Agenda item

Budget 2018/19: Service Dashboards and Service Change Impact Assessments (SCIAS)

Minutes:

The Chief Finance Officer presented the report which set out updates to the 2018/19 budget within the existing framework of the 10-year budget and savings plan.  The report presented proposals that had been identified and needed to be considered, together with further suggestions made by the Advisory Committees, before finalising the budget for 2018/19.

 

Informed by the latest information from Government and discussions with Cabinet, it was proposed that the Council continued to set a revenue budget which assumed no funding from Government through the Revenue Support Grant or New Homes Bonus. This would result in the Council continuing to be financially self-sufficient as set out in its Corporate Plan.

 

To achieve this aim and to ensure a balanced budget position over the next 10-year period, whilst also increasing the Council’s ability to be sustainable beyond that time, a savings requirement of £100,000 per annum was included.   Other pressures, such as the public sector pay award, may result in a requirement for further savings.  Officers would continue to monitor these pressures and report the latest position to Cabinet in December.

 

Members considered Appendix D which contained savings proposals put forward by the Portfolio Holder and Chief Officers and the Service Change Impact Assessments (SCIAs) in Appendix E. Members also reviewed and discussed the growth and saving items suggested by the Advisory Committee last year on 6 October 2016 in Appendix F.

 

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 saving proposals identified in Appendix D applicable to the Advisory Committee (SCIAs 01 and 02) be agreed;

b)   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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