Issue - meetings

Report No:   CAB/SE/16/061

Portfolio Holder: Ian HoulderLead Officer: Rachael Mann

RECOMMENDED TO COUNCIL: (20 December 2016)

That:

(1)     the proposals, as detailed in Section 5 and Table 2 at paragraph 5.1 of Report No: PAS/SE/16/029, be included, in securing a balanced budget for 2017-2018;

(2)     the items, as detailed in paragraph 5.3 of Report No: PAS/SE/16/029 are treated as pending budgets that will require the necessary approvals before they can be committed;

(3)     the items as detailed in paragraph 5.5 and Table 3 of Report No: PAS/SE/16/029, be removed from the capital programme; and

(4)     the reserve transfers as detailed in paragraph 5.7 and Table 4 of Report No: PAS/SE/16/029, be approved.

The Cabinet considered Report No: CAB/SE/16/062, which sought approval for progressing the securing of a balanced budget for 2017/2018 and a sustainable budget in the medium term.

Councillor Ian Houlder, Portfolio Holder for Resources and Performance, drew relevant issues to the attention of Cabinet, including that St Edmundsbury Borough Council continued to face considerable financial challenges as a result of increased cost and demand pressures and constraints on public sector spending.

In order to address this and progress securing a balanced budget for 2017/2018 and a sustainable budget in the medium term, a number of budget proposals had been scrutinised by the Performance and Audit Scrutiny Committee, as contained in Table 2 of paragraph 5.1 of Report No: PAS/SE/16/029, which were now presented to Cabinet for recommending approval to Council for inclusion in the budget setting process.

In addition, it was acknowledged that a number of projects were currently in the pipeline and full business cases were yet to be approved in the 2016/2017 financial year.  Following approval of these business cases, the capital and revenue returns would be included in the budgets going forward and the current budget gap figure would be revised. 

Members also considered the items suggested to be removed from the capital programme and the proposed transfers of earmarked reserves, as set out in paragraphs 5.5 (Table 3) and 5.7 (Table 4) of Report No: PAS/SE/16/029 were acceptable.

RECOMMENDED TO COUNCIL:

That:

(1)    the proposals, as detailed in Section 5 and Table 2 at paragraph 5.1 of Report No: PAS/SE/16/029, be included, in securing a balanced budget for 2017-2018;

(2)    the items, as detailed in paragraph 5.3 of Report No: PAS/SE/16/029 are treated as pending budgets that will require the necessary approvals before they can be committed;

(3)    the items as detailed in paragraph 5.5 and Table 3 of Report No: PAS/SE/16/029, be removed from the capital programme; and

(4)    the reserve transfers as detailed in paragraph 5.7 and Table 4 of Report No: PAS/SE/16/029, be approved.