Agenda item

A report from the Chief Executive Officers and Director of Finance on the Council’s Financial Plan Update for 2020-2021 and the Medium-Term Financial Strategy 2020-2025 will be circulated to all councillors.

It will be accessible at the following link.

The draft Wiltshire Council Financial Plan Update 2020-21 and Medium-Term Financial Strategy 2020-2025 was presented by Councillor Simon Jacobs, Cabinet Member for Finance and Procurement, with support from Deborah Hindson, Interim Director of Finance and Section 151 Officer, along with Councillor Philip Whitehead, Leader of the Council, and the Chief Executive Officers, Alistair Cunningham and Terence Herbert.

The proposals included a 1.99% rise in Council Tax and a 2% Social Care Levy, as well as details of proposed savings of £14.683m required as a result of growth in demand of key services, of which £3.849m are already identified from the budget setting of 2019/20.

Full details of matters raised in discussion would be included in a report appended to these minutes. The report from the Financial Planning Task Group in consideration of the budget was also received and considered.

Topics raised included, but were not limited to, the increase in level of reserves to 5%, achievability of savings, predictions of growth of adult social care and looked after children costs, future changes from central government, previous waste contract delays, climate change, Special Education Need funding, along with other topics as detailed in the appended report.

At the conclusion of discussion, it was,

Resolved:

1)    To note the Financial Plan Update 2020-21 and Medium-Term Financial Strategy 2020-25 and to refer the comments of the Committee and the report of the Financial Planning Task Group to Cabinet and Full Council for consideration on 4 and 25 February 2020 respectively.

2)    To welcome the Executive’s positive engagement with the Financial Planning Task Group in the budget development and monitoring process.

3)    To support the Financial Planning Task Group’s continued focus on monitoring the delivery of the savings and efficiencies proposed in this Financial Plan Update (and of any further savings proposed throughout the year).