Agenda item

This is a standing agenda item (Constitution rule 14, part 4D – Executive Procedure Rules) for matters referred by Policy Development and Scrutiny bodies.  The Chair of the relevant PDS Panel will have the right to attend and to introduce the Panel’s recommendations to Cabinet.

The Chair invited Councillor Sarah Bevan, as Resources PDS Chair, to address the Cabinet.

The Chair informed the meeting that the Cabinet had received a copy of draft minutes of the last Resources PDS meeting along with the summary of findings from other PDS Panels.

Councillor Sarah Bevan read out the following statement to the Cabinet:

‘At Resources PDS panel on Monday 30th January we discussed the proposed budget after receiving an overview from Tim Richens and Andrew Pate.

No decisions or resolutions were passed, but members did raise some queries and views, as Cllr Gerrish will recall.

As you will all be aware, in the case of critical views raised by members, the PDS panel, whilst listening to and addressing those views with officers, awaits any party political points from the relevant political groups to be raised by their own groups, with Cabinet and at Full Council.

So I’m presenting the following comments as the view of the panel as a whole:

The panel were interested in how the new business rates retention scheme might work.  They noted the benefits from being in the pilot for the next two years but wondered if those benefits would continue beyond that. The panel understood that as the method of funding local government - with full business rates retention - has not yet been agreed meaning it’s difficult to say. So this adds to the risks towards the end of the three year plan.

Business rates appeals is another risk that was noted. This is now a local risk not a government risk.

The fact that this Council does not get recompensed for the costs of the city hosting an increasing number of students has been highlighted by the panel before - and is an issue for future funding systems.  It was noted that this has recently been fed back to government for consideration by the leader of the Council as well as in response to routine consultations.

Although the panel had a number of questions no changes were proposed.  As in previous years there were requests for more information including about libraries.  It was noted that each PDS panel may want to use the budget as a reference when developing their own workplans.

On libraries it was noted that consultation is taking place starting with Bath for which materials have been posted on the web site, or will be, later today I’m told.

The panel also looked at the notes from the Community Area Forums and the other PDS panels.  It supported the idea of the Forums receiving the notes which summarise the answers to the questions they raised and receiving further feedback.  Better attendance at their future meetings with wider public engagement was also encouraged.

An equalities analysis was noted and the importance of this understood.  The analysis highlighted a number of areas for concern but the work to minimise impacts was well received.  On social care it was also noted that there wasn’t a cut in funding but that the 2% proposed precept would not come close to covering the demand pressures arising from the changes in the local population.

The minutes of the panel have been published if you would like further information.

Finally I’d like to thank the Cabinet member Charles Gerrish for regularly attending the panel and answering our questions and also the officers for the work they have done.’