Purpose

This report provides details of Shropshire Council 2022/23 financial performance for revenue and capital.

Decision

RESOLVED:

That Cabinet:

In respect of the revenue budget:

a)    Note that the outturn is an overspend of £8.499m.

b)    Note the consequent level of the General Fund balance is £7.093m.

c)    Note the service-related use of £33.192m of Earmarked Reserves & Provisions.

d)    Note that the combination of earmarked and un-earmarked (General) reserves is below a level that would be regarded as safe, taking into account local circumstances. The MTFS sets out an agreed plan to restore these balances to safer levels.

Relating to ringfenced funding:

e)    Note the performance of the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) – £0.768m (4%) surplus outturn for 2022/23 on £19m turnover, and the resulting level of the HRA reserve of £12.359m. The level of the accumulated surpluses held as a reserve should be reviewed and an appropriate action plan brought forward.

f)     Note that the level of school balances has increased by £2.296m, from £8.191m in 2021/22 to £10.487m. The level of accumulated net surpluses in schools’ balances is considerable, and schools should identify the rationale for holding balances at those levels. 

In respect of the capital programme:

g)    Approve net budget variations of -£4.007m to the 2022/23 capital programme (in Appendix 11) and the re-profiled 2022/23 capital budget of £111.112m.

h)      Approve the re-profiled capital budgets of £26.575m for 2023/234, including slippage of £10.747m from 2022/23, £110.787m for 2024/25 and £56.264m for 2025/26 as detailed in Appendix 15.

i)        Accept the outturn expenditure set out in Appendices 12 and 13 of £100.365m, representing 90.3% of the revised capital budget for 2022/23.

j)       Approve retaining a balance of capital receipts set aside of £17.465m as at 31st March 2023 to generate a one-off Minimum Revenue Provision saving of £0.572m in 2023/24.