The Cabinet will be asked to consider the proposals for the 2024 to 2025 budget and Medium Term Financial Strategy 2024 to 2028 for West Suffolk Council, prior to its approval by Council.  This report includes the Minimum Revenues Provision (MRP) Policy and Prudential Indicators, and also the outcomes of the Council’s review of its fees and charges.

The fees and charges have been reviewed in accordance with the Council’s Fees and Charges Policy, which has resulted in proposed increases to some. Where the proposed increase is greater than five percent, this constitutes a Key Decision. The Cabinet will consider the proposals as part of its consideration of this report. 

26 January 2024

Issue of Special Urgency Notice (Inclusion of Exempt Appendices)

The Cabinet will be asked to consider the proposals for the 2024 to 2025 budget and Medium Term Financial Strategy 2024 to 2028 for West Suffolk Council, prior to its approval by Council.

The inclusion of exempt Appendices are the business cases for new projects under the Capital Programme and are required to be included

to enable the Council to have access to all relevant information.  It has not been possible to provide 28 days’ notice for the reporting of these Appendices being considered in private session, as it was not known that exempt Appendices would be attached to the consideration of this report.

Under the Access to Information Procedure Rules of the Council’s Constitution, paragraphs 16.1 and 17.2, which requires that where the normal procedure cannot be followed in respect of the consideration of matters in private, agreement is to be sought from the Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee as to why the matter cannot be reasonably deferred.  This has been undertaken accordingly.

The Cabinet will be asked to consider writing-off outstanding debts, as detailed in the exempt appendices.

The Cabinet will be asked to consider the recommendations of the Performance and Audit Scrutiny Committee regarding seeking approval for the financial resilience activities between 1 April 2023 and 31 December 2023.

The Cabinet will be asked to recommend to Council, approval of the Strategy Statement 2024 to 2025 and Treasury Management Code of Practice for West Suffolk Council, which must be undertaken before the start of each financial year.

The Cabinet will be asked to consider recommendations of the Performance and Audit Scrutiny Committee for recommending to Council on proposals for achieving a sustainable budget in 2024 to 2025 and in the medium term.

The Cabinet will be asked to consider proposals for potential revisions to the Local Council Tax Reduction Scheme prior to seeking its approval by Council.

The Cabinet will be asked to recommend to Council the basis of the formal calculation for the Council Tax Base for West Suffolk Council for the financial year 2024 to 2025.

The Cabinet will be asked to consider the recommendations of the Performance and Audit Scrutiny Committee regarding seeking approval for the financial resilience activities between 1 April 2023 and 30 June 2023.

The Cabinet will be asked to consider the recommendations of the Performance and Audit Scrutiny Committee regarding seeking approval for the Annual Treasury Management and Financial Resilience Report for 2022 to 2023.