Issue - meetings

(a)       Medium Term Financial Plan - Financial Landscape and Forecasts 2013/14 to 2016/17

To consider a report of the Corporate Director for Corporate and Support Services.

(b)       Medium Term Financial Plan - Executive Proposals (Revenue Budget, Fees and Charges and Capital Programme)

To consider a report of the Leader of the Council (Policy, Reform and Finance).

(a)       Medium Term Financial Plan - Financial Landscape and Forecasts 2013/14 to 2016/17

The Leader of the Council (Policy, Reform & Finance) submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) providing an update the forecasts for the Council’s finances for the period 2013/14 to 2016/17 taking account of the 2013/14 final local government finance settlement and the revised 2014/15 provisional settlement published on 4 February 2013.

RESOLVED – That the updated forecasts for the Council’s finances for the period 2013/14 to 2016/17 taking account of the 2013/14 final local government finance settlement and the revised 2014/15 provisional settlement published on 4 February 2013 be noted.

(b)       Medium Term Financial Plan - Executive Proposals (Revenue Budget, Fees and Charges and Capital Programme)

The Leader of the Council (Policy, Reform & Finance) submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) finalising the Executive’s Revenue Budget Proposals for 2013/14, Fees and Charges for 2013/14 and Capital Programme Investment Plans. It also outlined the prospects for the Council’s finances for the medium term. The report also discussed the overarching priorities and desired outcomes upon which the Executive had based its budget proposals, and which would form the basis of a revised council plan to be prepared and submitted for approval to the Council in June.

RESOLVED – (32 for, 30 against) That the Council Meeting:-

(1) Notes the additional savings proposals set out in section five of the report and summarised at Appendix Three.

(2) Notes the proposed treatment of NHS Funding for Social Care, Public Health Grant and New Homes Bonus as set out in paragraphs 4.15 to 4.23 of the report.

(3) Notes the amendments to the schedule of Fees and Charges for 2013/14 as set out in Annex One.

(4) Approves the Budget for 2013/14 set out in Appendix Five.

(5) Notes the financial forecasts for 2014/15 to 2016/17 (Appendix Six), and the key issues to be addressed in formulating a responseto the continuing financial challenges facing the Council.

(6) Approves the appropriate Council Tax resolutions which produce a Council Tax increase of 2.5% for Council services as illustrated at Appendix Eleven.

(7) Approves the 2013/14 to 2015/16 capital programme and the funding arrangements set out at Appendix Nine.

(8) Approves the prudential indicators set out in Appendix Ten.

(9) 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 2013/14.

(10) Noted the risk assessment of the budget at Appendix Seven 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 Eight.

A named vote was requested in relation to the voting on this resolution and the voting was recorded as follows:-

The councillors who voted for the resolution were:-

The Mayor; Councillors Ben Alexander, Shan Alexander, 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, Sylvia Humphreys, Susan Ingham, Pam King, Mags Kirkham, Hazel Lees, Patrick McAuley, Adrian Nottingham, Wendy Orrell, John Pantall, Paul Porgess, Iain Roberts, June Somekh, Mark Weldon, Mike Wilson, Craig Wright and Suzanne Wyatt.

The councillors who voted against the resolution were:-

The Deputy Mayor; Councillors Brian Bagnall, Sheila Bailey, Paul Bellis, Laura Booth, Walter Brett, Kate Butler, Richard Coaton, Dean Fitzpatrick, Colin Foster, Alexander Ganotis, Tom Grundy, Philip Harding, Brian Hendley, Linda Holt, Bryan Leck, Syd Lloyd, Tom McGee, Paul Moss, Chris Murphy, Maureen Rowles, David Sedgwick, Andy Sorton, Andrew Verdeille, Alanna Vine, Lisa Walker, David White, Wendy Wild, David Wilson and William Wragg.