Issue - meetings

Councillor De Ryk MOVED, Barnham SECONDED, and it was RESOLVED to:

·                Note the current financial forecasts for the year ending 31 March 2024 and that the Executive Management team continue to work in bringing forward action plans to manage down budget pressures within their directorates.

·                Note that Lewisham has been allocated £1m of grant funding as a local authority in tranche 3 of the Delivering better Value (DbV) initiative. The bid is based on workstreams that the local authority will progress based on the findings from case study work undertaken, with the focus on training, development and culture change, aimed at supporting Lewisham to reduce the historic deficit on the high needs block.    

·                Approve the write off of unrecovrable business rates debts totalling £166k as set out in paragraph 18.2 of the report.

The meeting received a report introduced by Councillor De Ryk in relation to the following:

·                The financial monitoring position for the 2023/24 financial year.

·                The latest position on the following:

o      the Council’s General Fund;

o      the Dedicated Schools Grant;

o      the Housing Revenue Account, and the Collection Fund and the Capital Programme; and

o      an update on progress against savings delivery.

·                The Council-wide financial forecast for General Fund activities.

·                The work of the extended leadership team on savings and cost avoidance measures.

·                Timeline of engagement and decision-making regarding the Council’s financial activities up to 29 January 2024.

The Mayor (Acting) and Cabinet, having considered the open officer report, Councillor De Ryk MOVED, Barnham SECONDED, and it was RESOLVED to:

·                Note the current financial forecasts for the year ending 31 March 2024 and that the Executive Management team continue to work in bringing forward action plans to manage down budget pressures within their directorates.

·                Note that Lewisham had been allocated £1m of grant funding as a local authority in tranche 3 of the Delivering better Value (DbV) initiative. The bid, based on workstreams that the local authority will progress based on the findings from case study work undertaken, with the focus on training, development and culture change, aimed at supporting Lewisham to reduce the historic deficit on the high needs block.    

·                Approve the write off of unrecovrable business rates debts totalling £166k as set out in paragraph 18.2 of the report.