Issue - meetings

This report informs the Committee of the Council’s revenue budget targets approved by the Strategy and Resources Committee.  This report seeks support for changes to services and any further guidance on the preparation of the Committee’s service estimates for 2018/19 and for the following next two financial years.

That the Committee:

(1)          Notes the implications of the budget targets approved by the Strategy and Resources Committee;

(2)          Notes the previously agreed savings identified in paragraph 3.3 of the report;

(3)          Supports in principle the future savings options as set out in paragraph 3.4 of the report for further work and inclusion in the Medium Term Financial Strategy;

(4)          Notes that it might be requested to give further consideration as to how additional savings can be generated to address the Council-wide funding gap of £90,000 as identified in paragraph 3.5 of the report.

A report was presented to the Committee informing members of the Council’s revenue budget targets approved by the Strategy and Resources Committee.  The report sought support for changes to services and any further guidance on the preparation of the Committee’s service estimates for 2018/19 and for the following next two years.

The report highlighted that the Council’s current budget strategy involved continuing to deliver efficiency savings and generate additional service income whilst reviewing service levels in order that service costs could be reduced as needed to achieve a balanced budget year on year.  The impact of this on this Committee’s budget targets was that the Committee had offered up £146,000 of savings in 2018/19 towards the Council’s overall savings target of £588,000. £52,000 of these savings related to the Committee’s decision last year to cease sweeping up highway verge cuttings after cutting.  Officers had further identified efficiency savings and income generation schemes totalling £94,000.  However, the report indicated that, even with this contribution towards savings, the Council still faced a budget deficit of £90,000 in 2018/19 and further savings would be required by all committees to address this gap.

Accordingly, the Committee:

(1)          Noted the implications of the budget targets approved by the Strategy and Resources Committee;

(2)          Noted the previously agreed savings identified in paragraph 3.3 of the report;

(3)          Supported in principle the future savings options as set out in paragraph 3.4 of the report for further work and inclusion in the Medium Term Financial Strategy;

(4)          Noted that it might be requested to give further consideration as to how additional savings could be generated to address the Council-wide funding gap of £90,000 as identified in paragraph 3.5 of the report.