Issue - meetings

Cabinet Report Budget 25.26 20 January 2025

 

 

Meeting: 22/01/2025 - Overview & Scrutiny Committee (Item 246)

246 Cabinet Report Budget 25.26 20 January 2025 pdf icon PDF 437 KB

Revenue Budget for 2025-26

Executive Summary

This report presents the latest iteration of the budget for 2025/26. It is intended to present the position as we currently know it and it will need to be updated as more information becomes available e.g. the impact of the final Local Government Finance Settlement for 2025/26.

Options considered.

 

No other options have been considered as it is a legal requirement to calculate “the expenditure which the authority estimates it will incur in the forthcoming year in performing its functions” and then subtract “the sums which it estimates will be payable for the year into its general fund”. This is required to set a balanced budget before 11 March 2025.

 

Consultation(s)

The Overview and Scrutiny Committee will have the opportunity to review this report at its meeting on 22 January 2025. It will be able to make recommendations that Cabinet will be able to consider at its meeting on 3 February 2025.

 

Budget consultation is taking place on the Council’s website currently for anyone to share their views. Consultation with Business Rates payers is also being undertaken. The results of both these consultations will be included in the report being presented to Full Council on 19 February 2025.

 

Recommendations

 
  1. That Cabinet consider the list of proposed savings and agree on which ones should be taken so that a balanced budget can be recommended to full Council.
  2. That an alternative option for balancing the budget should be agreed to replace savings not taken if there are any.
  3. That Cabinet agree that any additional funding announced as part of the final Local Government Settlement announcement be transferred to reserves.
  4. That Cabinet decide which proposed new capital bids should be recommended to full Council for inclusion in the Capital Programme.

 

Reasons for recommendations

 

To enable the Council to set a balanced budget.

Background papers

 

2024/25 Budget report presented to full Council on 21 February 2024.

 

 

 

Wards affected

All

Cabinet member(s)

Cllr Lucy Shires

Contact Officer

Tina Stankley

Director of Resources and s151 Officer

tina.stankley@north-norfolk.gov.uk

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Portfolio Holder for Finance, Estates & Property Services presented a report that presented the latest iteration of the budget for 2025/26, and it will need to be updated as more information becomes available e.g. the impact of the final Local Government Finance Settlement for 2025/26.

 

Questions Responses and Discussion

 

The mains points of the discussion are summarised as follows:

 

The Committee:

 

v Noted that the provisional Local Government Finance Settlement for 2025/26 announced on 18 December 2024 was a shock for the District Councils and County as they have received an inadequate settlement compared to metropolitan and unitary authorities in northern areas showing that  Norfolk is losing out on funding.

v Noted that both the Rural Services Delivery Grant and the Recovery Grant had been abolished, and this funding was repurposed.  The Council received £680,000 via a combination of both grants. A new Recovery Grant was introduced, however, rural authorities seemed to have lost out as they will receive a lower share of this.  Which seems to indicate no understanding of the needs of rural places like north Norfolk although despite such challenges, the Council has produced a balanced budget this year.

v Noted that the Budget consultation is taking place on the Council’s website currently for anyone to share their views. Consultation with Business Rates payers is also being undertaken. The results of both these consultations will be included in the report being presented to Full Council on 19th February 2025.

v Noted that in terms of staff absences that provision is made within the budget for the management of the cost of staff absenteeism.

 

The Chairman Moved and Overview and Scrutiny committee RESOLVED that:

 

1.    Cabinet considers the list of proposed savings and agree on which ones should be taken so that a balanced budget can be recommended to full Council.

2.    an alternative option for balancing the budget should be agreed to replace savings not taken if there are any.

3.    Cabinet agree that any additional funding announced as part of the final Local Government Settlement announcement be transferred to reserves.

4.    Cabinet decides which proposed new capital bids should be recommended to full Council for inclusion in the Capital Programme.