Agenda item

Draft Capital and Revenue Budget 2022/23

Minutes:

Background:

This report presented the Council’s draft capital and revenue budgets for 2022/2023. The report noted that the draft budget was based on the principles contained in the Financial Outlook 2022-2023, which was reported to the Cabinet on 28 September 2021. Draft budget requirements for the directorates in 2022/2023 were set out in Appendices 1 – 4 to the report.

The report explained that initial projections for the costs of services in 2022/23 amounted to a budget requirement of £33.718million and projections of income arrived at a potential budget gap of £33.010million. Assumptions made in the report reduced the gap to £18.176million and officers would continue to work with Portfolio Holders to formulate savings proposals to address the projected revenue budget deficit and would discuss options with the Leader and Cabinet Members through the normal budget setting process.

The report noted that in accordance with the Constitution, this report was the first stage of the budget consultation process leading to further consideration by Cabinet on 8 February 2022 and formal budget and council tax setting by Council on 24 February 2022. Budget proposals would now be submitted to the Council’s overview and scrutiny committees.

Decision number:	Decision:
124/2021	The Cabinet instructed officers to continue to work with Portfolio Holders in formulating robust proposals to balance the budget for 2022/23 and beyond.
125/2021	The Cabinet agreed to refer the draft capital and revenue budgets to overview and scrutiny committees as work in progress, inviting them to offer comments on the proposals outlined.
126/2021	The Cabinet recommended to Full Council that in February 2022 when setting the Council Tax, a 300% premium for properties that have remained empty and unfurnished for more than two years be adopted, in line with the Rating (Property in Common Occupation) and Council Tax (Empty Dwellings) Act 2018, as set out in paragraph 5.6 of the report.

Reasons:

It is the responsibility of Cabinet to develop draft budget proposals for consideration by overview and scrutiny committees. These draft proposals are the first stage of the budget consultation process leading to further consideration by Cabinet on 8 February 2022 and formal council tax setting by Council on 24 February 2022.

The timetable for consideration by overview and scrutiny is as follows:

Business Support 25 November 2021

Children and Young People 1 December 2021

Regeneration, Culture and Environment 2 December 2021

Health and Adult Social Care 9 December 2021

Business Support 27 January 2022

Cabinet 8 February 2022

Council 24 February 2022

Supporting documents: