Following the agreement of the budget for 2011-2012 at the Council meeting on 1 March 2011, the Director of Finance presented the projected budget for 2012-2015, which suggested a shortfall of £21.3m in 2012-2013, £27.6m in 2013-2014 and £30.3m in 2014-2015. He set out the assumptions which underpinned the projections and reported upon grant negotiations and other legislative issues. He commented also that during the course of the budgeting period, the results of the Census 2011 would become available and incorporated into the grant distribution formulae. He stressed the importance of the completion of Census forms and reported that the Mid 2009 estimated populations released by the Office for National Statistics indicated that the reduction for Wirral since the Census 2001 was greater than for any other metropolitan or unitary authority. If this was confirmed in the Census 2011 then the reduction in grant receivable could be significant.

Resolved – That the budget projections be regularly reviewed.