Issue - meetings

Having considered an open officer report, and a presentation by the Cabinet

Member for Finance & Resources, Councillor Amanda De Ryk, the Mayor and

Cabinet agreed that:

(1) the budget reduction proposals of £10.4m presented in Section 7 and

Appendix 6, be approved, the detail of which was considered in detail and

approved on 9 December 2020 and 3 February 2021;

(2) the budget reduction proposals presented in Section 7 and Appendices 2

to 5, totalling £1.425m be approved;

(3) the comments of the Public Accounts Select Committee of the 27 January

2022 incorporating the views of the respective select committees be received

and the response tabled at the meeting be approved and reported to the

Select Committee;

(4) officers be authorised to carry out consultations where staff consultation is

necessary in relation to the proposal and delegate the decision to the relevant

Executive Director for the service concerned;

(5) officers be authorised to carry out consultations where required in law or

under the Constitution in relation to the proposal and ask officers to report

back to the Mayor with the outcome, for a decision to be made;

Where no consultation is required, either:

• agree the proposal, or

• delegate the decision to the relevant Executive Director for the service

concerned or, request officers to complete further work to clarify the proposal

and that officers then re-submit the proposal at the earliest opportunity for a

decision.

The report was presented by Councillor de Ryk who was thanked by the

Mayor for leading a thorough process that had enabled all members to review

and challenge the proposals. The Mayor added his thanks to all the scrutiny

committees for their work in considering and commenting on these proposals.

The Mayor noted all of the proposals put forward resulted in a reduction in

Council expenditure, but most of them were not a reduction in the level of

service provided. They include opportunities to generate more income, work

more efficiently, and re-allocate resources where not needed in full. 

Having looked at the specific recommendations and noting the scrutiny

comments from the Public Accounts Select Committee, the Mayor proposed

that the following action be taken:

That all recommendations set out in section 2 be approved endorsing the

continuing work on proposals previously agreed and agreeing the new one

totalling £1.425m for 2022/23 enabling the budget reduction proposals to be

taken forward at pace and form part of the budget setting process for 2022/23. 

In respect of the income generation proposals detailed in Appendices 2 to 5;

the Mayor proposed that the proposals referenced D-10, D-12, D-13 and E-

12, go forward to the next stage of the budget preparation process. 

The Mayor proposed to delegate the final decision with regards to proposals

C-44 and E-15 to the relevant Executive Director.

There were four proposals relating to improved operational efficiencies. The

Mayor propose agreement to the proposals referenced C-35, C-36 and C-40

to go forward to the next stage of the budget preparation process.

He proposed to consult on proposal reference D-14 and delegate the final

decision to the relevant Executive Director.

There were four proposals relating to the reallocation of resources no longer

needed in full. The Mayor proposed agreement to the proposals referenced C-

38, C-39 and D-11 to go forward to the next stage of the budget preparation

process.

He proposed to delegate the final decision with regards to proposal F-25 to

the relevant Executive Director.

There were two proposals relating to reductions in budget. The Mayor

proposed that for proposal reference E-14 officers be asked to undertake a

full equalities impact assessment and that this return to Mayor and Cabinet as

part of the leisure contract review for decision at the earliest opportunity. 

The Mayor concluded by proposing the agreement to proposal reference F-26

to go forward to the next stage of the budget preparation process

Having considered an open officer report, and a presentation by the Cabinet

Member for Finance & Resources, Councillor Amanda De Ryk, the Mayor and

Cabinet following a recorded vote of 5-0 with the Mayor, Councillors Bonavia,

Codd, Dacres and Powell voting in favour of the recommendations:

RESOLVED that:

(1) the budget reduction proposals of £10.4m presented in Section 7 and

Appendix 6, be approved, the detail of which was considered in detail and

approved on 9 December 2020 and 3 February 2021;

(2) the budget reduction proposals presented in Section 7 and Appendices  ...  view the full minutes text for item 615