Issue - meetings

Council Budget

Meeting: 03/03/2016 - Council (Item 103)

103 Council Budget pdf icon PDF 77 KB

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 to be held on 22 February 2016 (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 duly lodged with the Head of Legal & Member Services on or before 12noon on Monday, 29 February 2016.

 

(iii)  Budget Debate shall be conducted in accordance with the Budget Debate Process (pages – ).

 

The minutes of the Cabinet (Budget Meeting) held on 22 February, 2016 are (to follow in the Council Supplement) and the following reports / documents are attached:

 

The Cabinet Budget Resolution 2016/17 which was presented at the Cabinet meeting held on Monday 22nd February 2016 (Attached) (Pages - )

 

A  Revenue Budget and Council Tax Levels 2016/17

    (Pages  –)

 

B  Capital Programme and Financing

    (Pages  –)

 

C  Medium Term Financial Strategy

    (Pages  –)

 

D  Schools Budget

    (Pages  –)

 

E  Carbon Budget

  (See Cabinet Resolution of 22 Feb, 2016)

Additional documents:

Minutes:

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 Minute 99 from the  22 February 2016, duly seconded by Councillor Ann McLachlan (Deputy Leader)

 

(i)  Minute 99 (Cabinet – 22 February 2016)

Council Budget

 

RESOLVED:

 

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

 

BUDGET RESOLUTION 2016/17

 

Cabinet notes the following:

 

NATIONAL CONTEXT

 

1.  The 2016/17 Budget is being prepared against the most difficult financial backdrop this Council has ever faced. Local government is under attack from the Conservative’s austerity agenda. We believe their vision is of a country where residents in every borough are left to fend for themselves. 

 

2.  Their policy of removing the Local Government Revenue Support Grant in its entirety is, in the opinion of this Cabinet, akin to the Government telling every Wirral resident – “don’t call us, you’re on your own”.

 

3.  We believe this policy makes a mockery of the Conservative election campaign slogan “We’re all in this together”. It shows no understanding of, nor concern for, the plight of those for whom local services are an important and often vital part of life. Those who rely on carers, are looking for safe affordable housing, value our libraries and leisure centres, or enjoy our parks and beaches. Rather than bringing us closer together, this Cabinet contends that this policy simply widens the gap between the rich and the poor.

 

4.  Conservative Council leaders across the country, seemingly fearful of the electoral backlash in May, warned the Government of the danger of its actions. Even backbench Tory MP’s spoke about their unease with this policy. The Prime Minister’s own mother joined the protest at the cuts to local grants in her community.

 

5.  It is worth noting, however, no such concern or support came from the Conservatives in Wirral: no campaign, petition or lobby from them – it’s always somebody else’s responsibility to clean up their mess and the irresponsible £17million overspend we inherited.

 

6.  The Government did indeed respond to the outcry from across the political spectrum, but in a way that only further proved to this Cabinet how indifferent to the needs of the country they really are. The Government announced a £300 million Transitional Fund sweetener – in the words of the minister – “To help Councils transform from dependence on central government grants to greater financial autonomy” - but almost exclusively targeted it at Conservative-run Councils, including those containing Mr Cameron’s seat in Oxfordshire and the Chancellor’s constituency in Cheshire East.

 

7.  Where is Wirral’s share? Where is the estimated £2million per year that Wirral should have been entitled to, based on other funding formulas? Where is the money that could have gone towards tackling anti-social behaviour, improving skills and training for our young people, money to support vital services? Cabinet has received no support or heard of no concern from the local Conservative party to challenge  ...  view the full minutes text for item 103


Meeting: 22/02/2016 - Cabinet (Item 99)

99 Council Budget pdf icon PDF 217 KB

 

A  Revenue Budget and Council Tax Levels 2016/17

    (Pages 131 – 178)

 

B  Capital Programme and Financing

    (Pages 179 – 198)

 

C  Medium Term Financial Strategy

    (Pages 199 – 271)

 

D  Schools Budget

    (Pages 272 – 288)

 

E  Carbon Budget

    (To be presented at the Council Meeting in July 2016)  

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Councillor Phil Davies introduced a report that provided an update on the Council’s Budget for 2016/17 which had been previously reported to the Cabinet at its meeting on 17 December 2015.  The report set out the background and key elements contributing to the preparation of the Budget for 2016/17.

 

It was noted that the Cabinet had to recommend a Budget proposal to the Council on 3 March 2016.  This included a recommendation on the Wirral Council element of the Council Tax to be applicable from 1 April 2016.  This was required in order to formally set the Revenue Budget and Council Tax for the 2016/17 Financial Year. 

 

The Council had to agree a Budget and set the levels of Council Tax for 2016/17 by 10 March 2016.

 

Councillor Phil Davies informed that he had agreed that two Trade Union Officials Messrs Alan Small (Unite) and Paddy Cleary (Unison) could address the meeting for up to five minutes.  He then invited them to do so.

 

Mr Small addressed the Cabinet on behalf of Unite members.  He raised concerns over the proposal to close Girtrell Court, the Council’s only respite care centre for people with complex physical and mental disabilities in order to save £155,000 a year.  He informed that this amount was equivalent to the annual salary of some Officers in attendance at the meeting.  If the proposal was agreed it would result in the compulsory redundancies of 40 people.

 

Mr Small referred to the Wirral Plan and particularly to the following priority:

 

  “Wirral is a place where the vulnerable are safe and protected, every child gets a good start in life and older residents are respected and valued.”

 

Mr Small asked how the proposal to close Girtrell Court fitted in with this priority.  He informed that a wide age range of people used the facility and that their parents and carers were very worried about the future of their loved ones.  Mr Small considered that the majority of those on the lists of independent sector alternatives were not satisfactory.  Most of them were for elderly care, people over sixty-five years of age.  There was a wide range of people who used Girtrell Court and the future was pretty scary for them and their families. Mr Small asked the Cabinet to reconsider the proposal.

 

Mr Small then drew attention to the budgetary proposal to transfer Beechwood Recreation Centre into the independent sector.  He informed that he was of the view that it should remain within Leisure Services and that the Council should invest in it.  Mr Small also believed that the Council should continue to invest in all of its Leisure and Recreation Centres and that they should all stay in-house.

 

Mr Cleary then addressed the Cabinet on behalf of Unison members and made reference to the Girtrell Court budget proposal and informed that he could not understand why a Labour led Administration was considering this option to save £155,000 a year. The Council had pledged to help the most vulnerable  ...  view the full minutes text for item 99