Agenda item

Report number: PAS/WS/23/001

At its meeting on 17 November 2022, report number PAS/WS/22/021 provided an updated position on the process and approach to setting the council’s 2023 to 2024 budget and the principles and challenges faced in achieving this.

The Committee on 26 January 2023, received report number PAS/WS/23/001 which provided a further update on assumptions and anticipated savings and initiatives proposed or already delivered to date to deliver a sustainable and balanced budget for 2023 to 2024 and included details of the medium-term budget estimates.  This would not only deliver services but also the strategic vision and priorities of the council whilst meeting future challenges.  This robust approach would enable the authority to invest in initiatives to meet its goals around areas such as the environment and managing growth whilst helping increase the health and economic wellbeing of West Suffolk. 

The proposed key budget assumptions and Table 1 were set out in Section 2 of the report. 

The Committee was informed that the West Suffolk pension fund stood at 102% funded as at the end of March 2023.  As a result of the triannual review the Council was in a position to reduce its contribution to the pension fund as an employer, with the pension fund still having a significant chance of being fully funded over the next three years.

The medium-term budget plans, beyond April 2024 were being prepared in the context of significant uncertainties around the current economic climate and Government policy.  The council would continue to lobby Government over financial support and funding together with partners and other local authorities. 

Overall, the budget position showed a balanced budget for the next two years.

The Performance and Audit Scrutiny Committee considered the report in detail and asked questions to which comprehensive responses were provided. 

In particular discussions were held on the process carried out with staff to look at potential savings; the impact of capital investments; replenishing the general reserves fund which had been used for challenges such as Covid and the current cost of living crisis; the council’s asset management plan; electric vehicle charging points and whether £80k for investment per year was sufficient; efficiency savings; income generated from Barley Homes and street lighting.

Detailed discussions were also held on the Western Way Development.  In response to a question raised in relation to leisure and whether any research had been carried out on what residents wanted, officers advised that research had been done and in response to that the leisure element would have flexile space which could be adapted to trends and demands around leisure activity.

In response to a question raised on electric vehicle charging points and whether £80k for investment per was sufficient, officers stated there was some flexibility and would take advice from car parking colleagues if there was a need to increase funding due to demand.

Some members again raised the issue of street lighting and questioned whether the council was going to renew the street lighting contract.  The Cabinet Member for Resources and Property informed the Committee that the Cabinet had already made its decision on street lighting, and the call-in period had expired, and the decision was now being implemented.  The agreed talks with town and parish councils and the County Council were underway where these had been requested, and the issue of which streetlights West Suffolk Council itself owned was going to be included in the wider review of our relationship with town and parish councils in 2023.  Councillor Carol Bull had also sent all councillors a detailed briefing just before Christmas. Therefore, most members were very familiar with the details, and there was not much more that could be explained or said at this stage.

The Chair then thanked members for raising the issue of street lighting, which was also raised and discussed in detail at its last meeting on 17 November 2022.  As per the minutes attached to the agenda, the Committee voted and recommended that Cabinet notes the concerns of some members of the committee on the matter of street lighting in the former Forest Heath area.  This was raised with Cabinet on 6 December 2022 and previously at full Council and was being taken forward by Cabinet and for that reasons he was not keen to take too much time on this at tonight’s meeting.

At the conclusion of the discussions, it was then proposed by Councillor John Augustine, seconded by Councillor Nick Clarke, and with the vote being 4 for, 4 against and 1 abstention, the Chair was called upon to make his casting vote.

Accordingly, it was resolved on the Chair’s casting vote that it was: 

          RECOMMENDED

That Cabinet include the proposals as detailed in Section 2 and Table 1 at Paragraph 3.4 of report number PAS/WS/23/001, in the 2023 to 2024 budget.

[Councillor Andy Neal left the meeting at 6.05pm at the conclusion of this item].