Issue - meetings

There will be a verbal update on the draft budget at the meeting.

Councillor Richard Samuel, Cabinet Member for Economic Development and Resources introduced this item to the Panel.

He said that the Medium Term Financial Strategy 2022/23 – 2026/27 Cabinet report and supporting detailed appendices had been reviewed and discussed at the Corporate Panel on the 27th September 2021.

He stated that the high level message is that the Council faces a difficult financial scenario in 2022/23 and into 2023/24 with a lower income expected into Heritage Services.

He said that the budget funding assumptions had been reviewed and updated following the figures in relation to the Local Government Settlement. He informed the Panel that the Chancellor has ruled out a reform of Local Government funding until after the next election and reminded them that this settlement would be for one year only.

He explained that work has been done with regard to rebasing the income and expenditure 2022/23 budgets, taking account Covid and the demand on services. He added that currently there was a high volume of waste and recycling being collected across the Council.

He said that the Council were seeing additional demand from new placement and market pressures in Adult & Children Social Care.

The Chief Finance Officer (S151) addressed the Panel and sought to initially remind them that the figures for the budget are still draft. He stated that significant growth was required as Council needs £18m to provide its core services. He added that it was likely that income levels would not return to those seen pre-pandemic until 2024/25.

He said that further information regarding the budget would be available when the Panel meets again on Monday 31^st January 2022.

Councillor Winston Duguid asked if the use of £3m corporate & £2.22m service reserves was temporary and would be replaced in future years.

The Chief Finance Officer (S151) replied that it was to be a temporary use and be drawn from Financial Planning Reserves into the revenue budget 2022/23.

The Chair asked if this was an action because of the pandemic.

The Chief Finance Officer (S151) replied that it was.

Councillor Hal MacFie asked if enough consideration had been given towards Climate Change within this proposed budget.

Councillor Samuel replied that there were no reductions planned within the budget in terms of the Climate Change agenda. He added that the Sustainable Communities service had been restructured to work more effectively. He said that the intention is to maintain the current Capital Programme.

He stated that two main subjects to tackle within this area were Transport and Energy Loss from Homes and said that the Council was working hard locally on new transport measures, but that additional resources from Government were required to address energy loss.

Councillor MacFie asked if the redevelopment of the Pixash Lane site would be considered as a positive factor within the Climate Change agenda.

Councillor Samuel replied that it would and that it was good to see it coming to fruition after being in the pipeline for around a decade. He added that it  ...  view the full minutes text for item 62