Issue - meetings

Report No:   CAB/SE/15/062

Cabinet Member: Ian Houlder         Lead Officer: Joanne Howlett

RECOMMENDED TO COUNCIL (15 December 2015):

That the proposals, as detailed in Section 5 and Table 2 at paragraph 5.1 of Report No: PAS/SE/15/026, be included, in securing a balanced budget for 2016/2017.

The  Cabinet considered Report No: CAB/SE/15/062 (previously circulated) which sought approval for proposals to assist with the securing of a balanced budget for 2016/2017.

Councillor Ian Houlder, Portfolio Holder for Resources and Performance, drew relevant issues to the attention of the Cabinet including that a number of budget saving proposals had been considered by the Performance and Audit Scrutiny Committee, as set out in Section 5 and Table 2 at paragraph 5.1 of Report No: PAS/SE/15/026.  Councillor Houlder drew attention to the proposals  in the table and also the proposals  for continuing the current scheme of gradually phasing out the Local Council Tax Support Grant by April 2017, and the continuation of the Rural Initiative Grant Scheme for the four-year period 2016-2020, through the reallocation of the underspend of monies previously allocated to the Rural Action Plan.

Emphasis was placed on the current and future financial pressures and challenges facing St Edmundsbury, as set out in the Medium Term Financial Strategy 2014-2016, and how the Council needed to behave more commercially to assist with the handling of future budget constraints. 

Councillor Sarah Broughton, Chairman of the Performance and Audit Scrutiny Committee, explained how the Committee had thoroughly scrutinised Report No: PAS/SE/15/026 and that like many other local councils, St Edmundsbury would need to make difficult financial decisions to secure a balanced budget for 2016/2017 and beyond.

RECOMMENDED TO COUNCIL:

That the proposals, as detailed in Section 5 and Table 2 at paragraph 5.1 of Report No: PAS/SE/15/026, be included in securing a balanced budget for 2016/2017.