Agenda item - Medium Term Financial Plan 2012/13 - 2014/15

Agenda item

Medium Term Financial Plan 2012/13 - 2014/15

Minutes:

The Executive Director of Finance and Resources gave a presentation on the Authority’s financial position for 2012/13 - 2014/15, together with Revenue and Capital bids forming part of the 2012/13 – 2014/15 Medium Term Financial Plan.

 

As part of the presentation reference was made to the recommendations arising from the meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Board on 3rd January 2012. The recommendations were in relation to the priorities to be attached to the various Revenue and Capital bids and were taken into account as part of the Cabinet consideration of the bids.

 

Reference was also made to the need to consider the potential impact on homelessness of the forthcoming Welfare Reform, in particular changes to the arrangements for Housing Benefit which would result in reductions in payments to claimants in particular circumstances.

 

Members’ attention was drawn to the need to address any potential increase in homelessness at an early stage and it was noted that officers were taking steps to strengthen prevention measures as far as possible. This included close working between officers from the Strategic Housing and Housing Benefits Teams and in partnership with BDHT and private landlords.

 

Clearly even taking into account the strengthening of prevention measures, it was likely to be necessary to make some provision within the budget for an increase in the costs of temporary accommodation. It was suggested that an additional £35,000 could be allocated from balances, together with a total of £15,000 from unspent budgets from the current year, to establish a contingency budget of £50,000 to be used for preventative work and if necessary, temporary accommodation costs. Officers undertook to continue to review the position and to report further as appropriate.

 

Arising from the discussion on the Revenue and Capital Bids it was acknowledged that until the Council’s Strategic Purposes had been fully defined it was inappropriate to make final decisions regarding the priority to be attached to some of the bids. It was important that the budget priorities were aligned with the Council’s Strategic Purposes.

 

It was therefore

 

RESOLVED:

(a)       that the current position for 2012/13  - 2014/15 be noted and that officers be requested to review the savings that can be delivered to achieve a balanced budget;

(b)       that the Revenue bids in respect of an Energy Advisor and a Data Analyst for Procurement be reduced to a low priority;

(c)        that the Capital bid in respect of Planning – Town Centre be categorised as a high priority;

(d)       that the Capital bid in respect of replacement Christmas Lights be deleted and the work be undertaken as part of the regeneration of the Town Centre;

(e)       that the Capital bids as set out below be taken out of the budget process at present and that provided that the proposal meets the Council’s Strategic Purposes as referred to in the preamble, officers be required to produce separate reports to include Business Cases as appropriate. 

 

·        Toilets in Bromsgrove Cemetery

·        Improved Parking in Sanders Park

·        Improvement of Battlefield Brook Infrastructure

·        Allotment Extension

       

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

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