Members were informed of the action taken to address shortfalls in the Technical Services budget, first identified in 2007-2008, and advised of further variations which had arisen in 2008-2009, exacerbated by the current economic climate. The Director of Technical Services put forward proposals to deal with those variations, together with a strategy to address issues raised in the 2007-2008 Audit Commission Annual Governance Report relating to the capitalisation of highways maintenance and the recording of expenditure on infrastructure assets.

Resolved - That

(1)  the Council be recommended that the current re-engineered 2008-2009 budget detailed in Appendix 1 be agreed, which reflects the virements contained within paragraph 2.2;

(2)  the revised charges detailed in paragraph 5.8 which should generate an additional £50,000 per annum;

(3)  the actions being taken in respect of infrastructure assets be noted and  the proposal to capitalise an additional £500,000 of highways maintenance expenditure be agreed as detailed in paragraph 7 and used to address the shortfalls identified in paragraph.8.1; and

(4)  the proposal contained in paragraph 8.1 be noted and the Director of Technical Services explore ways of containing the 2008-2009 deficit within existing resources and report further on the position for 2009-2010 early in the new financial year.

Resolved - That

(1)  the Council be recommended that the current re-engineered 2008-2009 budget detailed in Appendix 1 be agreed, which reflects the virements contained within paragraph 2.2 of the Cabinet report

(2)  the revised charges detailed in paragraph 5.8 which should generate an additional £50,000 per annum;

(3)  the actions being taken in respect of infrastructure assets be noted and  the proposal to capitalise an additional £500,000 of highways maintenance expenditure be agreed as detailed in paragraph 7 and used to address the shortfalls identified in paragraph.8.1; and

(4)  the proposal contained in paragraph 8.1 be noted and the Director of Technical Services explore ways of containing the 2008-2009 deficit within existing resources and report further on the position for 2009-2010 early in the new financial year.