Agenda and minutes

Venue: Meeting Room 1, 135 Eastern Avenue, Milton Park, Milton, OX14 4SB

Contact: Ron Schrieber, Democratic Services Officer 

Items
No. Item

Sc43

Notification of substitutes and apologies for absence

To record the attendance of substitute members, if any, who have been authorised to attend in accordance with the provisions of standing order 17(1), with notification having been given to the proper officer before the start of the meeting and to receive apologies for absence.

Minutes:

Apologies were received from Councillors Debby Hallett (substitute Dudley Hoddinott) and Mohinder Kainth.

Sc44

Declarations of interest

To receive any declarations of disclosable pecuniary interests in respect of items on the agenda for this meeting.  

Minutes:

None.

Sc45

Urgent business and chairman's announcements

To receive notification of any matters, which the chairman determines, should be considered as urgent business and the special circumstances, which have made the matters urgent, and to receive any announcements from the chairman.

Minutes:

None.

Sc46

Statements, petitions and questions from the public relating to matters affecting the Scrutiny Committee

Any statements and/or petitions from the public under standing order 32 will be made or presented at the meeting.

Minutes:

None.

Sc47

Budget 2017/18 pdf icon PDF 200 KB

To consider the head of finance’s report. REPORT TO FOLLOW

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The committee considered the head of finance’s report.  This brought together all relevant information to allow Cabinet to recommend to Council a revenue budget for 2017/18 and a capital programme for 2017/18 to 2021/22.  The Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP) was included, which provided details of the forward budget model for the next five years.  The report also recommended the prudential indicators to be set by the Council in accordance with ‘the Prudential Code’, introduced as part of the Local Government Act 2003. 

 

Councillor Robert Sharp, the Cabinet member for finance, introduced the report. Also present to answer questions were Councillor Matthew Barber, Leader, William Jacobs, head of finance and Simon Hewings, chief accountant (Capita).

 

The budget preparation had brought a number of challenges around new homes bonus and the new operating environment.  The budget included a £5 increase in council tax per Band D property, in line with government expectation.  This would allow the council to be more prudent in the medium term financial plan. This would be the first council tax increase it had recommended in the past six years.

 

In response to questions and issues raised by the committee, it was reported that:

 

·         When the 2016/17 budget was set, the contracting process for the Five Councils’ Partnership was still ongoing and only estimates of savings were available, based on future costs being smoothed on an annual basis. However, it was now clear that there would be a greater realisation of savings in the later years of the contract. Accordingly, the savings estimate arising from the contact costs had been re-profiled over the MTFP.

·         Although Hart, Havant and Mendip Councils would be joining the Five Councils’ Partnership at a later date, the same contract cost profiles would apply.

·         Although the final settlement funding assessment would not be received from government until 20 February, it was not anticipated that this would differ significantly from the provisional figures.

 

RESOLVED

 

To agree that cabinet recommend to council that it:

 

(a)       set the revenue budget for 2017/18 as set out in appendix A.1 to the head of finance’s report to Cabinet on 3 February 2017;

 

(b)       approve the capital programme for 2017/18 to 2021/22 as set out in appendix D.1 to the head of finance’s report, together with the capital growth bids set out in appendix D.2 of the head of finance’s report;

 

(c)       set the council’s prudential limits as listed in appendix E to the head of finance’s report; and

 

(d)       approve the medium term financial plan to 2021/22 as set out in appendix F.1 to the head of finance’s report. 

 

 

Sc48

Work schedule and dates for all South and Vale scrutiny meetings pdf icon PDF 61 KB

To review the attached scrutiny work schedule. Please note, although the dates are confirmed, the items under consideration are subject to being withdrawn, added to or rearranged without further notice.

 

Minutes:

The committee was advised that, since the publication of the work programme, a member workshop to draw up a longlist of future items had been arranged for Monday 27 February. 

 

Contact us - Democratic services

Phone icon

01235 422520
(Text phone users add 18001 before dialing)

Address icon

Vale of White Horse District Council
Abbey House, Abbey Close,
Abingdon
OX14 3JE