Agenda item

To consider a report on the Medium Term Financial Strategy 2022/23 - 2025/26.

Appendix Two-To Follow

The committee received a report on the Medium-Term Financial Strategy for 2022/23 – 2025/26.  As part of the consultation process the committee was asked to provide comments and feedback to the Corporate Policy Committee on proposals related to the responsibilities of the committee.

At the start of the debate a proposal was moved by Councillor L Crane which was seconded by Councillor C Browne that the Corporate Policy Committee be recommended to consider allowing the Highways and Infrastructure service to take up to a further £3.9 million increase in its capital budget of which £2.694 million could potentially be funded from the New Homes Bonus Scheme.  It was felt this recommendation could address some of the issues raised by Members regarding the lack of spend by the Council on infrastructure.  In addition it was anticipated this request would potentially assist with the revenue budget and free up finances to spend on service areas where there had been budget cuts.

Further comments were made as follows:-

(i)Councillor L Crane commented that the Corporate Policy Committee should be asked to consider the delineation between departments and whether the service was receiving the appropriate proportion of the budget for such an important asset;

(ii)Councillor L Gilbert commented that there were reports that the Cheshire East Countryside Access Forum’s footpaths maintenance budget had been cut by 62%.  There was no reference to this in the report, nor had it been reported to Public Rights of Way (PROW) Committee.  There was a concern that this reported cut in budget represented an inconsistent approach to the promotion of the Council’s healthy lifestyle agenda and active travel programme;

(iii)Councillor L Gilbert also commented that during the pandemic footpath usage had greatly increased and therefore it was felt it was felt inappropriate to reduce budget and treat maintenance of footpaths as a low priority.

(iv)Councillor L Jeuda commented that funding be made available so all over 60s and young people were offered a free bus pass.  This would increase the opportunity for more people to travel by bus thus cutting down the isolation of the older sections of society and promoting a greener way of travel;

(v)Councillor S Akers Smith commented that additional finance for the highways service and Public Rights of Way service areas was essential in order to provide people with the choice if they wanted to walk or cycle. 

(vi)Councillor R Bailey felt it was regrettable that the revenue budget had not been used as wisely as it could have and that the £0.8 million reduction followed by a £0.6million reduction for the next two years thereafter previously agreed at a full Council budget meeting had been a retrograde step;

(viii) Councillor M Sewart stated that focus needed to be on spending more on services and infrastructure;

(ix)The Chair commented that the settlement received was good news even if it only offered certainty of one year.  He felt that if investment in the capital budget took place then this potentially could lead to the reduction in some of the revenue spend;

(x)Councillor A Gage suggested if additional capital was made available to undertake level 2/3 repairs then an active listening exercise with each individual Ward Councillor should be conducted prior to any monies being allocated.  In response the Chair advised that recommendations from local ward Members and highways engineers already formed part of the assessment process for determining which roads would benefit from the repair work;

(xi)The Chair further commented that if there was a reduction in the money required to be spent on the reactive potholes repairs from the revenue budget as anticipated then the Council should look to see if it could allocate some of the monies to the PROW service;

(xii)Finally Councillor R Bailey requested that further consideration should be given to an overview of the core revenue share currently proposed particularly in terms of the underspend in communities and environment and the overspend in highways and given the two service areas were linked before the introduction of the new committee system.

RESOLVED (Unanimously):

1.    That the Corporate Policy Committee be recommended to consider allowing the Highways and Infrastructure service to take up to a further £3.9 million increase in its capital budget of which £2.694 million could potentially be funded from the New Homes Bonus Scheme. 

2.    That the comments made by individual Councillors as outlined above be fed back to the Corporate Policy Committee for their consideration.

3.    That the MTFS 2022 to 2026 Consultation Document (Appendix 1 of the report) be noted.

4.    That the following proposals rolling forward from the MTFS 2021-25 relevant to the committee (as part of Appendix 1 (Appendix A of the report) be noted.

87) Carbon Reduction-Replacement of existing illuminated signs and bollards with LED units

5.    That the impact of the local government financial settlement as provided at Appendix 2 on the MTFS Consultation Document be noted.

6.    That the minutes of the meeting form the consultation response of the Committee for consideration by the Corporate Policy Committee.