Contact: Sheila Little, tel:01962 845745, e-mail: [email protected]

1 Summary

1.1 The following decisions are sought:

Approve for submission to Cabinet:

i) The revised budget for 2004/05 of £675.2m (as set out in Appendices 1 and 2)

ii) The base budget for 2005/06 of £690.469m (as set out in Appendix 3)

iii) Proposals for growth and redeployment subject to identification of further savings to fully fund the pressures of £620,000 (as set out in Appendix 4)

iv) Proposals for efficiency savings and improvements, noting that the cashable efficiency savings of £500,000 for 2005/06 are required to be used to off-set some of the budget growth pressures (as set out in Appendix 5)

v) The ending of financial support to 12 schools in rural areas to assist towards the transport costs of after-school activities, releasing £76,000 to meet cost pressures on the home to school transport budget. It should be noted that current DfES proposals for Children Services key performance indicators include % of 5-16 year olds reporting access to activities they want after school.

vi) The annual review of income and charges (as set out in Appendix 6)

vii) The workforce implications of the proposed budget for 2005/06 (Appendix 7)

viii) The detailed budget prepared within the guidelines set by Cabinet (as set out in Appendix 8)

ix) The summarised trading accounts of business units (as set out in Appendix 9).

2 Reasons

2.1 Cabinet has requested that:

· Service budgets be prepared in consultation with Executive Members within the provisional budget guidelines for consideration by Policy Review Committees, and approved by the Executive Member for submission to the Leader and Cabinet in February 2005

· Executive Members identify cashable efficiency savings of at least 1.25% on the basis that these savings could be used in final decisions to absorb pressures within the service or elsewhere, or to reduce the council tax.

· Executive Members report back on their annual review of charges and maximisation of income.

· Executive Members report back on the workforce implications of their proposed budgets as part of the process of linking workforce and financial planning.

2.2 Decisions on the revenue budget will continue to support all six corporate strategic aims. Most notably to Aim 1: maximising life opportunities; Aim 3: achieving economic prosperity and Aim 5: improving services.

3 Other options considered and rejected - not applicable

4 Conflicts of interest declared by the decision maker or other Executive member consulted - not applicable

5 Dispensation granted by the Standards Committee - not applicable

6 Reason(s) for the matter being dealt with if urgent - not applicable

Approved by: (signature) Date: (date of decision)

Councillor Don Allen

Executive Member for Education