Issue - meetings

Report of the Cabinet Member Finance

RESOLVED THAT it be recommended to Council that :

1.    the revised budget for 2016/17 be noted and the recommendation of the Section 151 Officer to transfer the identified saving of £110,737 to the budget strategy (support) reserveas detailed in Section 3.1 be approved.

2.    Having considered the budget assessment by the Section 151 Officer at Appendix 2 the following recommendations be approved :

3.    the final budget proposals including a proposed council tax for the services provided by Cheltenham Borough Council of £197.12 for the year 2017/18 (an increase of 2.60% or £5.00 a year for a Band D property), as detailed in paragraphs 4.37 to 4.42 be approved.

4.    the growth proposals, including one off initiatives at Appendix 4, be approved.

5.    the savings / additional income totalling £1,408,700 and the budget strategy at Appendix 5 be approved.

6.    the use of reserves and general balances be approved and the projected level of reserves, as detailed at Appendix 6 be noted.

7.    Award temporary business rates relief for local newspapers for up to two years from April 2017, as set out in paras 4.30 to 4.33, subject to full reimbursement from the Government and the award of such relief be delegated to the Revenues Manager.

8.    It be noted that the Council will remain in the Gloucestershire business rates pool for 2017/18 (para 4.26).

9.    an above inflationary increase in cremation fee (estimated to generate additional income of £373,550) with a corresponding contribution to the budget strategy (support) reserve, as detailed in paragraphs 6.10 to 6.13 be approved.

10.  the Pay Policy Statement for 2017/18, including the continued payment of a living wage supplement at Appendix 9 be approved.

11.  a level of supplementary estimate of £100,000 for 2017/18 as outlined in Section 14 be approved.

The Cabinet Member Finance introduced the report which summarised the revised budget for 2016/17 and the Cabinet’s final budget proposals and pay policy statement for 2017/18. She highlighted that this was yet another budget cycle in which huge savings had to be found in already extremely difficult financial times, as the government funding was cut again at the last minute with the £600 000 loss of New Homes Bonus. The net result of this was that the budget process for 2018/19 would be even tougher and would make it very difficult to avoid making cuts.

The Cabinet Member Finance noted that the council had always been prudent in its use of New Homes Bonus which has meant that any excess had been used to bolster reserves. The plan for 2017/18 was to put £300k into 2020 vision and £300k into the budget strategy reserve, but if this was to be realized then bringing in a balanced budget without making cuts to services would not be possible. She emphasized that not making service cuts had been a priority for the administration which was why it was being proposed to use the planned excess to support the revenue budget for this year. 

The administration was looking to the future positively, with a number of exciting improvements and projects in the pipeline including the new crematorium, improved kerbside recycling, the potential of hosting the tour of Britain cycle race and the funding awarded to take the cyber centre forward. Smaller projects, such as the changing places public conveniences along with the cycling and walking project were of equal importance.

Finally, the Cabinet Member Finance expressed her sincere thanks to all of the Go Shared Services finance team, in particular Paul Jones and Sarah Didcote, for their enormous amount of hard work in supporting the process.

A Member commented on the table outlined in paragraph 4.11 in the budget report which set out the proposed levels of government funding per dwelling in 2017/18 across the Gloucestershire Districts. Whilst the differences between rural and urban authorities were recognised he questioned the way in which the Government was awarding grants.

The Leader endorsed the thanks already given to the Finance team.

RESOLVED THAT it be recommended to Council that :

1.    the revised budget for 2016/17 be noted and the recommendation of the Section 151 Officer to transfer the identified saving of £110,737 to the budget strategy (support) reserveas detailed in Section 3.1 be approved.

2.    Having considered the budget assessment by the Section 151 Officer at Appendix 2 the following recommendations be approved :

3.    the final budget proposals including a proposed council tax for the services provided by Cheltenham Borough Council of £197.12 for the year 2017/18 (an increase of 2.60% or £5.00 a year for a Band D property), as detailed in paragraphs 4.37 to 4.42 be approved.

4.    the growth proposals, including one off initiatives at Appendix 4, be approved.

5.    the savings / additional income totalling £1,408,700 and the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5