Issue - meetings

 The Wiltshire Council Financial Plan Update 2016/17 has already been published and can be accessed on the following link:

https://cms.wiltshire.gov.uk/ieListMeetings.aspx?CId=1351&Year=0

Please copy into your browser if necessary. If you have any trouble in accessing these documents, please contact Yamina Rhouati, Democratic Governance Manager on 01225 718024

The following additional documents will be made available with the Cabinet papers, once they have been published:

·       Report of the Overview & Scrutiny Committee

·       Minutes of the Overview & Scrutiny Committee 3 February 2016

·       Minutes of the Group Leaders Meeting with Trade Union Representatives 4 February 2016

 The Leader invited Councillor Dick Tonge, Cabinet Member for Finance, to present the Financial Plan and associated reports which detailed the draft proposals for Cabinet’s consideration for onward recommendation to the Budget and Council tax setting meeting of Council on 23 February 2016 with a view to  setting the  Council’s budget for 2016/17.

In her introduction, the Leader emphasised the need to find more savings due to changing demand and the reduction in grant funding from Central Government and stressed the importance of economic development and job creation;. The Leader thanked the officers for their work on developing a draft budget that aligned with corporate priorities.

Cllr Tonge, in his presentation, highlighted the detail in the report; that the largest proportion of money was allocated to supporting the most vulnerable in our society; that the budget was focused on protecting front line services that delivered the Business Plan; that it was proposed to increase the Council Tax for the first time in six years; that the Council would look to maximise efficiencies; and that a nationally mandated rent reduction would need to be taken into account.

Cllr Simon Killane, Chair of the Overview & Scrutiny Management Committee, outlined the process by which non-executive Councillors had been involved, and referred to the report of the Committee’s meeting on 3 February which had scrutinised the budget proposals.

Cllr Glenis Ansell, Chairman of the Financial Planning Task Group, outlined how major issues would be tracked, including libraries, Adult Social Care and spending on agency workers. She emphasised the importance of building relationships between members of her group and the Cabinet members. The Group had asked for greater clarity with regard to Local Youth Network funding, deposits for those renting and possible reductions in grants to the voluntary sector. The Group would also review, in 6 month’s time, the impact of the changes in Council tax to the debt levels.

Cllr Jon Hubbard, Chairman of the Children’s Select Committee, clarified that whilst he had been able to comment on the budget, his Committee had not had a meeting at the appropriate time to contribute to the budget considerations as a committee.

Cllr Tonge in response to an issue raised by Cllr Caswill over what constituted a front line service, clarified that a front-line service was a service used by the public. The Leader added that the Council was being clear to the public that, to enable the continued protection of the vulnerable, some support services had to be cut meaning that, for instance, response times to correspondence would not always be as swift as before.

In response to an issue raised by Cllr Caswill, Michael Hudson, Section 151 Officer, stated that the fees and charges policy agreed by council two years ago set out the process by which fees and charges were set, In relation to apparent significant increases, he added that this was a reflection  that charges may not have increased for some time or where fees where set  ...  view the full minutes text for item 23