Issue - meetings

Report FSD18009

The report outlined the Portfolio Holder’s draft 2017/18 Budget incorporating the full year effect of savings agreed as part of the 2017/18 Council Tax report and any further savings approved during the year which had resulted in reductions in the Council’s medium term ‘budget gap’.  Members were requested to consider the initial draft budget savings proposed and identify any further action that might be taken to reduce cost pressures facing the next four years.

The Executive had requested each PDS Committee to consider the proposed initial draft budget savings and cost pressures for their Portfolio and for comments to be submitted to the Executive meeting on 7th February.

Members noted there were still outstanding issues and areas of uncertainty.  Any further updates would be included in the 2018/19 Council Tax report to be considered by Members of the Executive in February.

It was noted that savings would be achieved over the term of the GLL libraries contract, but the same number of books would still be purchased by the Library Service each year. GLL were able to procure the same number of books for slightly less cost than the Council. There was also investment in new PCs and other IT infrastructure for the libraries.

Councillor Robert Evans requested details of the contracts referred to in the table at paragraph 6.1 of the report “Savings from recommissioning/

retendering of various contracts.”

The report (paragraph 7.5) advised Members of a risk in not collecting the full amount of CIL contributions, 96% of which were passed on to the Mayor of London to support the Crossrail project. A range of measures had been agreed to address this, and officers confirmed that the Mayor could not demand that any shortfall be paid by the Council even if the money was not received. Officers agreed to inform Members of the sums involved.

The Committee noted that planning fees were set nationally, including the provisions for free applications after a refusal, and had just gone up by 20% after a gap of several years. However, the money received was ring-fenced to planning.  

RESOLVED that:-

(1)  The update on the financial forecast for 2018/19 to 2021/22 be noted;

(2)  The initial draft 2018/19 Budget be used as a basis for setting the 2018/19 Budget; and

(3)  Member comments on the initial draft 2018/19 Budget be made available to the meeting of the Executive on 7 February 2018.