Agenda item

The Leader of the Council will present Wiltshire Council’s Financial Plan for approval by Cabinet for onward recommendation to Council on 26 February 2013.

Councillor Jane Scott, Leader of the Council, presented a report which provided an assessment of Cabinet’s draft proposals to Council to set a budget for 2013/14, and the impact on Council Tax, rents, fees and charges, the capital programme, schools, as well as reserves.

Joint Overview and Scrutiny had met on 7 February 2013 to considered the updated plan, with a report on its conclusions tabled at the meeting and attached to these minutes along with the minutes of the Budget Task Group from 25 January 2013, Group Leaders meeting with Trade Union Representatives, and the Group Leaders Meeting with Non-Domestic Rate-Payers, both held on 6 February 2013.

The Leader detailed the proposals as detailed in the report, highlighting the 1% pay increase for staff and fourth consecutive council tax freeze which had been budgeted. £27.656 million in savings had been identified, alongside £17.804 million increase in investment in frontline services such as safeguarding vulnerable children and adults, and waste services. The largest areas of savings had been achieved through improved procurement procedures, for example saving £1.2 million with regards the Highways Contract.

The Leader also announced that the Council had been awarded an additional £362,000 Rural Grant from central government, and thanked the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government for taking into account the county’s position.

Taking into account the feedback from the Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee on 7 February, which had been well attended by non-executive Members, the Leader moved an amendment that £162,000 of the new grant allocation would be distributed between the Area Boards to be focused on children and young people, with the remaining £200,000 to be allocated to the base budget for School Improvement.

Following discussion, it was,

Resolved:

That Cabinet, following consideration of comments and recommendations arising from the Director of Finance and Corporate Directors’ statements, Scrutiny and public consultations, makes the following recommendations to Council on 26^th February 2012:

a.    To endorse the update of the 2012-15 Financial Plan for 2013/14.

b.    To allocate the new Rural Grant allocated to Wiltshire on 5^th February of £0.362 million between the base budgets for Area Boards (£0.162 million) and School Improvement (£0.200 million) as set out at paragraph 6.7.

c.    To recommend to Council, for approval, that the savings and investment proposals summarised at Sections 9 and 7 respectively of this report and Sections 4 and 5 of Cabinet’s proposed Financial Plan at Appendix 1 of this report, provides a net revenue budget for 2013/14 of £340.518 million.

d.    To recommend to Council to:

                 i.          Freeze Wiltshire Council’s element of the Band D council tax for 2013/14 £1,222.43, as calculated in accordance with statute, as set out in Section 10 of this report.

               ii.          Set the Council’s total net expenditure budget for 2013/14 at £340.518 million.

              iii.          Approve the award of grants to Parish and Town Councils as set out under Sections 10.9 and 10.10 of this report so no such precepting body is impacted by the local Council Tax support scheme introduced for 2013/14;

              iv.          Set a 3.4% increase for dwelling rents in accordance with rent restructuring;

               v.          Set the HRA Budget for 2013/14 (original) as set out at Appendix F of Cabinet’s proposed Financial Plan at Appendix 1 of this report;

              vi.          That all other rent or service charges related to the HRA be frozen at 2011/12 levels.

            vii.          The Capital programme proposed at Appendix E of Cabinet’s proposed Financial Plan, attached to this report at Appendix 1.

           viii.          Set the changes in fees and charges set out in detail at Section 6 of Cabinet’s proposed Financial Plan at Appendix 1 of this report.

Reasons for Proposal

The Cabinet, following Scrutiny and consultation, agrees recommendations to Council to enable it to:

·         Set its revenue, capital, housing revenue accounts, fees and charges, levels of reserves and resultant Council Tax for 2013/14 to then issue Council Tax and rent bills.

·         Provide the Council with a strong business and financial plan for sustainable delivery for the remaining 2 years of those plans.