Issue - meetings

To present the outcomes from the various Portfolio Holder Working Parties to consider whether to take them forward / develop further for inclusion in the budget from 2017/18 and beyond.

That Cabinet:

(a)          noted the outcome from the Portfolio Holder Working Parties and other savings     proposals identified and requested comments from the Corporate Management Committee; and

(b)          requested the relevant Corporate Director to undertake the necessary actions to take forward the proposed budget reductions to be considered for inclusion in the detailed estimates for recommending to Council in February 2017 and/or to present further reports to Cabinet in due course.

There was submitted a report by the Portfolio Holder for Finance, Revenues & Benefits (Report A.5), which presented Cabinet with the outcomes from the various Portfolio Holder Working Parties to enable it to consider whether to take them forward / develop further for inclusion in the budget from 2017/18 and beyond.

Cabinet was aware that, as part of the financial strategy process for 2017/18, it had agreed that Portfolio Holder led working parties be established with the aim of identifying the necessary  budget reductions to meet the budget ‘gaps’ estimated for the period 2017/18 to 2019/20.

Following the working party meetings, the relevant Portfolio Holders had put forward budget reduction proposals totalling £0.268million in 2017/18 rising to £0.528million on an on-going basis from 2019/20. Those amounts included a number of other items that had been identified outside of the working party meetings but in consultation with the relevant Portfolio Holder where relevant.

It was reported that a number of proposals would be subject to further decision making processes via separate reports presented to Cabinet later in the year. However, subject to the Officers’ recommendations being approved, the items put forward would be considered for inclusion in the budget as it was developed over the next three months for recommending to Council in February 2017, which could include an initial investment to deliver the budget reductions.

The Cabinet was advised that the budget reductions identified to date did not meet the required savings target of £1.565million in 2017/18. Officers therefore continued to work in consultation with Portfolio Holders in order to identify further savings. At this stage of the budget process, the one-off use of reserves to balance the budget could not be ruled out which would add further budget pressures in 2018/19 where further on-going savings would need to be found to replace any money drawn down from reserves in 2017/18.

Therefore, given the scale of the estimated budget ‘gaps’ of £1.700million and £1.500million in 2018/19 and 2019/20 respectively, it was proposed to continue the Portfolio Holder led working parties in order to support the identification of further savings needed to deliver a balanced and sustainable budget in future years.

Having considered the information provided, it was moved by Councillor Howard, seconded by Councillor G V Guglielmi and:

RESOLVED that Cabinet:

(a)       noted the outcome from the Portfolio Holder Working Parties and other savings     proposals identified and requested comments from the Corporate Management Committee; and

(b)       requested the relevant Corporate Director to undertake the necessary actions to take forward the proposed budget reductions to be considered for inclusion in the detailed estimates for recommending to Council in February 2017 and/or to present further reports to Cabinet in due course.