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 18 February 2019 (and/or any other relevant Cabinet meeting) that require approval by the Council; and

(ii)  any objections to the recommendations and those Alternative Budget Proposal(s) or Amendment(s) to the Cabinet’s Budget Recommendations / Minutes referred to at (i) above that are duly lodged with the Director: Governance and Assurance (Monitoring Officer) on or before 12noon on Wednesday, 27 February 2019.

(iii)  Budget Debate shall be conducted in accordance with the Budget Debate Process. Cabinet Minute 73(1), 18 December 2017 refers.  (Pages 7 - 12)

The following minutes of the Cabinet (Budget Meeting) held on 18 February 2019, are attached.   

Supporting Documents:

In accordance with the agreed Budget Council Procedure, the Leader of the Council, Councillor Phil Davies moved and the Deputy Leader of the Council, Councillor George Davies seconded the Cabinet’s recommended Budget to Council set out in Minute 54 (extract) from the meeting of the Cabinet held on 18 February 2019 –

54  COUNCIL BUDGET 2019/20

Councillors Phil Davies, Janette Williamson and Bernie Mooney introduced reports on the following budgetary matters:

(A)  Revenue Budget 2019/20 and Medium Term Financial Strategy 2019/20 to 2022/23 (Councillor Davies) – the report provided a technical update on the proposals to balance the budget for 2019/20 and the Medium Term Financial Strategy previously reported to Cabinet on 26 November 2018. It described the background to balancing the budget gap and the key elements contributing to the preparation of the budget, and set out the formal recommendations on the 2019/20 budget and council tax for Full Council. The report included the updated Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) and Resilience Plan for 2019/20 – 2022/23. This also included the publication of the Corporate Risk Register for 2019/20. These documents were dynamic and subject to change. In light of the Government fair funding review and recent funding consultations there was no certainty of funding past April 2020.  However, the MTFS had been prepared on the best of knowledge available at the time including known future pressures and plans already underway to change the way the Council provided its services.

(B)  Schools Budget and Funding Formula Changes 2019/20 (Councillor Mooney) - the report set out the Schools Budget for 2019/20 having been previously considered by the Schools Forum at their meeting on 16th January 2019. The Schools Budget covered education provision for all Wirral Pupils aged up to 18 in Early Years, Primary, Secondary and academy schools and for some pupils up to the age of 25 in Special Schools and High Needs providers. Most budgets were delegated to schools with some central provision for support services including school admissions and High Needs. The report proposed a number of changes to the local funding formula for Schools to allow a transitional transfer to the National Funding Formula. There were also changes proposed to High Needs. The Schools Budget provided resources to support all children and young people pledges, and the proposals within result in an in-year deficit of £2,343,200 on the DSG budget.

(C)  Capital Programme and Financing 2019/23  ...  view the full minutes text for item 102

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 19 February 2018 (and/or any other relevant Cabinet meeting) that require approval by the Council; and

(ii)  any objections to the recommendations and those Alternative Budget Proposal(s) or Amendment(s) to the Cabinet’s Budget Recommendations / Minutes referred to at (i) above that are duly lodged with the Assistant Director: Law and Governance (Monitoring Officer) on or before 12noon on Wednesday, 28 February 2018.

(iii)  Budget Debate shall be conducted in accordance with the Budget Debate Process. Cabinet Minute 73(1), 18 December 2017 refers.  (Pages 43 - 48)

The following minutes of the Cabinet (Budget Meeting) held on 19 February 2018, are attached. 

Minute 81 – Capital Monitoring 2017/18 Quarter 3 (revised Capital Plan), (Cabinet Report attached).    (Pages 49 - 66)

Minute 82 - The 2018/19 Budget Proposals Scrutiny, copies of the Overview and Scrutiny Reports may be found here:

http://democracy.wirral.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=121&MId=5962

   (Pages 67 - 68)

Minute 83 - Cabinet Budget Resolution 2018/19    (Pages 69 - 82)

Supporting Documents

A  Revenue Budget and Council Tax Levels 2018/19

    (Pages 83 - 142)

B  Treasury Management Strategy Statement 2018/21

    (Pages 143 - 178)

C  Capital Programme and Financing 2018/21

    (Pages 179 - 208)

D  Schools Budget and Funding Formula Changes 2018/19

    (Pages 209 - 225)

In accordance with the agreed Budget Council Procedure, the Leader of the Council, Councillor Phil Davies moved and the Deputy Leader of the Council, Councillor George Davies seconded the Cabinet’s recommended Budget to Council set out in Minute 83 from the meeting of the Cabinet held on 19 February 2018 –

Minute 83

MINUTE EXTRACT - BUDGET CABINET

19 February 2018

83  COUNCIL BUDGET 2018/19

Councillors Phil Davies, Janette Williamson and Bernie Mooney introduced reports on the following budgetary matters:

(A)Revenue Budget and Council Tax Levels 2018/19 (Councillor Davies) – that provided an update on the Medium Term Financial Strategy and Council Budget 2018/19 reported to Cabinet on 18 December 2017. It set out the background and the key elements contributing to the preparation of the Budget for 2018/19.

(B)Treasury Management Strategy Statement (Councillor Williamson) – that provided the Authority’s treasury management activity as underpinned by CIPFA’s Code of Practice on Treasury Management (“the Code”), which required the production of annual Prudential Indicators and a Treasury Management Strategy Statement on likely financing and investment activity. The Code also recommended that Members were informed of treasury management activities at least twice a year. The report fulfilled the Authority’s legal obligation under the Local Government Act 2003 to have regard to both the CIPFA Code and the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) Investment Guidance.

(C)Capital Programme and Financing (Councillor Davies) – the report provided Cabinet with the draft Capital Programme 2018/21 for consideration and referral to Council for approval. It also included information regarding the revenue implications of the Programme and an update on the latest forecast for capital receipts. The 2018/21 Capital Programme represented a combination of schemes originally approved as part of the 2017/20 Programme, updated through the Capital Monitoring reports in 2017/18 and new bids for inclusion as detailed in the report.

(D)Schools Budget and Formula Funding Changes 2018/19 (Councillor Mooney) – the report set out the Schools Budget for 2018/19 having been previously considered by the Schools Forum at their meeting on 17 January 2018. The Schools Budget covered education provision for all Wirral Pupils aged up to 18 in Early Years, Primary, Secondary and academy schools and for some pupils up to the age of 25 in Special Schools and High Needs providers. The report informed that most budgets were delegated to schools with some central provision for support services including school admissions and High Needs. The report proposed a number of changes to the local funding formula for Schools to allow a transitional transfer to the National Funding Formula.

Councillor Phil Davies informed that the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 118