Agenda item

The Committee considered the Revenue Budget Strategy 2019/20 to 2021/22 (Appendix A) which had been endorsed by the Executive Board for consultation purposes at its meeting on 19^th November 2018.  The report provided Members with the current view of the Revenue Budget for 2019/2020 together with indicative figures for the 2020/2021 and 2021/2022 financial years. The report was based on officers’ projections of spending need and took into account the provisional settlement issued by Welsh Government on 9th October 2018.

The Head of Financial Services advised whilst the announced provisional settlement represented a 0.3% reduction as an average across Wales on the 18/19 settlement, the impact on Carmarthenshire, after taking into account factors such as meeting the cost of the teachers’ pay award and free school meals eligibility was a 0.5% reduction equating to £1.873m.

In summary, the budget proposals would assume full delivery of the £28 identified savings over the plan period. Furthermore, the budget proposals assumed a Council tax increase of 4.89% for 2019/20.

The Head of Financial Services also advised that subsequent to the publication of the council’s budget proposals for consultation the Welsh Governments Cabinet Secretary for Finance had announced an additional £13m to be added to the Welsh Revenue Support Grant for 2019/20. Whilst specific details of the announcement had yet to be received, it had been estimated that the impact for Carmarthenshire would be the reduction in funding to 0.2% over the 18/19 settlement. Additionally, the Welsh Government had announced an extra £7.5m grant across Wales to part fund the teachers’ pay award.

The Committee noted that the current projection for the Revenue Outturn for 2018/19 and that the main reasons for the Environmental Department overspends were primarily due to non-achievement of car park income targets and a decrease in planning application income.

The Committee thereupon considered the following detailed budget information appended to the Strategy relevant to its remit:

·         Appendix A(i) – Efficiency summary for the Environment and Public Protections Services;

·         Appendix A(ii) – Growth Pressures summary for Environment Service;

·         Appendix B – Budget extracts for the Environment, Public Protection and Community Safety Services;

·         Appendix C – Charging Digest for the Environment and Public Protection Services.

The following questions/issues were raised on the report:-

·       Reference was made to the Council’s efficiency savings in relation to the Highways – Rural Road Sweeping within Appendix A(i).  In response to a query regarding the safety impact of ceasing the scheduled mechanical sweeping on rural roads, the Head of Transportation and Highways stated that whilst the proposal was to discontinue to undertake scheduled and ad hoc sweeping, the department would be responding to emergencies on a reactive basis, which could involve the use of contractors.  It was intended that savings would be realised on a part efficiency and part reduction of service basis, for example mechanical sweeper attachments can be fitted to JCB’s at relatively low cost when patching works are undertaken. 

Whilst the reductions in budgets was acknowledged, strong concern was expressed regarding the impact of safety should budgets continue to be reduced in future years.

·       With regard to the proposal in relation the charging or potential removal of the transport provision for post 16 education.  It was commented that whilst this had been postponed by one year in order to allow the authority to meet the statutory obligations in terms of changes, a number of Members not in favour of this proposal.

RESOLVED that: