Agenda item

(Cabinet Members with Special Responsibility Councillors Blamire & Bryning)

Joint Report of Chief Executive and Chief Officer (Resources)

(Cabinet Members with Special Responsibility Councillors Blamire and Bryning)

Cabinet received a joint report from the Chief Executive and Chief Officer (Resources) to agree a process for reviewing the Council’s Budget and Policy Framework for 2015/16 and to update Cabinet on various policy and planning matters.

The options, options analysis, including risk assessment and officer preferred option, were set out in the report as follows:

Thefollowingoptionsareavailable to Cabinet.

(1)                Approvetheproposalsandtimetablesetoutinthereportforreviewingand revisingthe Council’sBudgetandPolicyFramework.

(2)                Approve an amended version of theproposals, drawingonanyspecific issues thatCabinet have.

AssumingthatCabinethasnootherspecificissuestoaddress,Option1 isthe Officerpreferred option, as it setsouta structuredapproach forCabinettoreview the existingBudgetandPolicyFramework,toidentifysavings/efficiencyoptions,andfor it to bring forwardits budget  andpolicy framework proposals for2015/16andbeyond, within statutory timescales.  Asusual,the considerationand managementofrisk will forma keypartoftheprocess.

Councillor Bryning proposed, seconded by Councillor Blamire:-

“That the recommendation, as set out in the report, be approved.”

Councillors then voted:-

Resolved unanimously:

(1)          Thatthereportbenotedandtheoutlinebudgetandplanningtimetableset out atAppendixA to the report, and appended to the minutes,be approved.

Officers responsible for effecting the decision:

Chief Executive

Chief Officer (Resources)

Reasons for making the decision:

The plans and strategies outlined in the report together make up the Council’s Budget and Policy Framework.  Theannualreviewofthebudgetandpolicyframework helps ensurethattheCouncil’splansand strategiesarekeptuptodate,andtheir impact on local communities is assessed and considered.  In particular, the outline plans regarding consultation and future place surveys will help develop the Council’s understanding of the needs of its communities, in turn helping it to meet the Public Sector Equality Duty as a community leader, service provider and employer.