The Committee is asked to note any apologies for absence and substitutions received from Members.

In relation to members of the Committee, there were no apologies for absence submitted nor substitutions made on this occasion.

The Committee was informed that the Portfolio Holder for the Environment (Councillor Smith) who had been due to attend the meeting was unable to do so due to illness.

To confirm and sign as a correct record, the minutes of the last meeting of the Committee, held on Tuesday 17 December 2024.

It was moved by Councillor M Cossens, seconded by Councillor Goldman and:-

RESOLVED that the Minutes of the last meeting of the Committee held on 17 December 2024 be confirmed as a correct record and be signed by the Chairman.

Councillors are invited to declare any Disclosable Pecuniary Interests, Other Registerable Interests of Non-Registerable Interests, and the nature of it, in relation to any item on the agenda.

In relation to any possible discussions of the Careline service at this meeting, Councillors P B Honeywood and S A Honeywood both declared an Other Registrable Interest insofar as a member of their family was a customer of Careline.

The Monitoring Officer (Lisa Hastings) had decided, prior to the commencement of the meeting, that as Councillors P B Honeywood and S A Honeywood were not Decision Makers on the future of the Careline service, she had consented to grant them both a Dispensation in order to allow them to remain in the meeting.

Subject to providing two working days' notice, a Member of the Committee may ask the Chairman of the Committee a question on any matter in relation to which the Council has powers or duties which affect the Tendring District and which falls within the terms of reference of the Committee.

No Questions on Notice pursuant to Council Procedure Rule 38 had been submitted for this meeting.

To set out the Executive’s initial budget proposals for 2025/26 in respect of both the General Fund (GF) and Housing Revenue Account (HRA) for scrutiny by the Committee in accordance with the provisions of Budget and Policy Framework Procedure Rule 3 of the Council’s Constitution.

The Committee scrutinised the Executive’s initial budget proposals for 2025/26 in respect of both the General Fund (GF) and Housing Revenue Account (HRA) for in accordance with the provisions of Budget and Policy Framework Procedure Rule 3 of the Council’s Constitution.

Members were aware that reports relating to the Executive’s initial GF and HRA Budget proposals for 2025/26 had been considered by Cabinet on 20 December 2024, with the comments of the Committee now requested as part of developing the Executive’s final budget proposals for presenting to Full Council in February 2025.

The following sets out each report in turn:

1)       Appendix A - Updated General Fund Financial Forecast / Budget 2025/26

At its meeting on 20 December 2024 (Minute 98 referred), Cabinet had:-

“RESOLVED that –

a)       the updated Financial Forecast and proposed budget position for 2025/26, as set out in item A.5 of the Report of the Corporate Finance & Governance Portfolio Holder and its appendices, be approved; and

b)       the Resources and Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee’s comments be requested on this latest financial forecast and proposed position for 2025/26.”

2)       Appendix B - Updated Housing Revenue Account Business Plan and Budget Proposals 2025/26

At its meeting on 20 December 2024 (Minute 104 referred), Cabinet had:-

“RESOLVED that -

(a)     the updated HRA 30-year Business Plan, which includes the proposed revised position for 2024/25 along with budget proposals for 2025/26, be approved; and

(b)     the Resources and Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee’s comments be requested on this latest HRA financial forecast.”

The Committee recalled that, at its meeting held on 17 December 2024 (Minute 67 referred), Members had considered, inter alia, the Committee’s approach to budget scrutiny at this meeting and it had been resolved:-

(c)     “agrees that its approach to budget scrutiny to be undertaken at its meetings on Monday, 6 January (informal) and Monday, 13 January 2025 in respect of the draft General Fund and draft Housing Revenue Account budgets for 2025/26 and beyond will be as follows:-

(1)     at its informal meeting on 6 January, the Committee will receive a presentation from the Director (Finance and IT) on the latest budget position and will then look to decide which Portfolio Holders will be required to appear before the Committee on 13 January;

(2)     on 13 January, the Committee will consider the highlights and general overview of the budget but will particularly focus on how costs are built from the ground upwards with an eye to the implications of LGR;

(3)     that the meetings on 6 January and 13 January will both commence at 7.00 p.m.; and

(4)     that the members of the Cabinet be requested to hold the evening of Monday 13 January 2025 in their diaries in case they are required to appear before the Committee.”

At the informal meeting of the Committee held on 6 January 2025 Members had decided that the following members of the Executive would be required to appear before the Committee:-

Councillor Mark Stephenson (Leader of the Council and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 72.

To set out the Executive’s initial proposals for highlight priorities in 2025/26 for scrutiny by the Committee.

Earlier on in the meeting as detailed under Minute 70 above and in relation to any possible discussions of the Careline service at this meeting, Councillors P B Honeywood and S A Honeywood had both declared an Other Registrable Interest insofar as a member of their family was a customer of Careline.

The Monitoring Officer (Lisa Hastings) had decided, prior to the commencement of the meeting, that as Councillors P B Honeywood and S A Honeywood were not Decision Makers on the future of the Careline service, she had consented to grant them both a Dispensation in order to allow them to remain in the meeting.

The Committee scrutinised the Executive’s initial proposals for highlight priorities in 2025/26.

Members were aware that a report relating to the Executive’s initial proposals for highlight priorities for 2025/26 had been considered by Cabinet on 20 December 2024, with the comments of the Committee now requested as part of developing the Executive’s final proposals.

Appendix A – Delivering against the Council’s Corporate Plan 2024-28 – Initial Proposals for Highlight Priorities for 2025/26

At its meeting on 20 December 2024 (Minute 96 referred), Cabinet had:-

“RESOLVED that -

(a)     the initial highlight priorities for 2025/26, as set out at Appendix B to the report (A.3), be approved for consultation;

(b)     all Councillors, other partners and the public be invited to consider the initial priorities referred to in (a) above; and

(c)     the outcome of the consultation referred to in (b) above be reported to Cabinet on 21 February 2025 in order that Cabinet can formally adopt its finalised highlight priority actions for 2025/26 with relevant milestones during that year.”

At the meeting of the Committee the following questions were asked to which the Portfolio Holder for Partnerships and others, when appropriate, responded.