Agenda item

Following an introduction by the Executive Councillor for Finance, the Council is requested to consider the Cabinet’s recommendations relating to the Medium Term Plan, the 2004/05 Budget and related Prudential Indicators (see also Item No. 102 of the Report of the meeting of the Cabinet).  Report by the Corporate Director, Commerce and Technology enclosed.

(Members declared personal interests as follows –

Councillors I C Bates, R L Clarke, P J Downes, J A P Eddy, Mrs S A Giles and A Hansard in their capacity as Members of Cambridgeshire County Council;

Councillors C W Looker and T V Rogers as Chairman and Vice Chairman respectively of the Huntingdonshire Citizens Advice Bureaux;

Councillor Mrs S A Menczer as the Council’s representative on the Advisory and Information Counselling Service for Huntingdonshire – Management Committee;

Councillor Mrs N F Wagstaffe as the Council’s representative on the Cambridgeshire Age Concern Liaison Committee; and

Councillor J E Garner as a Member of CARESCO

In conjunction with a report by the Corporate Director, Commerce and Technology (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) and Item No. 102 of the Report of the Cabinet, Councillor T V Rogers, Executive Councillor for Finance addressed the Council on the 2004/5 budget and Medium Term Plan drawing attention to an amendment to the recommendation which, for clarity, had been reproduced and circulated at the meeting (a copy of which also is appended in the Minute Book).

Members were reminded of the decisions that they had previously taken approved in respect of the Council’s Financial Strategy and draft Budget 2004-2009 at their meetings in September and December 2003 respectively (Minute Nos 39 and 47 refers) and were informed of recent developments affecting schemes in the Medium Term Plan.  In respect of the letter, particular attention was drawn to the following –

¨  the award of a recycling grant of £963,000;

¨  a reduction in the retrenchment costs from £42,000 to £24,000 per annum following negotiations with Councils in the Supporting People Partnership;

¨  the Cabinet’s decision to defer the introduction of a proposed Car Parking Strategy; and

¨  the requirement to meet the applicants’ costs in relation to the planning appeal at Alconbury Airfield.

In addition, Members were made aware of a 3% increase in expenditure in 2003/2004 due to the requirement for emergency repairs to Pathfinder House.  Councillor Rogers also reported on the proposed Prudential Indicators, the implications for the Authority should the Secretary of State choose to “cap” the District Council’s expenditure and the recommendations of the Cabinet in terms of the Medium Term Plan, Council tax level and Prudential Indicators. 

On behalf of the Liberal Democrat Group, Councillor Downes acknowledged the contribution of the Overview and Scrutiny Panels to the budget making process and contended that a number of those items which had been deleted from the Medium Term Plan could be reinstated should the Council pursue the lowest cost option in terms of the establishment of a Customer Contact Centre using Cambridgeshire Direct.  Following submissions from Councillors Mrs Menczer, Souter, Rainer and Looker in relation to those schemes which they contended could be achieved if additional funds were released by pursuing an alternative option for Customer First, it was moved by Councillor Downes and duly seconded that the following words be added to the fourth bullet point of recommendation 6 contained in the report by the Corporate Director, Commerce and Technology as follows -

‘and to the following amendments to the schemes listed in Annex C:-

(1)  in scheme 429 & (441) Grant Aid to Voluntary Organisations listed on page 24, the deletion of the number ‘40’ in years 2004/05 to 2008/09 inclusive in the columns headed Net Revenue Impact and the insertion of the number ‘55’;

(2)  in scheme 372 Youth Participation Project listed on page 24, the deletion of the number ‘0’ in years 2005/06 to 2008/09 inclusive in the columns headed Net Revenue Impact and the insertion of the number ‘35’;

(3)  in scheme 200/B District Council Elections listed on page 26, the deletion of the number 90 in year 2004/05 in the columns headed Net Revenue Impact and the insertion of the number ‘100’;

(4)  in the scheme Customer First listed on page 27, the deletion of the numbers ‘729, 764, 826 and 827’ from year 2005/06 onwards in the columns headed net revenue impact and the insertion of the numbers ‘637, 672, 734 and 735’ and the deletion of the number ‘1,180’ in year 2004/05 of columns headed Net Capital and the insertion of the number ‘980’

(5)  the insertion of the following words immediately before the totals on page 28 after the line ‘other’ and numbers in the Net Revenue Impact columns –

  ‘484 Pavement resurfacing 0, 50, 50, 50, 50, 50

  454 Overview and Scrutiny Advisor 0, 0, 40, 35, 35, 35’

(6)  the deletion of the numbers ‘4,429, 5,910, 7,491, 8,623, 8,793’ in the line headed New Proposed Plan on page 28 in the columns headed Net Revenue Impact and the insertion of the numbers ‘4,504, 5,958, 7,534, 8,666, 8,836’

(7)  the deletion of the number ’11,812’ in the line headed New Proposed Plan on page 28 in the columns headed Net Capital and the insertion of the number ’11,612’

(8)  consequential amendments to the numbers contained in Annex D.’

Upon being put to the vote, the Motion was declared to be LOST.

Whereupon, it was

RESOLVED

  (a)  that a net revenue budget of £18.095m and a capital budget of £11.812m for 2004/05 be approved;

  (b)  that revenue reserves of £2.803m be made available for use in 2004/05;

  (c)  that a Council tax increase of £12 on a Band D property in 2004/05 be approved;

  (d)  that subject to resolutions (a) and (h) in Item No 47 of the Minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 10th December 2003, the Medium Term Plan for 2005-2009 be approved; and

  (e)  that the Prudential Indicators as set out in Appendix D to the report now submitted be approved.