Issue - meetings

To consider the proposals within the budget consultation relating to the Committee’s responsibilities.

The Committee considered a report which sought feedback on the Medium-Term Financial Strategy for 2025/26 – 2028/29 for the Corporate Policy Committee to consider at its meeting on 6 February 2025 ahead of the final approval of the 2025/26 budget at full Council on 26 February 2025.

The Committee commented that there should be better integration and communication amongst committees to avoid silo decision making as the actions of one committee could impact on another and that there should be avoidance of over-reliance on some committees to make budget savings.  The provision of a list of services which the Council had to provide would help with financial decisions to be made by the committees.

RESOLVED (by majority): 

That the Economy and Growth Committee

1               recommend to the Corporate Policy Committee, for their meeting on 6 February 2025, all proposals within Appendix A, as related to the Committee’s responsibilities, for inclusion in the Council’s budget for 2025/26.

2               no further budget changes identified that could assist Corporate Policy Committee in presenting an overall balanced budget to Council for 2025/26.

3               note the capital growth items listed in Appendix B and the revenue implications noted in paragraph 23. These will be reviewed by the Capital Review Programme Board in January before a final list is brought to Corporate Policy Committee in February.

4               note the content of Appendix C – Provisional Local Government Settlement 2025/26

5               note the contents of Appendix D – Council Tax benchmarking and scenarios and consider what the impact of any requests for a change of Council Tax policy would be.