept in 2022/23.

4.         To approve the investment of a further £5.16m into Adult Social Care in 2022/23 rising to £6.96m in 2023/24.

5.         To approve net investment of £1.31m in to Children’s Safeguarding in 2022/23.

6.         To approve the budget savings listed in Appendix 13 totalling £5.656m in 2022/23 rising to £8.34m (after “leakage”) in 2023/24.

7.         To approve the continuation of work with partner organisations, including Town & Parish Councils and Voluntary Sector and Community Groups to seek to identify ways to mitigate the impact of some of the cuts to services that we can no longer afford and to note the availability of the Invest to Save/Capacity Fund which is available to support partnership working. 

8.         To approve the base budget in Appendix 6.

9.         To approve the use of £0.220m special fund balances for works at Castle Green Cemetery

10.       To approve the use of £250k from the Invest to Save/Capacity   Fund to support the development of “shovel-ready” schemes to maximise the Council’s ability to receive funding  ...  view the full minutes text for item 135