Cabinet considered a report on the Mid-Year Review (Finance) for 2019/20.
The report outlined the budgetary pressures facing the Council and the mitigation measures to manage the forecast outturn.
Annex 1 to the report set out details of how the Council was performing in 2019/20.
Councillor J Clowes, Chairman of the Corporate Overview and Scrutiny Committee, reported that the Committee had considered the report at its meeting on 3rd October 2019 and had resolved to make the following comments to Cabinet:
§ That in relation to CCTV, the Committee is of the view that the Council should consider making more use of ‘invest to save’ initiatives and would therefore request Cabinet to provide more information as to how partners such as Town and Parish Councils, the Police and Fire Authorities work with the Council on such matters;
§ That Cabinet be requested to lobby the Government regarding the Government’s ongoing policy review and anticipated Green Paper on Adult Social Care;
§ That Cabinet be requested to consider how the Council would mitigate against a potential reduction in business rates revenue in the event that changes to national non-domestic rates arrangements, as announced by the government recently, are introduced.
The Leader responded that more information would be provided on how the Council worked with its partners in relation to CCTV; the Council would continue to lobby the Government on its review of adult social care policy; and the Council would welcome certainty, and a fair settlement, from Government regarding national non-domestic rates.
RESOLVED
That Cabinet
1. notes the contents of the report and the mitigating actions to manage the forecast outturn;
2. notes the contents of Annex 1 to the report;
3. approves, in accordance with Finance Procedure Rules, fully funded supplementary capital estimates over £500,000 and up to £1m (Appendix 4, Annex C):
§ £628,195 increase to Education and Skills 14-19 due to additional Devolved Formula Grant.
§ £533,171 increase to the Highways Investment Programme relating to the pothole fund.
4. approves, in accordance with Finance Procedure Rules, Capital virement over £1,000,000 and up to £5,000,000 (Appendix 4, Annex C):
§ £4,830,000 transfer from the Strategic Capital Project to Best4Business to enable the project to continue, whilst recognising that final scheme costs are under review.
5. recommends that Council approve a fully funded supplementary capital estimate above £1,000,000 in accordance with Financial Procedure Rules as detailed in (Appendix 4 Annex D):
§ £5,130,000 increase in the Best4Business budget to recognise the further contribution from Cheshire West and Chester towards this shared project.