Issue - meetings

The Committee considered a report of the Director of Finance and Business Services providing an update on the business planning process 2013/16.

The report included a draft timetable for the business planning process for the financial year 2012/13 culminating in the Council budget meeting in February 2013., The business plan for 2012/15 , which had been approved by Council in February 2012 had introduced a new integrated approach whereby the setting of Corporate Priorities had been combined with the setting of the Budget. At the end of the 2011/12 municipal year, the Committee having received a number of recommendations from the Budget Task Group, had made a number of comments on the new approach at its meeting held on the 6 March 2012 and the response of Director of Finance and Business Services to each of the comments were included at appendix 1 of the report.

In response to comments raised by members about the level of detail available in the new style business plan, it was suggested that for the current process, two versions of the business plan should be produced. A long version along the lines of the one produced last year, and a shorter summary version for easy reference.

RESOLVED –

(a)               That the report be received and the key stages of the process to create a 2013/16 Business Plan be noted;

(b)               That the Budget Task Group be reconvened and the following Members be appointed to it:

Councillor P Findlow (Chairman) (Con)

Councillor G Merry(Con)

Councillor G Baxendale(Con)

Councillor F Keegan(Con)

Councillor D Newton(Lab)

Councillor D Neilson(LD)

(c)               That each of the remaining 5 Scrutiny Committees be invited to nominate one Member from each Committee to attend meetings of the Budget task group as participating observers.

(d)               That the Director of Finance and Business Services be requested to  produce two versions of the Business Plan, a long version along the lines of the one produced last year and a shorter version for easy reference.