Agenda item

To receive and respond to the Medium Term Financial Strategy 2023-27.

The Committee received a report on the Medium-Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) for 2023-2027 and the revenue and capital proposals contained within the MTFS relating to the Committee’s responsibilities. As part of the consultation process the Committee was asked to consider the proposals within the remit of the Committee and provide comments and feedback to the Corporate Policy Committee for consideration on, 9 February 2023, before a balanced budget was presented to the full Council meeting of 22 February 2023 for final review and approval.

The following comments were raised by Committee:

-       Members raised concerns around the consultation process and that Committee Members had not been involved in the drawing up of the proposals before them in the report. Committee Members requested to receive the background information (High Level Business Cases – ‘HLBCs’) supporting the proposals as soon as possible.

Tom Moody advised that HLBCs would be presented to the Corporate Policy Committee on 9 February and agreed to explore when it would be feasible to share this information with Committee Members.

-       Proposal 108: Parking – Members highlighted that any increase in the current parking charges would have a detrimental impact on town centre recovery, local businesses and residents. Members felt that the current car park charging policy was unfair and there needed to be a consistent and fair policy across the borough. Members queried when the expansion of car park charging to other towns would be considered at Committee and if guidance would be provided to Members to gage satisfaction with residents.

The Chair confirmed that car parking proposals were due to be considered at the first Highways and Transport Committee meeting scheduled for the new municipal year.

-       Proposal 105: Energy saving measures from streetlights - Members raised concerns around the potential public safety implications as a result of switching off streetlights. Members also queried if there were likely to be costs incurred as a result of handling an increase of calls reporting broken streetlights. It was suggested that those streetlights purposefully switched off are clearly marked to avoid this. It was asked if there was a way of targeting any reduction of lighting to areas where there may be ecological benefit to do so.

Cllr Smetham suggested that streetlighting in critical and problematic areas could continue but queried what the significant difference between rural and urban areas was. Mike Barnett committed to providing a more detailed response on the criteria for installing streetlighting in urban/rural areas.

-       Members agreed that some of the proposals were unpalatable but recognised the extremely difficult financial situation facing the Council.

RESOLVED (by majority):

1) That the Committee notes:

a)         the year-end forecast outturn position for 2022/23, as set out in Appendix 1 to the report.

b)         the financial context and proposals contained within the Executive Summary of the Medium-Term Financial Strategy (as set out in the MFTS report at Annex C, Section 1).

c)         the Revenue Grant Funding, as set out in Appendix 4 to the report.

d)         the Earmarked Reserves, as set out in Appendix 5 to the report.

2)         The Committee feedback be noted on the proposals within the MTFS, as related to the Committee’s responsibilities, that can support and advise full Council in fulfilling its responsibilities to approve a balanced budget for 2023/23 in the following areas:

            a)         Revenue Proposals, as detailed in Appendix 2 to the report

            b)         Capital Programme, as detailed in Appendix 3 to the report.