Issue - meetings

Report of Assistant Director of Finance (Section 151 Officer)

Purpose of report

This report is to inform the Budget Planning Committee of the proposed approach to the 2025/26 Budget and Business Planning Process and provides context and background information on the existing Medium-Term Financial Strategy and information on latest government announcements relevant to the Strategy.

Recommendations

The Budget Planning Committee resolves:

1.1         To note the contents of Appendices 1-5.

Resolved

(1)      That the contents of Appendices 1-5 be noted.

The Assistant Director of Finance submitted a report to inform the Budget Planning Committee of the proposed approach to the 2025/26 Budget and Business Planning Process and provides context and background information on the existing Medium-Term Financial Strategy and information on latest government announcements relevant to the Strategy.

In response to questions from the Committee regarding the Reserves Policy and the flexible use capital receipts, the Head of Finance advised that there is currently no intention to apply to use capital receipts to fund revenue costs.

In response to Members’ questions to the Council adopting a transformational approach to service delivery to shape the thinking for the future design of the Council, the Head of Finance advised that the transformational approach had been looking at the shape and design of the organisation in anticipation of the significant pressures that the Council will face in the future with impact of the change of Business Rates on the net budget.

Resolved

(1)      That the Budget and Business Planning Process 2025-26 be noted.