Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Ian Dewar, Patricia Stuart-Mogg, Councillor Henry Clark, David Hedges and Martin Greaves.

 

The minutes of the meeting held on 18 December 2013 were approved as a true and accurate record.

 

Councillor Seaton, Cabinet Member for Resources and Steven Pilsworth, Head of Strategic Finance delivered a presentation on the Medium-Term Financial Strategy. The following key points were highlighted:

 

Peterborough City Council remained committed to:

 

·         Growth, regeneration and economic development of the city to bring new investment and jobs.

·         Improved educational attainment and skills for children and young people including investing in the multi-university approach.

·         Safeguarding children and vulnerable adults.

·         Environment Capital agenda including pursuing new income streams from solar energy and wind farm developments.

·         Supporting the Culture and Leisure Trust to continue to deliver Peterborough’s culture, arts and sport in the city.

·         Keeping communities safe and cohesive.

 

Settlement 2014/15 and 2015/16:

 

·         2014/15 – The grant from Central Government would be £9m less than the previous year, this was roughly £1m worse than expected when budget planning started.

·         2015/16 – The grant from Central Government would be £12.5m less than the previous year, this was roughly £11.5m worse than expected when budget planning started.

·         This was an overall reduction of 40% (£44m) across five years.

 

Pressures:

 

·         Looked after children (£1m).

·         Government changes to provision for adults with learning disabilities in residential care (£945k).

·         Homelessness B&B costs (£150k).

·         Special School Transport (£164k)

·         Government changes to funding of long term Social Care (£319k from 2015/16)

·         Welfare reform – responding to loss of Disability Living Allowance in adult social care (£108k)

 

Capital Investment on Key Projects:

 

·         Extra care provision.

·         Disabled Facilities Grant.

·         Repairs Assistance.

·         Roads, including junction 17of A1m to junction 2 of Fletton Parkway and Bourges Boulevard.

·         Continuation of public realm, including Long Causeway.

·         Affordable Housing - £12.8m over two years.

·         Schools - £45m over two years for new places.

·         Renewables – income built into future years budgets.

 

Scale of financial Challenge:

 

·         Summary position for 2014/15 –

-       Grant reduction of £9m

-       Financial Pressures of £10m

-       Overall budget gap of nearly £19m

·         Gap increases in 2015/16:

-       Grant reduction of £12.5m

-       Financial pressures of £4m

-       Budget gap increases by £16.5m

 

Efficiencies:

 

·         Adult Social Care transformation and personalisation (£637k).

·         Reduced costs of looked after children (£245k increasing to £1.2m).

·         Public Health – Savings on drug treatment and benefits from joining services to use the grant more efficiently (£1.1m).

·         Office accommodation and property (£673k).

·         Serco partnership and business support (£775k).

·         ICT projects and support (£620k).

·         Vivacity (£330k).

 

Service reductions:

 

·         Communities

-       Children’s Centres (1.18m in a full year)

-       St Georges Hydrotherapy pool (£45k)

·         Adult Social Care

-       Further savings from previously agreed policy changes 9£200k)

-       Review ‘support cost estimate’ (personal budgets) – (£125k)

-       Review respite policy (£150k)

-       Review older people day services 9£150k)

-       Service user transport (£175k)

-       Day opportunities for adults under 65 with learning disabilities 9£400k)

·         Education

-       Special school transport (600k)

·         Governance

-       Community Leadership Fund – reduce to £1k per Councillor (£183k)

·         Resources

-       Sports club caretaker, grass cutting, shrub and flower bedding, play area inspection, Waste and Electronic Equipment Re-use (WEEE) facility (262k)

-       Introduce charge for garden waste collection(£804k)

-  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.

26 March 2014

26 March 2014