Issue - meetings

The Leader of the Council will present Wiltshire Council’s Business Plan and Financial Plan for approval by Cabinet for onward recommendation to Council on 22 February 2011.

The Business Plan and Financial Plan will be considered by a special meeting of the Joint Overview and Scrutiny Select Committees on 10 February 2011. The report of that meeting will follow.

Cabinet is asked to specifically agree recommendations to Council on the following:

The Leader presented the draft Business Plan and Financial Plan for Cabinet’s consideration and approval for onward recommendation to Council at its meeting on 22 February 2011.

The Financial Plan also included separate reports on the:

• Capital Programme for 2011/12 to 2014/15;
• Housing Revenue Account Budget and Rent Setting for 2011/12 and
• Fees and Charges for 2011/12.

A report on the Schools Budget proposals following recommendations from the Schools Forum was also presented.

The Leader explained that the Business Plan with its linked Financial Plan would be key documents in shaping the Council over the next four years. She also explained that these documents concentrated on making the necessary savings from areas which would not affect the delivery of front line services, protecting services and investing in priorities for the people of Wiltshire, particularly the vulnerable groups of our community. The Leader confirmed that a zero percentage tax increase on council tax for 2011/12 would be recommended to Council.

The Leader referred to a tabled list of minor amendments in particular correcting the figure quoted in the Financial Plan for emergency planning from £32k to £234k which had been picked up at the meeting of the Joint Scrutiny Select Committees on 10 February. Revised copies of the Business Plan and Financial Plan would be circulated to all Councillors prior to the Council meeting on 22 February to incorporate these amendments and other minor typographical corrections. 

Cllr Jeff Osborn presented the report of the Joint Scrutiny Select Committees held on 10 February as Chairman of that meeting. He made a number of points in relation to the delivery of the campus proposals (minute no. 28 refers), the adult social care programme and the need to monitor the implementation of the Business Plan.

The Leader explained that she was already working with officers to develop a transparent method of monitoring the finances and activity in delivering the Business Plan over the next four years. She suggested that Scrutiny might like to use the same process for monitoring it from a scrutiny perspective.

The Leader and members of Cabinet responded to questions which included questions on investing in economic development opportunities, ensuring that risks identified were at an acceptable level and managing the Government’s plans on the ‘Big Society’.

Further debate on the Business Plan, Financial Plan and financial reports would of course take place at Council on 22 February 2011.

Recommended to Council on 22 February 2011:

Business Plan and Financial Plan

(a)       That subject to the minor amendments circulated at the meeting and correction of typographical errors, to endorse the Business Plan and linked Financial Plan for 2011-2015.

(b)       To approve the investments and savings as set out in sections 5 and 6 respectively of the Financial Plan that provides for a net revenue budget in 2011/12 of £329.847 million.

(c)       To set a Wiltshire Council Band D council tax for 2011/12 of £1,222.43 as per section 9 of the Financial Plan.

Capital Programme

(d)       To approve the Wiltshire Council Capital  ...  view the full minutes text for item 26