Issue - meetings

Report of the Chief Executive and Head of Corporate Resources

Further to Minute No. 73 of the Cabinet Meeting held on 12 January 2017, the Council considered the report of the Chief Executive and Head of Corporate Resources which provided details of the development of a 3 year financial strategy for the period 2017/18 – 2019/20 (the budget plan period) which reflected the current financial challenges facing the Council during the period, the proposed approach to meeting those challenges and how they reflect the Council’s statutory requirement to remain financially sustainable and the desire to deliver the Sefton 2030 Vision and the Councils Core Purpose.

Given the scale of the financial and service challenges facing the Council, this was a complex and detailed report, which provided for a financial balanced budget, but this would require major and difficult decisions on how the council delivers it services, the level at which it continues to deliver them and Council Tax implications.

The report presented a financially balanced strategy and some areas of change were more specific than others. Where possible the change was explained at the detailed budget level and where this was not possible a budget planning assumption had been made based on the best available information. This was sufficiently robust to approve the budget and associated policy changes, whilst recognising that the details would continue to be refined over the period of the strategy.

This report set out the detailed approach to the strategy, which included:

·         The national and local financial context  within which the Council is operating;

·         The funding gap facing the Council for the three year period 2017/18 to 2019/20;

·         The approach to delivering both the aspirations of the Sefton 2030 Vision and a financially sustainable council;

·         The financial, service and community impact of the Budget including the reserves position of the Council; and,

·         The draft capital programme for the 3 year period.

The Cabinet on 12 January 2017 (Minute No. 73 refers) had considered these items, and the report provided additional information and updates on the specific Public Sector Reform Projects and Service Delivery Options, including some changes to the financial assumptions. In addition, there were some further revisions to the Medium Term Financial Plan. The report indicated that after these minor changes, a financially balanced budget strategy for the forthcoming 3 year period was presented for consideration by the Council.

The report requested the Council to consider and determine the following issues:

·         the Budget for 2017/18 and the three-year financial plan 2017/18 to 2019/20;

·         the Council Tax increase for Sefton Council for 2017/18; and,

·         the overall Council Tax resolution.

The Council also considered the draft Council Tax resolution for 2017/18 which had been prepared by the Head of Corporate Resources and circulated to Members of the Council in the supplementary agenda.

It was moved by Councillor Maher, seconded by Councillor Fairclough:

That:

(1)       the update of the Medium Term Financial Plan for the period 2017/18 to 2019/20, which included the implications of the provisional local government settlement be noted;

Delivery of the Framework for Change

(2)  ...  view the full minutes text for item 88

Report of the Chief Executive and Head of Corporate Resources

The Cabinet Member – Regulation, Compliance and Corporate Services commended the detailed work undertaken  ...  view the full minutes text for item 73