Meeting documents

1.    Cabinet are asked to recommend to Council the Revenue and Capital budgets as set out in Appendices 1, 2, 3 and 5 to this report.

2.    Cabinet are asked to agree the schedule of Fees & Charges as set out in Appendix 6 to this report.

3.    Cabinet are asked to note the Business Unit plans set out in Appendices Ai to Aiv in the report, which supports delivery of the Revenue and Capital budgets.

Mr Tett, introduced the final budget report to Cabinet and highlighted the following:

• The Council’s Strategic Plan and its priorities were taken into account when setting the budget.
• Members of the majority group had been involved in setting budgets within portfolio teams.
• Buckinghamshire County Council had been successful in their bid to become a 75% Business Rates Pilot area for 2019-20. The success of the bid would see the County Council and all four District Councils benefit by retaining 75% of the growth in Business Rates rather than the current 50%.  A large proportion of this money was expected to go into the unitary reserves.

• The Council Tax Referendum threshold had been confirmed at 3%.
• Following lobbying of central governmentthe draft budget included the assumption that ‘Negative RSG’ would be removed for 2019-20.
• A fair funding review was currently underway but little indication of the impact on Bucks at the time of the meeting.
• There was a level of risk in the budget assumptions.
• Budget Scrutiny recommendations had been taken into account.
• The Capital programme included additional highways funding now totalling £4m over 2018/19 and 2019/20 and the significant level of investment which was related to the Housing Infrastructure Fund (HIF) bids.

Mr R Ambrose, Director of Finance and Procurement attended the meeting to answer any member’s questions and highlighted the following points:

• Since the draft budget had been out for consultation a number of changes had been made following the meeting of budget scrutiny.
• The Council had received the Local Government Finance Settlement that was broadly in line with the draft budget.
• The success in the business rate retention pilot and the use of some of those funds.
• Updates from the districts included good news on a slight surplus on collection which benefitted the council by about £0.5m in 2019/20.
• Other pressures relating to transport, in particular SEND transport and additional funding had been added to ensure that it was robust.
• Mr Ambrose highlighted the appendices that accompanied the main budget report.

Cabinet raised and discussed the following points:

• Mr Chapple highlighted that negotiations for the Household Recycling Centre contract coming to end in March were still ongoing.  It was anticipated that this would be extended for 3 years.  Mr Chapple stated that whatever the figure be, this would be absorbed into the current budget.  Mr Tett stated that there were proposals to introduce charging for some items which was regrettable but reflected the financial situation.
• Mr Whyte highlighted the prudence of some of the portfolios had resulted in significant investments in Children’s Services over the next 4 years, with £10m additional investment to be added next year alone.  The budget increase was welcomed and had been challenging for the council to achieve, but for the right reasons; for example further in house residential care for our looked after children.  Improvements in foster care over the last few months had also been incredible with an increase of 24% over the last 12 months.

• It would continue to be a challenging budget despite increase as there were some issues you could not foresee.  However, the Service was getting better at predicting demand. It was highlighted that there had been heavy investment in Children’s Services with the budget increased from £38m in 2013/14 to £76m in 2019/20.

• Mr Appleyard highlighted that the growth in special needs costs were now the rate of change reaching the levels of vulnerable children and adults too.  Keeping a rein on how that grows had become a significant part of the education service.  Mr Appleyard stated that understanding and managing demand had to be carried out sensitively which could in itself be at an additional cost.       
• Lin Hazell highlighted the need to take difficult decisions whilst still delivering quality services.  One of the largest pressures within ASC were self-funders going into care too early, running out of money and then the council having to pick up that funding.  Decisions were being made not to save money but to deliver services within the budget envelope.
• Mr Chilver highlighted the Council’s work in generating in increased income, for example, a third of money in the Resources portfolio came from income.  Every opportunity was being taken across the council to increase income.
• Mr Brown urged members not to forget the importance of Public Health and the reduction in central government funding for Public Health.

• Mr Appleyard highlighted the recent successes of Aylesbury Vale Academy now rated as ‘Good’ with other schools soon to hit higher performing targets which was an enormous lift to the education of those children living in Aylesbury.

Mr Tett asked Cabinet Members to confirm that due regard had been given to the Quality Impact Assessments to which all agreed this had been done.

‘Mr Tett asked Cabinet Members to confirm that due regard had been given to the Equality Impact Assessments to which all agreed this had been done’

The following recommendations were set out in the report:

1. Cabinet were asked to recommend to Council the Revenue and Capital budgets as set out in Appendices 1, 2, 3 and 5 to the report.
2. Cabinet were asked to agree the schedule of Fees & Charges as set out in Appendix 6 to the report.
3. Cabinet were asked to note the Business Unit plans set out in Appendices Ai to Aiv to the report, which supported delivery of the Revenue and Capital budgets.

RESOLVED: Cabinet AGREED the recommendations as set out above.

Full Council would consider the budget at their meeting on 21 February 2019.