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Agenda and minutes

Venue: Council Chamber, Civic Offices Angel Street Bridgend CF31 4WB. View directions

Contact: Sarah Daniel  01656 643 387

Items
No. Item

847.

Apologies for Absence

To receive apologies for absence from Members / Officers

Minutes:

Apologies for absence were received from the following Members:

 

Councillor HJ Townsend – Cabinet Member Childrens Social Services and Equalities 

Councillor PJ White – Cabinet Member Adult Social Care and Wellbeing

848.

Declarations of Interest

To receive declarations of personal and prejudicial interest (if any) from Members/Officers in accordance with the provisions of the Members’ Code of Conduct adopted by Council from 1 September 2008.

Minutes:

None.

849.

Approval of Minutes pdf icon PDF 98 KB

To receive for approval the Minutes of the meeting of the Cabinet of 16 February 2016

Minutes:

RESOLVED:            That the minutes of the meeting of Cabinet of 16 February 2016 be approved as a true and accurate record.

850.

Medium Term Financial Strategy 2016-17 to 2019-20 and Draft Budget Consultation Process pdf icon PDF 83 KB

The purpose of the report is to present Cabinet with the findings and recommendations of the Corporate Resources and Improvement Committee

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Chairperson of the Corporate Resources and Improvement Overview and Scrutiny Committee presented the recommendations of the Corporate Resources and Improvement Overview and Scrutiny Committee and the findings of the of the Standing Budget Research and Evaluation Panel (BREP) in considering the draft Cabinet proposals on the Medium Term Financial Strategy 2016-17 to 2019-20.  He stated that in considering the challenges associated with continued budget reductions, the Budget Research and Evaluation Panel recognised the need for a whole Council response to be adopted in managing anticipated cuts to services against a backdrop of increasing demand, public sector reform and the challenging financial outlook.  He informed Cabinet that the Standing BREP had met on seven occasions and examined the Budget Strategy for the Council as whole and individual draft budget proposals for each Directorate by means of with Directors and Officers.  He stated that the Panel had requested presentations and detailed information to inform discussions regarding the direction of future budget cuts across the Authority including the rationale behind the early draft proposals and how they linked to the new Corporate priorities.  

 

The Leader placed on record his thanks to the Members of the Corporate Resources and Improvement Overview and Scrutiny Committees and the Budget Research and Evaluation Panel for the work undertaken in relation to the draft Budget Proposals and that the recommendations would be considered by Cabinet.

 

RESOLVED:   That Cabinet agreed to consider the recommendations of the Corporate Resources and Improvement Overview and Scrutiny Committee, in response to the Medium Term Financial Strategy 2016-17 to 2019-20 and the Draft Budget Consultation Process. 

851.

Medium Term Financial Strategy 2016-17 to 2019-20 pdf icon PDF 562 KB

The purpose of this report is to present Cabinet with the Medium Term Financial Strategy 2016-17 to 2019-20, which includes a financial forecast for 2016-20, a detailed revenue budget for 2016-17 and a Capital Programme for 2016-17 to 2025-26. 

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Section 151 Officer presented the Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) for 2016-17 to 2019-20, which included a financial forecast for 2016-20, a detailed draft revenue budget for 2016-17 and a Capital Programme for 2016-17 to 2025-26.   

 

The Section 151 Officer reported that the Corporate Plan is reviewed each year to ensure it continues to reflect the Council’s corporate improvement priorities, commitments and performance indicators.  The Corporate Plan would be presented to Council alongside the MTFS as the two documents are aligned to each other and include explicit links between resources and corporate priorities.  The Medium Term Financial Strategy articulated how the Council planned to use its resources to support the achievement of its corporate priorities as well as the management of its statutory and core duties, known pressures and risks. 

 

The Section 151 Officer reported on the financial context in that the Chancellor of the Exchequer had announced as part of the 2015 Autumn Statement an improvement of £27 billion in public sector finances over the next 5 years.  As a consequence of this the Welsh Government had been given a cash increase of 0.85% for 2016-17.  She stated that the provisional Local Government Settlement provided an average -1.4% reduction in Aggregate External Finance for 2016-17 across Wales, with Bridgend’s reduction being 1.2%, which includes a requirement to protect school budgets equivalent to 1% above the change in the Welsh Government’s Revenue Budget as well as notional additional funding for social services pressures.  The Final Local Government Settlement would not be published until 2 March 2016 and voted upon by the Welsh Government on 9 March 2016.  

 

The Section 151 Officer reported that there was no indication of local government settlements for 2017-18 onwards, but in view of current economic and fiscal projections and the absence of other information the MTFS sets out a most likely scenario based on the most likely assumption of a -3.2% annual reduction in Aggregate External Finance for 2017-18, 2018-19 and 2019-20, which would mean a total recurrent budget reduction of £35.531m from 2016-17 to 2019-20. 

 

The Section 151 Officer also reported on the grant transfers into the revenue settlement for 2016-17, however the full picture on specific grants was not yet clear , but the draft settlement did include information on a number of changes to the level of grants at an all Wales level which impact on the Council’s resources.  She stated that the Welsh Government had ceased the Regional Collaboration Fund in 2016-17 but had increased the Intermediate Care Fund from £20m in 2015-16 to a proposed £50m across Wales for 2016-17.  This Fund had been allocated to the NHS to support greater integration with local authorities.  The Section 151 Officer informed Cabinet that the draft 2016-17 draft budget assumed a Council Tax increase of 3.9% based on an appropriate balance between service provision and the financial burden of any rise on households.   

 

The Section 151 Officer reported that Council in February 2015 had approved a capital programme for 2015-16 to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 851.

852.

Corporate Plan 2016-2020 pdf icon PDF 268 KB

To seek Cabinet approval of the Council’s Corporate Plan 2016-20 prior to submission to Council

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Chief Executive sought approval of the Corporate Plan 2016-20 prior to its submission to Council.  

 

 He informed Cabinet that the corporate priorities and proposed budget reductions had been subject to public consultation over an eight week period where 1,819 responses had been received from a combination of the consultation survey.  A similar survey was also undertaken with employees and a social media debate had taken place.  The Chief Executive had led a Twitter debate on success indicators linked to the corporate priorities.  He stated that the purpose of the survey was to seek citizens’ views on how the Council measures success.  The survey was made available online, at local libraries and also in alternative formats upon request.  A total of 37 suggestions/ideas were generated; 24 responses were received online; 66 comments during the twitter debate reaching 586 individuals.  He informed Cabinet that all suggestions have been reviewed and of those ideas, five have been considered particularly useful.  Six new indicators have since been developed or identified around those six ideas. 

 

The Chief Executive informed Cabinet that the Corporate Plan had been developed to deliver on the revised corporate priorities.  The Plan identifies programmes and projects to carry out these priorities and sets out the commitments for 2016-17.  The Plan is supported by the Medium Term Financial Strategy with the Council’s overall revenue and capital budgets forming an integral part of it.  He stated that the Medium Term Financial Strategy has been guided by the Council’s priorities in the Corporate Plan and will enable delivery of those priorities.  He outlined the principles of the Corporate Plan guided by the “One Council” approach.

 

The Chief Executive informed Cabinet that the Corporate Plan will be presented to the meeting of Council on 10 March 2016 together with the MTFS and in line with the requirements of the Local Government (Wales) Measure 2009; the Plan must be published by 31 March 2016. 

 

The Deputy Leader in commending the Corporate Plan stated that it was shorter than previous Plans which is a reflection of the financial position of the Council.     

 

RESOLVED:           That Cabinet approved the Corporate Plan 2016-20 and the following six new performance indicators be included in the Corporate Plan and recommended to Council for approval.

 

·                     People reporting that they have received the right information and advice when they needed it

·                     People who are satisfied with the care and support they received

·                     Number of adults who received a service provided through a social enterprise, co-operative, user led service or third sector organisation during the year 

·                     Number of Council-owned assets transferred to community for running

·                     Number of managers receiving training to improve their people management skills (including absence management)

Number of employees receiving training to improve Welsh language skills.

853.

Urgent Items

To consider any items of business that by reason of special circumstances the chairperson is of the opinion should be considered at the meeting as a matter of urgency in accordance with paragraph 2.4 (e) of the Cabinet Procedure Rules within the Constitution.

Minutes:

There were no urgent items. 

854.

Exclusion of the Public

The minutes and report relating to the following items are not for publication as they contain exempt information as defined in Paragraphs 14 and 16 of Part 4 and Paragraph 21 of Part 5, Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972, as amended by the Local Government (Access to Information) (Variation) (Wales) Order 2007.

If following the application of the public interest test Cabinet resolves pursuant to the Act to consider these items in private, the public will be excluded from the meeting during such consideration.

 

Minutes:

RESOLVED:           That under Section 100A (4) of the Local Government Act 1972 as amended by the Local Government (Access to Information) (Variation) (Wales) Order 2007, the public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following item of business as it contained exempt information as defined in Paragraphs 14 and 16 of Part 4 and Paragraph 21 of Part 5 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972, as amended by the Local Government (Access to Information) (Variation) (Wales) Order 2007.

 

Following the application of the public interest test it was resolved that pursuant to the Act referred to above, to consider the under-mentioned item in private with the public being excluded from the meeting as it would involve the disclosure of exempt information as stated above.

855.

Approval of Exempt Minutes

To receive for approval the exempt minutes of the meeting of Cabinet of 16 February 2016

856.

Approval of Financial Implications arising from the Provision of New Extra Care Facilities in the County Borough

 

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