Issue - meetings

1.         That the 2015/16 service strategies that will deliver the Corporate Strategy 2015-20, as set out in Annex 1 to the submitted report, be approved.

2.         That the detailed service revenue and capital budgets for the years 2015/16 and indicative budgets for 2016-20, including amendments resulting from the final Local Government Financial Settlement and other Government funding changes announced since 10 February 2015, as set out in Annex 1 to the submitted report, be approved.

3.         That the match funding of the Brooklands Motor Museum contribution totalling £225,000 over five years, as set out in paragraph 18 of the submitted report, be approved.

4.         That the initiative to increase volunteering from the New Models of Delivery Budget, costing £75,000 in 2015/16 and also in 2016/17, as set out in paragraph 19 of the submitted report, be approved.

5.         That the publication of the service revenue and capital budgets as the Medium Term Financial Plan 2015-20 be approved.

6.         That the fees & charges approved under delegated powers be endorsed and other fee and charge proposals, as set out in Annex 2 of the submitted report, be approved.

7.         That the Equality Impact Assessment of the savings proposals within the directorate and service budgets, as set out in Annex 3 to the submitted report be noted.

Reasons for Decisions:

The 2015–20 MTFP is a five year budget that is aligned to the Corporate Strategy. It reflects assumptions about the current local and national financial, economic and political environment. The setting of a five year budget is a key element of the Council’s multi-year approach to financial management. Regular reporting through the year will enable progress to be effectively tracked and managed.

The Corporate Strategy 2015-20 sets out the Council’s key strategic goals of wellbeing, economic prosperity and residents’ experience. The service strategies provide the detail on the goals and actions to achieve these strategic goals.

[The decisions on this item can be called in by the Council Overview and Scrutiny Committee]

The Leader said that in February, the Cabinet had approved the Council’s five year corporate strategy Confident in Surrey’s future and that the overall budget and council tax precept for 2015/16 and indicative budgets for the following four financial years had been set at the full County Council meeting.

He said that before Cabinet today was the Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP) 2015 – 2020, which set out the detailed service strategies that would deliver the overall corporate strategy, together with the detailed revenue and capital budgets for 2015/16 and indicative budgets for 2016/17 to 2019/20. These budgets included fees and charges, grant changes in the Final Local Government Settlement and the Equality Impact Assessment (EIA) of the savings proposals.

He also confirmed that the Council’s strategy was focused on working in the long-term interests of Surrey and making sure residents remained healthy, safe and confident about their future and that the Council would concentrate on providing lasting support to those who needed it, supporting economic growth and ensuring residents get excellent, value for money services.

He was delighted to inform the Cabinet that savings of over £257m had been made in the past four years, and that the Council was forecast to make over £73m this year. 

Finally, he said that the corporate goals would be achieved even though the Council faced huge financial pressures – in particular, rising demand for school places and adult social care and this would be achieved by:

·      continuing to find new ways of doing things better,

·      continuing to work with others to transform services and

·      continuing to seek more devolved funding and powers.

The Leader of the Council invited each Cabinet Member to comment on the MTFP and the accompanying EIAs for their portfolios. They made the following points:

(i)  Deputy Leader: He highlighted the four savings proposals that had been identified as requiring an EIA in the Chief Executive’s service:

·         the cross cutting communications review

·         re-structure of libraries’ staff

·         reduction in the contingency budget for by-elections

·         5% reduction in the Policy and Performance Service

(ii) Cabinet Member for Highways, Transport and Flooding made the following points:

·         That Highways had a good year, helped by the clement winter weather

·         The aims and objectives for this service remained the same as last year, namely to keep Surrey’s road network safe - Project Horizon was helping to deliver this objective

·         Continued support for economic prosperity for residents and businesses

·         That pro-active partnerships in Surrey were excellent

·         Thanked officers for achieving financial savings in what had been a difficult year

·         That EIAs had been undertaken for those confirmed savings that had been deemed as requiring one

Mr Harmer, Chairman of the Environment and Transport Select Committee had asked to speak on this item and said that his select committee had undertaken a detailed review of this service’s budget. It was his opinion that £200K could be transferred from the streetlighting budget into winter maintenance, to create a ‘reserve’ pot of funding for severe weather emergencies.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 59