To receive such announcements as may be made by the Leader and Deputy Leader.
Minutes:
The Leader, in summary:
1 stated that the Council’s Risk Register showed eight risks at the maximum risk category and that these had nearly all been caused by issues outside of the Council’s control. One of the red rated risks was the Council’s funding. The predicated final outturn after the first quarter was an £11.6m deficit due to inflationary pressures and increase demand on services, mainly social care. The forecast outturn after quarter 2, thanks to efforts of officers, had come down by £3m but a lot of this was due to one-off actions.
2 stated that the Autumn Statement allowed councils to put up council tax by 3% plus 2% for social care but with inflation running at 11%, even an increase of 5% was in real terms a cut of 6%. For the budget next year the Council would have to find at least £20m of savings or cuts to services. The service committees had been asked to find savings to address the in year inflationary pressures and all service areas would have to find savings in order to balance the budget for 2023/24.
3 reported that in a recent report, eighteen areas of deprivation had been identified in Cheshire East, with thirteen of the areas being in Crewe. To tackle deprivation in Crewe there was a need to tackle health inequalities through improved housing, better jobs, access to green spaces and exercise and smoking cessation projects. The Council was consulting on measures to encourage more cycling and walking in Crewe.
The Deputy Leader, in summary
1 stated that he had at the last meeting reported that the Council had submitted expressions of interest in respect of six potential investment zones and reported that regrettably the Government’s focus on investment zones had now shifted and therefore the expression of interest would not be taken forward. The government would be refocusing the Investment Zones Programme to develop a limited number of the highest potential knowledge-intensive growth clusters and would be working with local authorities to consider how best to identify and support these clusters.
2 reported that on 17 November, the Chancellor of the Exchequer had reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to building HS2 to Manchester. The Council, along with other petitioners, awaited further details on the next stage of the Hybrid Bill and the dates of the Select Committee hearings. Officers were currently preparing the evidence base and draft committee exhibits in support of the petitioning arguments put forward in the Council’s submission against the original Hybrid Bill.
3 in relation to the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, the Council had received confirmation of the allocated funding - £1.5m in the current financial year and indicative allocations of £2.8m next year and £7.4m in the following year. Given the delay in receiving confirmation of the funding there was now an unrealistic timescale to deliver against the expected spend in year one and there was a risk of underspends being reclaimed by the Government. Officers and MPs were lobby to ensure that this did not happen.
4 reported that it was over 12 months since the Council had launched ‘go-too’ the demand responsive bus service in the southwest of the Borough. The service had performed well during the first year and from early next year the operating area would extend to include the Wybunbury triangle, enabling connections to both Dagfields and Bridgemere Garden Centre.