Agenda item

Budget 2017/18: Service Dashboards and Service Change Impact Assessments (SCIAS)

Minutes:

The Chief Finance Officer presented the report which set out updates to the 2017/18 budget within the existing framework of the 10-year budget and savings plan.  The report also presented proposals that had been identified which needed to be considered, together with further suggestions made by the Advisory Committees, before finalising the budget for 2017/18.

 

The major message of the report was that the Council was able to remain financially self-sufficient.

 

The budget agreed by Council in February included £100,000 of new savings or additional income per annum and the Advisory Committees were being asked to make suggestions to Cabinet that would achieve the £100,000 required for next year. Two Member Budget Training sessions had recently taken place with the intention of increasing, or refreshing, Members knowledge of the budget process and to enhance the discussions that would take place at this round of Advisory Committees.

 

The Chief Finance Officer reminded Members that over £6m had already been agreed to be saved between 2011/12 and 2017/18 made up of over 130 items and over £10m had been saved since 2005/06.

 

Members reviewed and discussed Appendix D which contained the growth and savings proposals put forward by the Portfolio Holder and Chief Officers, and the Service Change Impact Assessments (SCIAs) in Appendix E. 

 

Members also considered and gave their individual ideas for growth and savings items.  The Chief Finance Officer summarised the suggestions put forward and Members considered whether there was anything they wanted taken forward as potential growth or savings suggestions.   A number of growth and savings items were suggested and discussed:

 

Growth

·                     Broadband improvements.

·                     Reinstatement of the Big Community Fund or something similar.

·                     Investment in skills training (Economic & Community Development Advisory Committee remit).

·                     Improved start up business accessibility, e.g. seed funding (Economic & Community Development Advisory Committee remit).

·                     Improved district event and activity promotion.

Savings

·                     Additional property acquisitions/developments.

·                     Investigate further shared services opportunities within this portfolio’s terms of reference.

·                     External communications (social and online).

·                     Look at ways to reduce corporate management further.

·                     Set up a bank (mobile/local).

·                     Become a social landlord for young workers (Housing & Health Advisory Committee’s remit).

 

Public Sector Equality Duty

 

Members noted that consideration had been given to impacts under the Public Sector Equality Duty and that individual equality impact assessments had been completed for all Service Change Impact Assessments (SCIAs) to ensure the decision making process was fair and transparent.

 

Resolved:  That it be recommended to Cabinet that

 

a)     the growth proposals identified in Appendix D applicable to the Advisory Committee (SCIAs 08, 09, and 10 ) be agreed;

b)     the savings proposals identified in Appendix D applicable to the Advisory Committee (SCIAs 11, 12, 13 & 14) be agreed;

c)     the following suggestions be discussed further

Growth

·       Broadband improvements.

·       Reinstatement of the Big Community Fund or something similar.

·       Investment in skills training (Economic & Community Development Advisory Committee remit).

·       Improved start up business accessibility, e.g. seed funding (Economic & Community Development Advisory Committee remit).

·       Improved district event and activity promotion.

Savings

·       Additional property acquisitions/developments.

·       Investigate further shared services opportunities within this portfolio’s terms of reference.

·       External communications (social and online).

·       Look at ways to reduce corporate management further.

·       Set up a bank (mobile/local).

·       Become a social landlord for young workers (Housing & Health Advisory Committee’s remit).

 

Supporting documents:

 

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