Issue - meetings

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

This report outlines the Executive’s response to the Medium Term Financial Forecasts for 2015/16 and 2016/17. It begins by describing the approach we have taken to recommend to the Council the best use of its resources over these years.  This includes our proposed balanced net revenue budget for 2015/16 of just under £235m, and a two year plan to bring underlying spending in line with estimated resources by 2016/17. Our financial plan has been informed by wide-ranging consultation on both the detail and the principles of the approach.

The Executive is recommended to:

a)    note and endorse the progress made in developing Investing in Stockport, in response to the challenges faced, as a coherent single programme of growth and public service reform

b)   agree the final business cases set out at Appendix One for the following proposals:

a.  BC1 - Preventative Commissioning Strategy

b. BC3 - Integrated Health and Social Care

c.  BC6 - Leisure facilities

c)    monitor the further development and implementation of all agreed business cases on a regular basis throughout 2015/16 and 2016/17 in order to be assured that the organisation is making the necessary changes to continue to make key and sustainable contributions to the five outcomes from reduced resources in future years.

The Executive is also asked to recommend that the Council meeting:

d)   agree the Budget for 2015/16 described in the report and set out in Appendix Three (a);

e)    agree the Medium term Financial Plan to 2016/17 as described in the report and included in Appendix Four ;

f)     note and comments upon the financial forecasts for 2017/18 to 2018/19 (Appendix Eight), and the key issues to be addressed in formulating a response to the future financial challenges facing the Council;

g)   pass the appropriate Council Tax resolutions which produce a Council Tax Freeze for Council services as illustrated at Appendix Eleven;

h)   approve the 2015/16 to 2018/19 capital programme and the funding arrangements as described in the report and set out at Appendix Nine;

i)     approve the prudential indicators set out in Appendix Ten; and

j)     note the risk assessment of the Budget at Appendix Six 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 Seven.

Officer contact: Laureen Donnan, 0161 474 3181, Laureen.donnan@stockport.gov.uk

The Leader of the Council (Policy, Reform & Finance) and the Executive Councillor (Corporate, Customer & Community Services) submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) outlining the Executive’s response to the Medium Term Financial Forecasts for 2015/16 and 2016/17, including the proposed 2015/16 net revenue budget, and a two year plan to bring underlying spending in line with estimated resources by 2016/17.

An addendum to the report was also submitted (copies of which had been circulated) that set out changes to the forecasts arising from the final government funding settlement figures provided after the publication of the report.

RESOLVED – (1) That in relation to the Investing in Stockport - Executive Proposals and Response to MTFP 2015/16 and 2016/17 (as amended):-

·           the progress made in developing Investing in Stockport, in response to the challenges faced, as a coherent single programme of growth and public service reform be noted and endorsed;

·           the final business cases set out at Appendix One for BC1 Preventative Commissioning Strategy; BC3 Integrated Health and Social Care; BC6 Leisure facilities be approved;

·           the further development and implementation of all agreed business cases be monitored on a regular basis throughout 2015/16 and 2016/17 in order that the Executive can be assured that the organisation is making the necessary changes to continue to make key and sustainable contributions to the five outcomes from reduced resources in future years.

(2) That the Council Meeting be recommended to:

·           agree the Budget for 2015/16 described in the report (as amended) and set out in Appendix Three (a);

·           agree the Medium term Financial Plan to 2016/17 as described in the report and included in Appendix Four;

·           note and comment upon the financial forecasts for 2017/18 to 2018/19 (Appendix Eight), and the key issues to be addressed in formulating a response to the future financial challenges facing the Council;

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

·           approve the 2015/16 to 2018/19 capital programme and the funding arrangements as described in the report and set out at Appendix Nine;

·           approve the prudential indicators set out in Appendix Ten; and

·           note the risk assessment of the Budget at Appendix Six 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 Seven.