Report to be circulated separately

A report by the Director of Finance updated the projected budgets for the years from 2011 to 2015 taking into account the Spending Review 2011-15 presented on 20 October 2010.

On a motion by the Leader seconded by Councillor Holbrook it was:-

RESOLVED:

The Director of Finance has now reported that with the savings requirement placed on the Council, including the ending of £10.3million of Working Neighbourhood Fund Grant by the previous Labour Government, the Council must save £117million between 2011/12 and 2014/15

Cabinet anticipates that the measures the current coalition Government will need to take to tackle the doubling of the national debt, the spending £120 million every single day just to pay off the interest on Labour’s debt and the biggest deficit in the G20 will increase the amount of savings required.

Cabinet believes we have a responsibility to the most vulnerable in our communities to ensure that high quality front line services are sustainable for the long term whilst doing all we can to minimise the burden of Council Tax on hard pressed residents.

Cabinet also believes that Wirral Council has a leading role in Wirral’s economy and a responsibility to help to rebalance the economy to attract new investment to the Borough, creating skilled and green jobs that will reduce worklessness and grow our economy.

Cabinet therefore commends to Council the strategy our administration has adopted of:

1. Informing, listening and engaging with Wirral residents, employers, Council staff and the voluntary, community and faith organisations through the ‘Wirral’s future – be a part of it’ consultation exercise which has delivered such progressive, clear and imaginative recommendations that will allow the Council, for the first time, to align its policies for Children and Young People, Adult Social Services, Living in Wirral and the Wirral Economy, to Wirral resident’s priorities.

2. Repairing and reinvigorating the Council’s Strategic Change Programme which seeks to fundamentally change the way the Council does business.

3. Offering Council staff the opportunity to leave Council service or reduce their hours if they so wish.

4. Our commitment to making every pound of the public’s money matter by focusing, with the Interim Chief Executive, The Head of the Council’s Strategic Change Programme and Director of Finance, on all areas of Council spending to identify where resources, including reserves, red tape, excessive back office costs and bureaucracy, can be released to keep Council tax minimised whilst investing in the services that matter the most to local people.

Cabinet thanks the Officers and staff of the Council, the independent Task Forces, Wirral residents and employers for the contributions they have made to the delivery of this strategy.

Cabinet notes that the formation of the Conservative and Liberal Democrat ‘progressive partnership,’ in May of this year, had at its heart a commitment to openness, fairness and responsibility and that Cabinet is confident that the decisions we are making tonight have been guided by these values.

Cabinet therefore recommends to Council the following changes to this and future years Council spending plans,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 248