Decision details

Cabinet resolved to:

(i)  Note the projected outturn position for 2014/15 of the Council’s General Fund revenue budget at 30 September 2014, as detailed in paragraphs 2.4 to 2.10 and Appendix A of the report;

(ii)  Note the impact on the outturn position of expenditure restrictions and early savings implementation agreed by Minute 31 (7 October 2014);

(iii)  Note the potential actions identified by the Chief Finance Officer to return to a balanced budget by year end, as detailed in paragraph 2.2 of the report;

(iv)  Agree not to call on General Fund balances at the current time but to instruct the Chief Finance Officer to reinforce the spend freeze with all budget managers in order to contribute to delivering a balanced position by year end;

(v)  Note the progress against the agreed 2014/15 savings at 30 September 2014, as detailed in paragraph 2.11 and Appendix B of the report;

(vi)  Note the Corporate Director of Children’s Services addendum at Appendix E to the report and:

(a)  Accept the savings actions identified at paragraphs 2.3.2, 2.8 and 2.10 of Appendix E to the report and require the Children’s Services directorate to bring forward further cost reductions by implementing, wherever possible, agreed savings for 2015/16;

(b)  Note the additional options for potential savings outlined in section 3 of Appendix E to the report and agree that the options relating to the cessation of non-statutory case file audit activity and the cessation of non-statutory SEN transport (paragraphs 3.1.3 and 3.1.5 respectively) be implemented; and

(c)  Agree that reports be presented to future meetings of the Cabinet as follows:

·  27 January 2015 - information from the planned external reviews of spend and the impact on cost reduction to date.

·  24 March 2015 - pressures on and the implications for Medium Term Financial Planning and the impact on cost reduction actions undertaken.

(vii)  Note progress against the agreed 2014/15 Housing Revenue Account (HRA) savings as detailed in paragraph 2.12 and Appendix B of the report;

(viii)  Note the overall position for the HRA at 30 September 2014, as detailed in paragraph 2.12 and Appendix C of the report;

(ix)  Approve the 2014/15 budget re-profiles and increases in funding on capital budgets, as detailed in paragraph 2.13 and Appendix D of the report;

(x)  Approve a new capital budget of £283,000 to develop the Council’s website as detailed in paragraph 2.13 of the report;

(xi)  Agree to withdraw £148,000 of the saving CEX/SAV/09 presented to Cabinet on 7 October 2014 in order to continue the employment of a Scrutiny Officer and to employ a Political Assistant and a Leader and Members’ Services Manager in Democratic Services, as detailed in paragraph 2.9 of the report; and

(xii)  Request officers to report to a future meeting on the issue of slippage within the Capital Programme.