RESOLVED:
1. That Cabinet note the 2023/24 Draft Budget and Medium-Term Financial Strategy to 2027/28, including progress to date in setting out spending pressures and efficiencies, as set out in Annex A.
2. That Cabinet note the provisional budget gap of £14.4m for 2023/24 and the next steps required to close the gap.
3. That Cabinet note the proposed Capital Programme for 2023/24 to 2027/28 of £1.9bn set out in Section 6 and Annex B
4. That Cabinet note the Executive Summary of Resident Engagement and next steps set out in Section 9.
Reasons for Decisions:
In January 2023, Cabinet will be asked to recommend a Final Budget for 2023/24 to full Council for approval in February. The draft budget sets out proposals to direct available resources to support the achievement of the Council’s corporate priorities, balanced against a challenging financial environment, giving Cabinet the opportunity to comment on the proposals and next steps.
The draft budget also provides an update on the continuing transformational programme, including identified cross cutting opportunities which are required to ensure that the Council can continue prioritising outcomes for residents, while managing growing demand for services and safeguarding future financial resilience and sustainability.
(The decisions on this item can be called-in by the Resources and Performance Select Committee)