Purpose

to set out the Council’s budget
proposals for 2024/25 and 2025/26. It also provides a general
update on the Council’s overall financial position, including
an overview of the current economic outlook.

Content

Cabinet NOTED the following
comments made by Rajas Falker, as a
local resident, who had requested to speak at the meeting on the
report.  In addressing Cabinet, Mrs
Falker advised she was attending the
meeting in order to express concerns about the budget saving
proposal identified for 2025-26 relating to the potential closure
of the New Millennium Day Centre, given the impact it was felt this
would have on service users and carers using the
Centre.  In outlining the detrimental
impact it was felt the proposal would have on the health and
wellbeing of existing service users and their carers, the opportunity was also taken to advise
members of the much valued level of care and social interaction
being provided for vulnerable adults through the Centre which it
was felt had enabled them to thrive and flourish in a safe and
supportive environment.  Referring to
the closure of other surrounding day care centres, Mrs Falker felt it was also important to recognise the
importance locally of the service being provided by the New
Millennium Day Centre.  Whilst aware of
the financial pressures faced by the Council, Mrs Falker ended by urging members to reconsider the
saving proposal and to keep the New Millennium Day Centre open to
ensure those vulnerable adults and their carers who relied on the
service being provided were not adversely impacted and could
continue to benefit from the support available through the
Centre.
 
In response, Councillor Nerva
(as Cabinet Member for Public Health & Adult Social Care)
whilst recognising the concerns highlighted felt it important to
begin by outlining the challenging context in which the budget
proposals presented for consideration had needed to be
developed.  This had included the impact
arising from austerity and the cumulative funding cuts which had
been imposed on local authorities by the current Conservative
Government along with their failure to deliver reform of the social
care system.  These challenges had been
compounded, particularly in relation to adult social care providers
across all sectors, by the wider economic and inflationary cost
pressures currently being experienced alongside an increase in
demand for services.  Faced with the
pressures identified the Council had needed to consider ways in
which Adult Social Care services could continue to be delivered as
effectively and sustainably as possible working in partnership
across a range of sectors whilst also seeking to support and
maximise, as part of a wider transformation process, the
independence of service users.
 
In terms of the specific
proposal identified, Mrs Falker and
Cabinet were assured that the decision due to be taken at this
stage was to commence a wider community and service user
consultation and engagement process on the budget proposals
identified.  As part of the consultation
process outlined, Councillor Nerva and Councillor Tatler (as Deputy
Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance, Resources and Reform)
confirmed that this would include users of the New Millennium Day
Centre and would involve a full assessment of options and
alternative provision prior to any final decision being made on
whether to proceed with the proposal. 
In concluding, Councillor Nerva again assured local residents and
care users of the efforts that would be made to genuinely engage
and seek views on the budget proposals without any form of
predetermination but felt it important to stress the difficult
nature of decisions needing to be considered and that would need to
be taken by the Council in seeking to balance the budget and ensure
the sustainability of services which protected and supported the
most vulnerable in the borough.
 
Having noted the comments
received, Cabinet RESOLVED:
 

(1)    To note the overall
financial position, as detailed within the report.

 

(2)    To agree to consult on
the new budget proposals, as set out in Appendices A and B of the
report.

 

(3)    To agree to consult on
a Council Tax increase of 4.99% (consisting of a 2.99% general
increase plus 2% for the Adult Social Care Precept) in 2024/25.

 

(4)    To endorse the approach
to the statutory process of consultation, scrutiny and equalities
between November 2023 and February 2024, as set out in section
eleven of the report.

 

(5)    To endorse the changes
to the technical budget assumptions underpinning the budget, as set
out in section seven of the report.

 

(6)    To note the position
with regard to the funding for Schools and the Dedicated Schools
Grant, as set out in section twelve of the report.

 

(7)    To note the lack of
certainty over the level of the rent increase for the Housing
Revenue Account in 2024/25 since the government had yet to publish
the new regulations. In the absence of guidance, the draft budget
had assumed an increase of CPI+1% (7.7%), as set out in section
thirteen of the report.

 

(8)    To note the position
with regard to the Capital programme, as set out in section
fourteen of the report

 
Eligible
for call-in: Yes

 

Deadline for submission of call-in: 6pm on Thursday 23 November
23