Issue - meetings

In the exercise of its Public Sector Equality Duty, as set out below, the County Council must have full regard to and consider the impact of any proposals in relation to equalities prior to making any decisions and any identified significant risks and mitigating action required.  The overview of the impact assessments for all service areas entitled ‘2022/23 Budget Impact Assessment’ has been circulated separately and is available to all Members of the Council for consideration under this item (alongside any specific equality impact assessments undertaken as part of the budget’s preparation) at https://www.devon.gov.uk/impact/published/budget-impact-assessments/. 

To receive and approve the Report of the Director of Finance (DF/22/18) together with the Minutes of the Cabinet held on 11th February 2022 relating to the budget.

Minutes from the recent Scrutiny Budget meetings (Children’s Scrutiny, Health and Adult Care and Corporate Infrastructure and Regulatory Services) are also attached for the information of Members which contain the Scrutiny Budget Resolutions, attached.

The Report of the County Treasurer will follow.

The Cabinet Minutes will be available to view at https://democracy.devon.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=133&MId=4179&Ver=4 shortly.

(Councillors Connett and Dewhirst declared personal interests by virtue of being Members of Teignbridge District Council (and intending to refer to this in debate) and Councillor Hall by virtue of being a Member of East Devon District Council)

The Chair of the Council MOVED that the Minutes of the Children’s Scrutiny Committee, Health and Adult Care Scrutiny and Corporate Infrastructure and Regulatory Services Budget Scrutiny Committee meetings held on 18^th, 20^th and 27^th January 2022 relating to the annual estimates be approved.

The MOTION was subsequently put to the vote and declared CARRIED.

The Chair of the Council MOVED and it was duly SECONDED that in accordance with Standing Order 30, Standing Order 14(4) be suspended to permit more than one motion or amendment to be debated at the same time.

The MOTION was put to the vote and declared CARRIED.

Councillor Hart MOVED and Councillor Twiss SECONDED that Cabinet Minute 113 (1-20) setting out the proposed revenue and capital budgets as detailed in Report (DF/22/18) be approved.

The MOTION in the name of Councillor Hart was then put to the vote and declared CARRIED

All Members of the Council had been granted a dispensation to allow them to speak and vote in any debate on the setting of the Council Tax or Precept or any fees and charges arising therefrom as a consequence of simply being a resident of or a land, business or property owner in the administrative County of Devon or by being a County Council representative on a local authority company or joint venture or by being a parent or guardian of a child in a school on any matter relating to school meals and school transport, or in relation to being an approved foster parent, providing placements for the Council’s Children in Care or in relation to the setting of members’ allowances or the receipt of allowances from another Authority or as a parent or a guardian of a child in care or in receipt of statutory sick pay or a pension.

(Councillors Connett and Dewhirst declared personal interests by virtue of being Members of Teignbridge District Council (and intending to refer to this in debate) and Councillor Hall by virtue of being a Member of East Devon District Council)

The Council considered the Minutes of the Cabinet meeting (Minute 113 (1-20) of 11th February 2022), together with the Report of the Director of Finance on the Revenue Budget and Medium Term Financial Strategy 2022/23 - 2025/26 and Capital Programme 2022/23 - 2026/27 (DF/22/18). This included an assessment of the adequacy of reserves, a range of prudential indicators concerning the financial implications of the capital programme and an assessment that identified risks associated with the budget strategy, together with how the risks would be managed.

The budget book contained details of the County Council’s revenue and capital budgets together with associated financial and operational information.

The detail of the budget book included:

·         Revenue Budget Overview;

·         Statement on the Robustness of the Budget Estimates, the Adequacy of Reserves and Affordability of the Capital Strategy;

·         Capital Programme Overview 2022/23 - 2026/27;

·         Service Budgets;

·         Fees & Charges;

·         Medium Term Financial Strategy 2022/23 - 2025/26;

·         County Fund Balance and Earmarked Reserves 2022/23;

·         Treasury Management Strategy 2022/23 - 2025/26 and Prudential Indicators 2022/23 - 2026/27;

·         Capital Strategy 2022/23 - 2026/27;

·         Risk Analysis of Volatile Budgets; and

·         Abbreviations.

The Chair of the Council MOVED that the Minutes of the Children’s Scrutiny Committee, Health and Adult Care Scrutiny and Corporate Infrastructure and Regulatory Services Budget Scrutiny Committee meetings held on 18^th, 20^th and 27^th January 2022 relating to the annual estimates be approved.

The MOTION was subsequently put to the vote and declared CARRIED.

The Council noted that the Corporate Infrastructure and Regulatory Services Scrutiny Committee had, at that meeting on 27th January 2022, considered and endorsed the proposed Treasury Management Strategy for 2022/23, prior to determination of the budget for that year.

The Council further noted that the Council’s financial plans had been drawn up with reference to the County Council’s major policies and objectives, the County Council’s performance framework, demographic changes  ...  view the full minutes text for item 82

Report of the Director of Finance (DF/22/17) on the Council’s Budget and Service Budgets for 2022/2023, will follow, due to all the final figures not having yet been received.

The Cabinet will accordingly also consider:

·         Outcomes of the Budget Consultation Meetings with representatives of the Devon Business Community, Older People and the Voluntary Sector and Trade Unions (CSO/22/4), attached;

·         Overview and Scrutiny Budget Recommendations (CSO/22/5), attached; and

·         Minute 27 of the Devon Education (Schools) Forum, held on 19 January 2022, relating to the budget and the recommendation to Cabinet outlined in those minutes.

Cabinet is also asked to note the role of the Corporate Infrastructure and Regulatory Services Scrutiny Committee on 27 January 2022 (Minute *32) in reviewing and endorsing the Report of the Director of Finance (DF/22/05) on the Treasury Management and Investment Strategy for 2022/23 and commending it to the Cabinet.

RESOLVED that Cabinet

(1) has given full regard to the responsibilities placed upon the Council in the exercise of its Public Sector Equality Duty under s149 of the Equality Act 2010 (as set out in the ‘Budget 2022/23 Impact Assessment’ circulated previously for the purposes of this meeting, and specific impact assessments undertaken as part of the budget’s preparation) in considering the proposals and their impact, before making its decision;

(2) has had regard to the views of the Council's Scrutiny Committees, the Devon Education Forum, the Business Community, the Voluntary Sector, and the Trades Unions and other consultees on the budget (set out elsewhere on the agenda);

(3) notes the Provisional Settlement Funding of £103.2 million;

(4) approves the budgets (pages 40 to 87) within the targets set;

(5) recommends to Council the Net budget of £560.1 million as set out in Key Table 1 on page 8;

(6) recommends to Council that a 1% Adult Social Care Precept is set as set out in Key Table 2 page 9;

(7) recommend to Council that the Council Tax requirement be set at £462,193,800.97 as set out in Key Table 2 page 9;

(8) recommends to Council the precepts required from each District Council and the levels of County Council Tax for each of the eight property valuation bands consequent upon the budget as amended by adjustments in collection in the current year, as set out in Key Table 2 on page 9;

(9) note the new Fees & Charges proposed for 2022/23;

(10) note that in line with financial regulations, changes to existing charges will be agreed by the appropriate Cabinet Member and Chief Finance Officer via a Delegated Decision; 

(11) note the Medium Term Financial Strategy 2022/23 - 2025/26 as set out on pages 89 to 113; 

(12) takes account of the risks outlined on pages 167 to 189 in determining the final service budgets, levels of reserves and Council Tax figure to be recommended to the Council;

(13) notes the County Fund Balance and Earmarked Reserves 2022/23 as set out on pages 114 to 120;

(14) recommends to the Council the Capital Programme Overview 2022/23 - 2026/27, set out on pages 19 to 37;

(15) recommends to the Council the Capital Programme for 2022/23 of £165.2 million and its financing, as shown in Summary Table D on page 27;

(16) approves, for planning purposes, the indicative Capital Programmes for 2023/24, 2024/25, 2025/26 and 2026/27 shown in summary Table D on page 27, noting that the levels will be reviewed in the light of the overall level of revenue and capital resources available to the Council for each year;

(17) recommends to the Council that it adopts the Treasury Management Strategy 2022/23 - 2025/26, as set out on pages 121 to 154;

(18) recommends to the Council the Prudential Indicators for 2022/23 to 2026/27, contained on pages 121 to 154;

(19) gives delegated authority to the Director of Finance to effect movements between the separately agreed limits for  ...  view the full decision text for item 113

(Councillors Biederman, Connett, Dewhirst, Hannaford and Hodgson attended in accordance with Standing Order 25(2) and spoke to this item).

The Cabinet considered and had regard to:

·         the Report of the Chief Executive (CSO/22/4) summarising the outcomes of and comments/observations made at consultation meetings with representatives of Devon’s Business Community, Trades Unions and Representatives of the Voluntary Sector;

·         the discussions of the Council’s Scrutiny Committees (CSO/22/5) held on 18th January, 20th January and 27th January 2022, the recommendations being summarised and attached to the agenda;

·         Minute 27 of the Devon Education (Schools) Forum, held on 19 January 2022, relating to the budget and the recommendation to Cabinet outlined in those minutes;

·         a revised 2022/23 Budget Impact Assessment, which had been circulated to all Members of the Council prior to the meeting and available at Budget 2022/2023 - Impact Assessment (devon.gov.uk) undertaken as part of the budget’s preparation; and

·         the Report of the Director of Finance (DF/22/17) on the Revenue Budget for 2022/23, Medium Term Financial Strategy to 2025/26 and Capital Strategy 2022/23 to 2026/27. This included an assessment of the adequacy of reserves, a range of prudential indicators concerning the financial implications of the capital programme and an assessment that identifies risks associated with the budget strategy, together with how the risks would be managed.

The Cabinet noted that the budget book contained details of the County Council’s revenue and capital budgets together with associated financial and operational information. The Council’s financial plans had been drawn up with reference to the County Council’s major policies and objectives, performance framework, demographic changes occurring within the county and consultation with local residents, businesses and other stakeholders.

The detail of the budget book included:

·         Revenue Budget Overview;

·         Statement on the Robustness of the Budget Estimates, the Adequacy of Reserves and Affordability of the Capital Strategy;

·         Capital Programme Overview 2022/23 - 2026/27;

·         Service Budgets;

·         Fees & Charges;

·         Medium Term Financial Strategy 2022/23 - 2025/26;

·         County Fund Balance and Earmarked Reserves 2022/23;

·         Treasury Management Strategy 2022/23 - 2025/26 and Prudential Indicators 2022/23 - 2026/27;

·         Capital Strategy 2022/23 - 2026/27;

·         Risk Analysis of Volatile Budgets; and

·         Abbreviations.

The Cabinet noted the role of the Corporate Infrastructure and Regulatory Services Scrutiny Committee on 27 January 2022 (Minute *32) in reviewing and endorsing the Report of the County Treasurer (CT/21/14) on the Treasury Management and Investment Strategy for 2022/23. The Treasury Management and Investment Strategy had been prepared in accordance with the revised Treasury Management Policy Statement and revised CIPFA Code of Practice for Treasury Management. The Treasury Management and Investment Strategy set out the minimum revenue provision (MRP) policy, capital expenditure funding, prudential indicators, the current treasury position, debt and investments; prospects for interest rates; the borrowing strategy; and the investment strategy.

The Corporate Infrastructure and Regulatory Services Scrutiny Committee had endorsed and commended the Treasury Management and Investment Strategy 2022/23 to the Cabinet.

At the time of publishing the agenda and Report, the final settlement had not yet been received. The 2022/23 local government finance settlement was for  ...  view the full minutes text for item 113