The Budget Debate will only consider:

(i).  the Cabinet’s Budget Recommendations/Minutes, which shall include any additional paragraphs / recommendations (e.g. those relating to precepts), together with any other recommendation(s) / minute(s) from the Cabinet meeting held on 10 February 2015 (and / or any other relevant Cabinet meeting) that require approval by the Council; and

(ii).  any Alternative Budget Proposal(s) or Amendment(s) to the Cabinet’s Budget Recommendations / Minutes referred to at (i) above must be duly lodged with the Head of Legal & Member Services on or before 12.00 noon on Friday, 20 February 2015.

(iii).  Budget Debate shall be conducted in accordance with the Budget Debate Process set out at Annex 1 (pages 27 – 30).

The minutes of the Cabinet (Budget Meeting) held on 10 February, 2015 are attached (pages 31 – 58) together with the following reports / documents:

A.  Revenue Budget 2015/18, Council Tax Levels 2015/16 and Council Tax for 2015/16 (Pages 59 - 106)

[Cabinet minute 136 refers]

B.  Schools Budget 2015/16 (Pages 107 - 122)

[Cabinet minute 145 refers]

C.  Capital Programme and Financing 2015/18 (Pages 123 – 147)

[Cabinet minute 137 refers]

D.  Medium Term Financial Strategy 2015/16 (Pages 149 - 228)

[Cabinet minute 138 refers]

E.  Carbon Budget (Pages 229 - 240)

[Cabinet minute 147 refers]

In accordance with the agreed Budget Council Procedure, as amended, the Leader of the Council, Councillor Phil Davies, moved the Cabinet’s recommended Budget to Council set out in Cabinet Minutes 136, 145, 137 to 138 and 147 of 10 February 2014, duly seconded by Councillor Ann McLachlan (Deputy Leader) –

(i)  Minute 136 (Cabinet – 10 February 2015)

Revenue Budget 2015/16, Council tax Levels 2015/16 and Council Tax for 2015/16

RESOLVED:

That the following Budget Resolution be agreed and recommended to Budget Council:

BUDGET RESOLUTION 2015/16

Cabinet notes the following:

1.  In spite of the continuing draconian cuts by the Tory-led government amounting to £151m since 2010, this Council has protected front-line services and welcomes the fact that in 2015/16 no Library, Children’s Centre or One Stop Shop will close.

2.  Cabinet welcomes the fact that, in spite of inheriting an overspend of £17m from the previous administration, Labour will deliver a balanced budget in 2015/16.

GROWTH

3.  In spite of the unprecedented cuts in the Council’s budget, Cabinet is able to recommend the following growth items in the period 2015/18 which will allow us to meet our corporate priorities (these are set out in Appendix 2 of the Acting Section 151 Officer’s report). These include the following:-

Protecting vulnerable people

£6.8m to address demographic growth in Children’s and Adults’ Services.

£400,000 to address homelessness and fund the Community Safety Team.

Narrowing the inequalities gap

£600,000 to address property conditions in the private sector and promote housing and growth.

£356,000 for Selective Licensing pilot scheme in four areas of the Borough to improve private sector housing standards.

£1.5m capital for a new house building programme which continues into 2015/16.

£1.9m to continue support to schools previously funded by the Education

Services Grant cut by the government.

Economic Growth

£808,000 capital to provide assistance to businesses.

£7m investment, primarily from grant, to replace the Dock Bridges.

£4m of capital to install LED lighting throughout the Borough.

£2m of capital investment into Highways (over and above Government funding).

Improving staff pay

£2.5m growth has been identified for 2015/16 to fully fund the national pay award for staff.  This runs from January 2015 to March 2016.

£400,000 growth is included in the budget for 2015/16 rising to £800,000 by 2017/18 to increase the pay of social workers in recognition of the importance of safeguarding children, young people and adults.

4.  Cabinet notes that there is a resource of £1.5m available for allocating in 2015/16 and that, whilst an additional £614,000 allocated as part of Wirral’s Revenue Support grant is welcome, this pales into insignificance compared to the £24m which the government has cut from Wirral’s Revenue Support Grant in 2015/16.  This administration has a long-standing commitment to protecting front-line services and helping vulnerable people. Cabinet therefore proposes to allocate this funding as follows:-

Tackling Anti-Social Behaviour - £365,200

Cabinet is determined to address the issue of anti-socialbehaviour which residents tell us is a key issue in many parts of the Borough. This  ...  view the full minutes text for item 112

Councillor Phil Davies introduced a report of the Acting Section 151 Officer, updating the Budget Projections for 2015/16 to 2017/18.  It outlined the issues and actions in relation to the Forecast Budget Funding Gap.

It indicated that Budget Council was scheduled for 24 February 2015 and the Council had to agree a Budget and set the levels of Council Tax for 2015/16 by 10 March 2015. 

The Overview of the Council’s Future Financial Position report to Cabinet on 9 December 2014 had provided the context by which budget decisions were being made.  The projections indicated a net funding deficit over the three years of £70 million. 

The report highlighted the key issues and the following documents were appended to it:

Appendix 1 - Savings 2015/16 to 2017/18

Appendix 2 - Growth Submissions 2015/18

Appendix 3 - Fees and Charges (the draft Fees and Charges Directory can be accessed through the background documents to the Cabinet agenda)

Appendix 4 - Level of General Fund Balances

Appendix 5 - Reserves

Appendix 6 - Robustness of the Estimates

Councillor Phil Davies highlighted the issues and recommendations detailed in the Director’s report, which contributed to enabling the Cabinet to be in a position to recommend a Budget proposal. He introduced the Budget proposal and the following resolution was moved, which was seconded by Councillor Ann McLachlan and agreed unanimously –

RESOLVED:

That the following Budget Resolution be agreed and recommended to Budget Council:

BUDGET RESOLUTION 2015/16

Cabinet notes the following:

1.  In spite of the continuing draconian cuts by the Tory-led government amounting to £151m since 2010, this Council has protected front-line services and welcomes the fact that in 2015/16 no Library, Children’s Centre or One Stop Shop will close.

2.  Cabinet welcomes the fact that, in spite of inheriting an overspend of £17m from the previous administration, Labour will deliver a balanced budget in 2015/16.

GROWTH

3.  In spite of the unprecedented cuts in the Council’s budget, Cabinet is able to recommend the following growth items in the period 2015/18 which will allow us to meet our corporate priorities (these are set out in Appendix 2 of the Acting Section 151 Officer’s report). These include the following:-

Protecting vulnerable people

£6.8m to address demographic growth in Children’s and Adults’ Services.

£400,000 to address homelessness and fund the Community Safety Team.

Narrowing the inequalities gap

£600,000 to address property conditions in the private sector and promote housing and growth.

£356,000 for Selective Licensing pilot scheme in four areas of the Borough to improve private sector housing standards.

£1.5m capital for a new house building programme which continues into 2015/16.

£1.9m to continue support to schools previously funded by the Education

Services Grant cut by the government.

Economic Growth

£808,000 capital to provide assistance to businesses.

£7m investment, primarily from grant, to replace the Dock Bridges.

£4m of capital to install LED lighting throughout the Borough.

£2m of capital investment into Highways (over and above Government funding).

Improving staff pay

£2.5m growth has been identified  ...  view the full minutes text for item 136