To comment on the report to be considered by Cabinet on the 11 February 2016.

The Chief Accountant, Richard Bunn, referred Members to pages 33-200 of the agenda and gave an overview of the Council budget for 2016/17.   Members were informed that the report would be going before Cabinet on the 11 February 2016 and then onto Council on the 23 February 2016. 

Members were informed that there had been an increase in demand from Adult Social Care and that the Council would lose about 45% of the grant over the next four years.  It was noted that the Council was able to raise funds elsewhere locally possibly by raising Council Tax by 4% if it wished. This would be made up  of a 2% increase that could be levied without a local referendum and a further 2% adult services precept could be imposed. 

The Chief Accountant went onto explain that there was a new homes bonus scheme 2017/18 which meant that no new homes bonus would be received on homes built after the appeal.  Members were informed that there were therefore significant changes proposed to the way the new homes bonus scheme currently worked.

In the ensuing discussion the following points were noted:

• The Chief Accountant explained that an injection of £3.8million had been made for the increase in demand from Adult Social Care and £5.7million needed to be made in efficiency savings. 
• Members were referred to the capital programme specifically on pages 101, 104, 123 & 134 of the agenda and asked if there were any schemes the Panel wanted to promote.

The Crime & Disorder Overview & Scrutiny Panel unanimously agreed to recommend to Cabinet the following:

i.     That the detailed recommendations contained in Appendix A, which includes a Council Tax at band D of £906.95, be approved.

ii.    That an Adult Social Care Levy of £1.191m be included in the Council’s budget proposals, this levy being equivalent to £18.14 at band D.

iii.   That Fees and Charges as contained in Appendix B be approved.

iv.   That the Capital Programme shown in Appendices C and D be adopted by the Council for the year commencing April 2016.

v.    That responsibility is delegated to the Cabinet Prioritisation Sub Committee to identify specific scheme budgets for the Highway Maintenance programmes as soon as project specifications have been completed.

vi.   That authority is delegated to the Head of Finance in consultation with the Lead Members for Finance and for Adult Services and Health to add up to a further £300k to the budget for Disabled Facilities Grant once demand for those grants has been established.

vii.  That the prudential Borrowing limits set out in Appendix L are approved.

viii. That Council is asked to note the Business Rate tax base calculation detailed in Appendix P (to follow) and its use in the calculation of the Council Tax Requirement in Appendix A.

ix.   That the Head of Finance in consultation with Lead Members for Finance and Education, is authorised to amend the Total Schools Budget, to reflect actual Dedicated Schools Grant levels.

x.    That the Head of Finance in consultation with Lead Members for Finance and Education, the Managing Director and Strategic Director for Adult, Children and Health Services and the School Forum is authorised to approve subsequent allocation of the Schools Budget in accordance with the 2016/17 funding formula  and the Schools Finance and Early Years Regulations 2015.

xi.   That responsibility to include the precept from the Berkshire Fire and Rescue Authority in the overall Council Tax charges is delegated to the Lead Member for Finance and Head of Finance as soon as the precept is announced. (should be 17 February 2016)

xii.  That the revision to the Council’s Minimum Revenue Policy set out in paragraph 3.43 be approved.

The Panel unanimously agreed that they would like to promote the following Capital Bid schemes:

• Item 15 = Enforcement Services Mobile Phone Replacement 2016-2017.

• Item 16 = Parking Enforcement Equipment Upgrade & Renewal 2016-2017.

• Item 17 = Mobile working for street based staff 2016-2017.

The Panel agreed that Item 53 (Decriminalised parking enforcement (post implementation parking review) be promoted and phased in but that it was not necessarily something that was needed in the short-term or this year.

The Panel stated that in the past the Youth Offending Team had been a separate item in the budget and that in order to be transparent the financial amounts should be split into separate amounts going forward.