Agenda item

Any Items referred from other committees will be circulated as soon as they are available.

(A)       Item Referred from Cabinet – 30 July 2019 - Risk Management Update

RESOLVED: That the Annual Report on Risk and Opportunities be considered and noted.

REASON FOR DECISION: To enable Council to consider the Annual Report on Risk Management.

(B)       Item Referred from Cabinet – 30 July 2019 – Meduim Term Financial Strategy 2020 - 2025

RESOLVED: That the Medium Term Financial Strategy 2020 – 2025 be adopted.

REASON FOR DECISION: Adoption of a MTFS and communication of its contents would assist in the process of forward planning the use of Council resources and in budget setting for 2020/2021 to  2024/2025, culminating in the setting of the Council Tax precept for

2020/21 in February 2020.

Audio recording – Start of Item – 12 minutes 52 seconds

(A)       Item Referred from Cabinet – 30 July 2019 - Risk Management Update

The Executive Member for Finance and IT presented the referral from Cabinet regarding the Risk Management Update including the following documents:

·                Referral from Finance, Audit and Risk Committee considered by Cabinet 30.07.19

·                Report considered by Cabinet 30.07.19;

·                Appendix A - New Risk Anti Social Behaviour;

·                Appendix B - Annual Report on Risk Management.

Cabinet recommended to Council: That the Annual Report on Risk and Opportunities be considered and noted.

The Executive Member for Finance and IT drew attention to:

·                Section 3 – Changes to Risk;

·                Section 6 – Business Continuity.

He thanked officers for the work undertaken during 2018/19 and advised Members of the challenges for the upcoming year.

It was proposed by Councillor Ian Albert, seconded by Councillor Kate Aspinwall and:

RESOLVED: That the Annual Report on Risk and Opportunities be considered and noted.

REASON FOR DECISION: To enable Council to consider the Annual Report on Risk Management.

(B)      Item Referred from Cabinet – 30 July 2019 – Meduim Term Financial Strategy 2020 - 2025

The Executive Member for Finance and IT presented the referral from Cabinet regarding the Medium Term Financial Strategy including the following documents:

·                Referral from Finance, Audit and Risk Committee considered by Cabinet on 30.07.19;

·                Report considered by Cabinet 30.07.19;

·                Appendix A - Medium Term Financial Strategy 2020-25 (As amended).

Cabinet recommended to Council: That the Medium Term Financial Strategy 2020-25 as attached at Appendix A be adopted.

The Executive Member for Finance and IT drew attention to:

·                The Strategy had been reviewed by Finance, Audit and Risk before being considered by Cabinet;

·                The Council was required to set a balanced budget;

·                Paragraphs 2.5 to 2.17 set out the assumptions made;

·                Since the report was written some further information had been received;

·                The spending review had clarified some of the uncertainty for next year, although now pushed that uncertainty to the following year;

·                Funding would not be reduced due to the negative support grant;

·                For one year the Council would have more funding than had been estimated;

·                The limit on Council Tax increases would likely be 2 percent rather than the current 3 percent;

·                Homelessness funding was welcome, but not a significant amount;

·                The Council needed to consider how to manage the one off benefit;

·                Officers still needed to identify savings;

·                It may be necessary to build in impacts regarding Brexit;

The Executive Member for Finance and IT thanked officers for their help.

The following Members took part in the debate:

·                Councillor David Levett;

·                Councillor Richard Thake.

It was proposed by Councillor Ian Albert, seconded by Councillor Sam North and:

RESOLVED: That the Medium Term Financial Strategy 2020 – 2025 be adopted.

REASON FOR DECISION: Adoption of a MTFS and communication of its contents would assist in the process of forward planning the use of Council resources and in budget setting for 2020/2021 to  2024/2025, culminating in the setting of the Council Tax precept for 2020/21 in February 2020.