Agenda item

To consider amendments from any political groups or individual Members on the initial draft of the executive proposed budget.

Any amendments that may be received will be circulated as soon as they are available.

A budget proposal was agreed by Cabinet on 1 February 2022 for discussion at Full Council on 15 February 2022, following its consideration by the Committee at its meeting on 8 February 2022.

On 8 February 2022 proposed amendments to that budget were received from Cllrs Ian Thorn and Gavin Grant.

The amendments were presented as detailed in the agenda supplement.

Amendment A - Car Parking Saving

Regarding car parking saving, the proposals sought to remove the following Car Parking savings to introduce parking charges for Blue Badge Holders, introduce Sunday charges in all car parks, remove free event parking from Town Councils and increase car parking charges by 10p per hour on every tariff.

Comments from statutory officers including the Section 151 Officer and Monitoring Officer were set out in the agenda supplement.

Amendment B - Lunch and Friendships Clubs

Regarding Lunch and Friendship Clubs saving, the proposals sought to remove the following savings: to reduce funding for lunch clubs for older adults and to reduce funding for Friendship Clubs for adults with learning disabilities.

Comments from statutory officers including the Section 151 Officer and Monitoring Officer were set out in the agenda supplement.

Amendment C - Area Board Capital Grants

Regarding Area Board Capital Grants, the proposal sought to increase the Area Board  Capital Grants to the previous level of funding of £0.800m prior to the re-allocation of £0.400m to Local Highways and Footpath Improvement Groups (LHFIG), an increase of the budget of £0.400m. It is proposed that this increase in the Capital Programme was funded by borrowing.

There is a revenue impact of undertaking additional borrowing to fund an increase in the Capital Programme, made up of interest and Minimum Revenue Provision (MRP). This impact would not affect the 2022/23 budget as any borrowing would be assumed to be undertaken at the end of the financial year and therefore no interest cost would be assumed and the MRP is charged the year following the expenditure.

The revenue impact of this proposal is £0.020m every year from 2023/24 and would have the impact of increasing the draw from the Budget Equalisation Reserve in 2023/24 to £9.122m and increase the budget gap in 2024/25.

Comments from statutory officers including the Section 151 Officer and Monitoring Officer were set out in the agenda supplement.

The Committee discussed the proposed amendments as detailed fully in the report appended to these minutes, seeking details of the status and extent of the council’s reserves, any service impacts arising from the proposals, and the level of financial or other risks to the council should the amendment be approved by Full Council.

At the conclusion of discussion, it was,

Resolved:

1. To thank Cllrs Ian Thorn and Gavin Grant for submitting their budget proposals to the Committee and to note that they have been scrutinised

2. To ask Full Council to take note of the comments of the Committee, which will be presented in a report

3. Regarding the proposed amendments to the budget for lunch clubs for older people, and friendship clubs for adults with learning disabilities, to:

a)    Note the request for a rapid scrutiny exercise reviewing payments made under the club schemes and the impact of the proposed savings from 2023/24

b)    To ask the Chair and Vice-chair to make any necessary arrangements following consideration the request for referral to scrutiny by Full Council.