Issue - meetings

To consider a report of the Leader of the Council (Policy, Reform & Finance) and the Executive Councillor (Corporate, Customer & Community Services).

The Executive Councillor (Corporate, Customer & Community Services) (Councillor Mark Weldon) submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) finalising the Executive’s Revenue Budget Proposals for 2014/15, Fees and Charges for 2014/15 and Capital Programme Investment Plans. The report also outlined the Executive’s approach to dealing with the significant financial challenges still facing the Council, in particular the forecast savings requirement of around £42m relating to 2015/16 and 2016/17. The report further discussed the overarching priorities and desired outcomes upon which the Executive would base future budget proposals, and which would form the basis of a refreshed Council Plan.

RESOLVED – (38 for, 20 abstentions) That:-

(1) approval be given to the Budget for 2014/15 as described in the report and set out in Appendix Three.

(2) the financial forecasts for 2015/16 to 2016/17 (Appendix Four), and the key issues to be addressed in formulating a response to the continuing financial challenges facing the Council be noted.

(3) approval be given to the appropriate Council Tax resolutions which produce a Council Tax Freeze for Stockport Council services as illustrated at Appendix Ten.

(4) approval be given to the new capital scheme for the Highways Investment Programme, including the additional prudential borrowing of £22.619m over the three year capital programme and a borrowing requirement of £75.125m over the full eight-year programme, as set out at Appendix Seven, together with the means of contributing to the capital financing charges.

(5) approval be given to the transfer of the £2m recurrent unsupported borrowing for Invest to Save Footways from Communities and Sustainability Portfolio to Economic Development and Regeneration Portfolio as part of the Highways Investment Programme.

(6) approval be given to additional prudential borrowing of £3.6m in 2014/15 required for the Leisure Strategy to support the new leisure facility at Brinnington.

(7) approval be given to the 2014/15 to 2016/17 capital programme and the funding arrangements set out at Appendix Eight.

(8) approval be given to the prudential indicators set out in Appendix Nine.

(9) approval be given to the work being carried out on the development of capital projects to enable the Executive to be able to review revise and extend its capital programme during 2014/15.

(10) the risk assessment of the budget at Appendix Five and the report of the Corporate Director, Corporate and Support Services on the adequacy of proposed financial reserves and robustness of the estimates included at Appendix Six be noted.

The names of those councillors voting on this resolution were recorded as follows:-

Those councillors who voted for the resolution were:-

The Deputy Mayor (Councillor Mike Wilson); Councillors Ben Alexander, Shan Alexander, Brian Bagnall, Paul Bellis, Andrew Bispham, Stuart Bodsworth, Peter Burns, Martin Candler, Christine Corris, Stuart Corris, Sue Derbyshire, Kevin Dowling, Chris Gordon, Lenny Grice, Daniel Hawthorne, Kevin Hogg, Keith Holloway, Linda Holt, Sylvia Humphreys, Pam King, Mags Kirkham, Bryan Leck, Syd Lloyd, Patrick McAuley, Wendy Meikle, Adrian Nottingham, Anthony O’Neill, Wendy Orrell, John Pantall, Paul Porgess, Iain Roberts, June Somekh, Alanna Vine, Lisa Walker, Mark Weldon, Craig Wright and Suzanne Wyatt.

Those councillors who abstained were:-

The Mayor (Councillor Chris Murphy); Councillors Sheila Bailey, Laura Booth, Walter Brett, Kate Butler, Richard Coaton, Dean Fitzpatrick, Colin Foster, Alexander Ganotis, Tom Grundy, Philip Harding, Brian Hendley, Tom McGee, Paul Moss, Maureen Rowles, David Sedgwick, Andrew Verdeille, David White, Wendy Wild and David Wilson.

To consider a joint report of the Leader of the Council (Policy, Reform & Finance) and the Executive Councillor (Corporate, Customer & Community Services)

The proposals set out in this report take as their starting point the updated forecasts and indicative spending plans contained in the report of the Corporate Director for Corporate and Support Services (‘Medium Term Financial Plan – Financial Landscape and Forecasts 2014/15 to 2016/17) which is included elsewhere on the agenda.

In this report the Executive endorses those forecasts and proposes further adjustments, the main items being a council tax freeze and a substantial highways investment programme. The report includes for consideration by the Council a revenue budget for 2014/15, updated forecasts for 2015/16 and 2016/17 and a capital programme for 2014/15 to 2016/17.

The Executive is recommended to approve amendments to the schedule of Fees and Charges for 2014/15 as set out in Annex One.

In respect of the Revenue Budget, Capital Programme and Medium Term Financial Plan, the Executive is asked to recommend that the Council Meeting:

·      agrees the Budget for 2014/15 as described in the report and set out in Appendix Three;

·      notes and comments upon the financial forecasts for 2015/16 to 2016/17 (Appendix Four), and the key issues to be addressed in formulating a response to the continuing financial challenges facing the Council;

·      passes the appropriate Council Tax resolutions which produce a Council Tax Freeze for Council services as illustrated at Appendix Ten;

·      approves the new capital scheme for the Highways Investment Programme, including the additional prudential borrowing of £22.619m over the three year capital programme and a borrowing requirement of £75.125m over the full eight-year programme, as set out at Appendix Seven, together with the means of contributing to the capital financing charges ;

·      approves the virement of the £2m recurrent unsupported borrowing for Invest to Save Footways from Communities and Sustainability Portfolio to Economic Development and Regeneration Portfolio as part of the Highways Investment Programme;

·      approves the additional prudential borrowing of £3.6m in 2014/15 required for the Leisure Strategy to support the new leisure facility at Brinnington;

·      approves the 2014/15 to 2016/17 capital programme and the funding arrangements set out at Appendix Eight;

·      approves the prudential indicators set out in Appendix Nine;

·      approves the work being carried out on the development of capital projects to enable the Executive to be able to review revise and extend its capital programme during 2014/15; and

·      notes the risk assessment of the budget at Appendix Five and the report of the Corporate Director, Corporate and Support Services on the adequacy of proposed financial reserves and robustness of the estimates included at Appendix Six.

(Note: this decision is exempt from call-in)

Officer contact: Andy Moran, 0161 474 4086, Andrew.moran@stockport.gov.uk

A joint report of the Leader of the Council (Policy, Reform & Finance) and the Executive Councillor (Corporate, Customer & Community Services) was submitted (copies of which had been circulated) inviting the Executive Meeting to consider the Executive’s proposed Revenue Budget for 2014/15, Capital Programme for 2014/15 to 2016/17 and Medium Term Financial Plan for 2014/15. The proposals set out in the report took as their starting point the updated forecasts and indicative spending plans contained in the ‘Medium Term Financial Plan – Financial Landscape and Forecasts 2014/15 to 2016/17’ (see Minute 15 above).

The Executive Councillor (Corporate, Customer & Community Services) reported that since publication of the report the Government had published the final settlement for 2014/15 that included around £12,000 of additional Revenue Support Grant for the Council. The increase in Revenue Support Grant would be balanced by a reduction in the proposed one-off contribution from general fund balances, reducing from £1.960m to £1.948m. The change would affect Appendices Three and Four of the report and revised versions had been circulated prior to the meeting.

The Executive Councillor (Corporate, Customer & Community Services) highlighted the proposed Council Tax Freeze and the substantial highways investment programme.

The Leader of the Council (Policy, Reform & Finance) commended the Corporate Leadership Team and Council staff for their hard work in ensuring the Council met its savings targets for 2013/14 without the need for additional reductions over and above those previously agreed. She also commended those officers involved in supporting the development of the budget and associated documents. The Leader also restated her offer to all political groups on the Council to take part in discussions about future service redesign.

Executive councillors welcomed the proposed Council Tax Freeze and stressed that any increases in costs for residents would be due to increases in the charges levied by the Police and Crime Commissioner and other joint authorities.

RESOLVED – (1) That amendments to the schedule of Fees and Charges for 2014/15 as set out in Annex One be approved.

(2) That in respect of the Revenue Budget, Capital Programme and Medium Term Financial Plan, the Council Meeting be recommended to:

·      agree the Budget for 2014/15 as described in the report and set out in the revised Appendix Three;

·      note and comment upon the financial forecasts for 2015/16 to 2016/17 (revised Appendix Four of the report), and the key issues to be addressed in formulating a response to the continuing financial challenges facing the Council;

·      pass the appropriate Council Tax resolutions which produce a Council Tax Freeze for Council services as illustrated at Appendix Ten of the report;

·      approve the new capital scheme for the Highways Investment Programme, including the additional prudential borrowing of £22.619m over the three year capital programme and a borrowing requirement of £75.125m over the full eight-year programme, as set out at Appendix Seven of the report, together with the means of contributing to the capital financing charges;

·      approve the virement of the £2m recurrent unsupported borrowing for Invest to Save Footways from Communities and Sustainability Portfolio to Economic Development and Regeneration Portfolio as part of the Highways Investment Programme;

·      approve the additional prudential borrowing of £3.6m in 2014/15 required for the Leisure Strategy to support the new leisure facility at Brinnington;

·      approve the 2014/15 to 2016/17 capital programme and the funding arrangements set out at Appendix Eight of the report;

·      approve the prudential indicators set out in Appendix Nine of the report;

·      approve the work being carried out on the development of capital projects to enable the Executive to be able to review, revise and extend its capital programme during 2014/15; and

·      note the risk assessment of the budget at Appendix Five of the report and the report of the Corporate Director for Corporate and Support Services on the adequacy of proposed financial reserves and robustness of the estimates included at Appendix Six.