Contact: Nick Gibbins, ext 7544, e-mail [email protected]

(With the concurrence of the Executive Member under Section 100 (B)(4)(b) of the Local Government Act 1972, this matter was included on the agenda to enable proposals to be submitted to the Cabinet on 11 February 2005).

1. Summary

1.1 The following decision(s) are sought:

· to approve for submission to the Leader and Cabinet:

- the revised budget for 2004/05 (as set out in Appendices 1 and 2)

- the base budget for 2005/06 (as set out in Appendix 3)

- the proposal to increase the sum delegated to schools for repair and maintenance of buildings by £0.3m above the base budget within the passport increase in the schools' budget

- the detailed base budget for 2005/06 (Appendix 4)

- the proposals for efficiency savings and improvements (as set out in Appendix 5) to be reviewed in the light of Chief Officer's comments in paragraph 8 of the report

- the annual review of income and charges (as set out in Appendix 6)

- the workforce implications of the proposed budget for 2005/06 (as set out in Appendix 7) subject to amendment to reflect workforce changes not included in the base budget

- the summarised trading accounts of business units (as set out in Appendix 8)

· that the Chairman of the Policy and Resources Scrutiny and Select Committee be requested to call a special meeting to consider the Revenue Budget 2005/06 and Capital Programme 2005/06 to 2008/09 prior to the Cabinet meeting on 11 February 2005

2. Reasons

2.1 Cabinet has requested that:

· service budgets be prepared for approval by Executive members within the provisional guidelines set by the Cabinet in December and submitted to the Leader and Cabinet for consideration in February 2005

· Executive members identify cashable efficiency savings of at least 1.25% on the basis that these savings could be used 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 Policy and Resources revenue budget support all six aims of the corporate strategy.

3. Other options considered and rejected

3.1 Not applicable.

4. Conflicts of interest declared by the decision maker or a member or officer consulted

4.1 Not applicable.

5. Dispensation granted by the Standards Committee

5.1 Not applicable.

6. Reasons for the matter being dealt with if urgent

6.1 Proposals need to be submitted to the Cabinet on 11 February 2005 in order to influence decisions on 2005/06 budget and council tax.

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

Councillor T K Thornber