Issue - meetings

The attached report presents the revenue and capital budgets together with proposals for increases in Council Tax and the Adult Social Care Precept for 2024/25.

The Council considered a report which presented the revenue and capital budgets together with proposals for increases in Council Tax and the Adult Social Care Precept for 2024/25.

On a motion from Councillor Mark Elliott, seconded by Councillor Kevin Guy, it was

RESOLVED

1.  The Council approves-

·  The General Fund net revenue budget for 2024/25 of £135.85m and the individual service cash limits for 2024/25 as outlined in Annex 1.

·  The savings and income plans outlined in Annex 2(i), funding requirements 2(ii), in conjunction with the Equalities Impact Assessment Report in Annex 3.

·  An increase in Council Tax of 2.99% in 2024/25 (an increase of £49.45 per Band D property or 95p per week).

·  An increase of 2% to Council Tax for the Adult Social Care Precept in recognition of the current demands and financial pressures on this service. This is equivalent to an increase of £33.07 on a Band D property (64p per week).

·  The movement in reserves outlined in section 5.6 and the adequacy of Un-earmarked Reserves at £12.58m within a risk assessed range requirement of £12.3m - £13.6m.

·  To note the Children’s Services management plan set out in section 5.2.7 of the report.

·  The Efficiency Strategy attached at Annex 4.

·  The Capital Programme for 2024/25 of £71.91m including new and emerging capital bids outlined in Annex 5(i), planned sources of funding in 5.8.3, and notes the programme for 2025/26 to 2028/29 and that any wholly funded projects coming forward during the year will be added to the Capital Programme in line with the Budget Management Scheme.

·  The delegation of implementation, subject to consultation where appropriate, of the capital programmes set out in Annex 5(i) to Annex 5(iv) to the relevant Director in consultation with the appropriate Cabinet Portfolio Holder.

·  The schedule of asset disposals as set out in section 5.8.2 and delegates the final disposal decision to the Head of Commercial and/or Corporate Estate in consultation with the S151 Officer and appropriate Cabinet Portfolio Holder.

·  The Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) allocations and amendments outlined in Annex 5(v).

·  The Capital & Investment Strategy attached at Annex 6.

·  The MRP Policy attached at Annex 7.

·  The Capital Prudential Indicators outlined in 5.8.7.

·  The Annual Pay Policy Statement at Annex 8.

·  The Community Contribution Fund extension outlined section 5.5.

·  The Council Tax Support Scheme for 2024/25 shown in the following link:  https://beta.bathnes.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2024-01/Bath%20%26%20NE%20Someset%20S13A%20202425%20FINAL.pdf and referred to in 5.3.5

·  The Fees and Charges schedule for 2024/25 at Annex 11 and support its publication following approval of the budget, with delegation to amend individual costs within the schedule in line with market needs, to the Director of Place Management, in consultation with the appropriate Cabinet Portfolio Holder.

2.  That the Council approves the technical resolutions that are derived from the budget report, and all the figures in that report, including the precepts for towns, parishes and other precepting bodies as set out in Annex 12.

3.  That the Council note the S151 Officer’s report on the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 73

The attached report presents the revenue and capital budgets together with proposals for increases in Council Tax and the Adult Social Care Precept for 2024/25.

Cllr Mark Elliott introduced the report, moved the officer recommendation and made the following points:

·  The budget has been one of the most difficult that the council has ever had to pull together.  We started from the position a few months ago of a £16.42m funding gap, with massive increases in costs and demand in social care, particularly in children’s social care, the cost-of-living crisis meaning increased costs for things like energy and the consequent pressure on wage increases. 

·  The paper sets out a balanced Revenue budget not just for next financial year, but for the following year as well.  The stability provides the council with the ability to plan.  This is a fantastic achievement, and I want to thank all of you, and all the officers, for all their hard work over the past few months.

·  The government announced that it intended to offer an additional, last-minute, one-off, extra grant for social care in the next financial year.  We received details of that grant on Tuesday of this week.  It provides roughly an extra £1.5m in one-off social care funding next year.  Whilst this is, of course, welcome, it is nothing more than a sticking plaster over the gaping wound that is social care funding.  We propose allocating the extra funds into reserves split between Adults’ and Children’s social care in proportion to the size of their budgets.  These funds will then be available to mitigate the risk of overspend in those portfolios in the coming year.

·  We recognise the need to adequately fund the care of the most vulnerable in society, and so we are proposing a net increase in the Adult Social Care budget of just under £1.7m and in the Children’s Social Care budget of nearly £4m.  I want to recognise that, over the public consultation process, and through the PDS Panels, our third sector partners have raised significant concern about the proposed savings to our Community Contracts.  Our total spend on these types of contract is around £9.3m, and the contracts haven’t been looked at properly for some time – there are something like 77 separate services being commissioned – so it’s reasonable to expect that savings can be made.  However, I acknowledge the concern that a sudden drop in funding would be damaging and doesn’t leave time for those contracts to be properly and carefully reviewed.  The budget proposal has, therefore, been adjusted to spread the savings in Adult Social Care over two years, rather than expecting the savings to come all at once.  I have written to the 3rd Sector providers to reassure them that we do not wish to impose arbitrary savings on them, we want to work with them to undertake a proper review, and to mutually agree a way forward based on maintaining those services which are preventing increased, more costly, demand coming into statutory social care services further down the line.

·  We greatly value the work of the 3rd Sector providers and will work with them, not inflicts things  ...  view the full minutes text for item 72

The Cabinet Member for Resources, Councillor Mark Elliott, introduced the item (officer support Andy Rothery, Executive Director - Resources). Councillor Elliott explained that it had been a very difficult budget setting round, the cost of living crisis equally effects the Council with the added demand in social services. He added that, despite this, he is pleased to present a robust and balanced budget proposal. He stated that he had heard representations from the third sector and would be considering what could be done. The Executive Director explained that this was the most difficult budget he had worked on.

The Chair invited Councillor Dine Romero, Chair of the Childrens, Adults, Health and Wellbeing PDS Panel, to make a comment on the budget proposals on behalf of her Panel. Councillor Romero first highlighted that the word ‘overspend’ was used regarding Children’s Services for example but a better phrase would be ‘increase in demand’. She explained that the Panel had picked up on a lack of detail in the budget proposals. She stated that there are concerns on the budget proposals but everybody understands the position. She stated that there was a lack of clarity on when the cuts would come in to play which was leading to more anxiety in the sector. She urged the Cabinet Member to reconsider the cuts put forward and at least work with the 3^rd Sector to explore timescales as they are often providing preventative services.

The Chair invited Councillor Andy Wait, Chair of the Climate Emergency and Sustainability PDS Panel, to make a comment on the budget proposals on behalf of his Panel. Councillor Wait stated that he sympathized with the Cabinet Member’s position which was caused by unfair treatment from central government who did not seem to appreciate the services of local authorities. Regarding the Climate Emergency area – he stated that there was now a small team in place and the Panel considered  policies that are driven by the Climate Emergency such as Liveable Neighbourhoods and the Clean Air Zone. He stated that the issue of parking charges in Midsomer Norton came up at the Panel meeting. He added that difficult decisions have to be made. He congratulated Councillor Sarah Warren and the Climate Emergency team on their achievements so far.

The Chair, Councillor Robin Moss explained that he would be making statements at Cabinet and Council reflecting general comments of PDS Panels.

Panel members raised the following points and asked the following questions:

Councillor Halsall asked for confirmation that Council would formalise the budget on 20^th February and that the Council is not in a section 114 situation. The Cabinet Member confirmed this.

Councillor Halsall referred to the change of format regarding Council Tax relief which people can be signposted to. The Cabinet Member stated that he was pleased to have passed this adjustment which will help those most vulnerable.

Councillor Halsall asked if the Cabinet Member would sit down and have a discussion with the 3^rd sector.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 54