To review the draft Budget and Medium Term Financial Plan for 2020/21 and to consider making recommendations to Cabinet on 12 February 2020.

Cabinet Members and their Deputies; and the following Officers have been invited to attend the meeting, as have all Members:

Director of Regeneration; Chief Financial Officer; Head of Policy, Communications and Customer Services; Head of Planning Services, Head of Commissioning, Environment and Leisure and Head of Housing, Economy and Community Services.

Tabled paper added 28.1.20

In introducing the report, the Leader referred to the tabled update and drew Members’ attention to the reduction in the funding gap achieved by Heads of Services and Finance, from £714k to £375k as shown on pages 36 and 38 of the report.  He said that the restraints Local Government faced in a difficult economic climate had to be recognised and the Council would have to be managed differently so that targets could be met.  The Leader detailed Central Government’s funding reduction allocation on page 32 of the report.  He said there would be an increase in Council Tax of £4.95 per annum on a Band D property.

In responding to a question on the £800k allocated from the business rates pool with KCC, the Leader reiterated that the agreement for funding the M2 Junction 5 improvements did not exist in writing and it was not a proper use of the fund.  He said he would discuss with KCC how to use the money in other projects in Swale.  The Chief Financial Officer added that the shared business rates funds required sign off by the Council and KCC.

Page 33 paragraph 2.6

The Leader clarified that the funding received from the Housing and Commercial Growth Reserve could be used on other projects.

Page 34 paragraph 2.13

The Leader said that £10million to support affording housing initiatives might be increased if feasible.

Appendix I, page 38

The Financial Services Manager gave an explanation of how Council Tax Base figures were calculated and agreed to discuss further with a Member.

Appendix II, pages 39 - 55

Cabinet Members then set out the budget variations for their respective areas on Appendix II and answered questions.  A summary of the responses is set out below:

Line  9 - The Cabinet Member for the Environment agreed with a Member that extra resource to assist in addressing climate change would need to be looked at in the future.  The Chief Financial Officer said that this was not reflected in the current budget and would need to be self-financed or funded from a specific reserve.

Line – 25 The Cabinet Member for the Environment explained that the electric vehicles would be used by environmental wardens, dog wardens and the parks and open spaces team.

Line 31 - The Chief Financial Officer confirmed that the income to reinstate free car parking included the Sheppey Leisure Complex.

Line 36 – The Head of Commissioning, Environment and Leisure said that the future growth figure was cautious as not all properties would need garden waste bins.

Line 41 – The Head of Policy, Communications and Customer Services explained that the old customer relationship management database was obsolete and he agreed to provide more information on the basis of the annual charge for the new system.

Line 42 – 45  -The Head of Policy, Communications and Customer Services explained that the role was funded from savings shown elsewhere in the report.  The Chairman considered that the Information Governance Officer role was vital and should be funded for many years, not part-year.  The Head of Policy agreed that the Council had an ongoing need for a Data Protection Officer.

Lines 48 – 49 - The Cabinet Member for Community confirmed that free Wi-Fi in town centres was not being progressed.

Lines 51- 53 - The Chief Financial Officer referred Members to page 36 (Economy and Community Services (ECS) growth), explained that the Sittingbourne Town Centre Manager post had been extended by one year and that the Head of Housing, Economy and Community Services was looking at the restructure of ECS.

Line 59 – The Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing outlined the role of the Public Health post and reported positive feedback from visits out in the community. 

Lines 60 - 69 – The Chief Financial Officer clarified that an additional £74k more than projected was received, and he agreed to update the text to reflect this.

Line 71 – The Cabinet Member for Planning advised that the Heritage Strategy costs were funded from a different funding stream.

Line 73 – The Chief Financial Officer clarified that each Council retained its own Section106 monies.

Line 106 – The Chief Financial Officer undertook to provide more detailed breakdown on IT costs.

Appendix III

The Head of Commissioning, Environment and Leisure explained that there would likely be expenditure not income for Beach Huts in 2020/2021.

Councillor David Simmons Proposed and Councillor Mike Dendor seconded the following recommendation:

Consideration be given to providing increased staff resource for the Climate and Environment Emergency.

In the debate that followed a member highlighted the cross-cutting nature of the work and suggested a re-focus on the work currently being carried out.

A Member said that Swale did more than any other borough in Kent on addressing Air Quality.

In welcoming the recommendation, the Leader said consideration would be given to a reorganisation in order to implement it. 

The Leader thanked officers, Cabinet members and the Scrutiny Committee.

The Cabinet Member for Planning thanked the Chairman.

The Chairman thanked visiting members, officers, Cabinet and Deputy Cabinet Members and gave particular thanks to the Chief Financial Officer, the Head of Policy, Communications and Customer Services, the Policy and Performance Officer, the Senior Democratic Services Officer and the Scrutiny Committee.

Resolved:

(1)  That the report be noted

(2)  That the Cabinet considers providing increased staff resource for the climate and environment emergency when it considers the budget.