Issue - meetings

This report seeks guidance on the approach to producing the Council’s budget for 2024/25 and Medium Term Financial Strategy for 2024-28.

Following consideration, the Committee unanimously resolved to agree:

(1)      The proposed approach to be taken to 2024/25 budget setting and the Medium Term Financial Strategy 2024-28, as set out in the report;

(2)      That officers should work with Policy Committee Chairs, as set out in section 7 of the report, to produce specific income generation and savings options, in addition to savings already targeted, to meet the initial projected deficit of £2.5m per annum by 2027/28;

(3)      That owing to the Council’s projected budget deficit, any additional new revenue growth items (i.e. service enhancements resulting in increased net expenditure) supported by Policy Committees will need to be fully funded from existing budgets;

(4)      That the emerging annual / business plan and the budget process are aligned to ensure that any commitments are affordable;

(5)      The budget reporting timetable in Appendix 1 to the report.

The Committee received a report seeking guidance on the approach to producing the Council’s budget for 2024/25 and Medium Term Financial Strategy for 2024-28.

The following matter was considered:

a)            Service efficiencies and revenue generation. A member of the committee asked a question about the identification of further service efficiencies and cost reductions. The Chair informed the Committee that further savings would be limited in nature, as the easy savings had already been achieved. The Chair expressed that he was confident that the Council would be able to meet the budget gap identified through a combination of revenue generation and cost savings.

Following consideration, the Committee unanimously resolved to agree:

(1)      The proposed approach to be taken to 2024/25 budget setting and the Medium Term Financial Strategy 2024-28, as set out in the report;

(2)      That officers should work with Policy Committee Chairs, as set out in section 7 of the report, to produce specific income generation and savings options, in addition to savings already targeted, to meet the initial projected deficit of £2.5m per annum by 2027/28;

(3)      That owing to the Council’s projected budget deficit, any additional new revenue growth items (i.e. service enhancements resulting in increased net expenditure) supported by Policy Committees will need to be fully funded from existing budgets;

(4)      That the emerging annual / business plan and the budget process are aligned to ensure that any commitments are affordable;

(5)      The budget reporting timetable in Appendix 1 to the report.