Agenda item

To consider the Executive’s initial proposals for the 2014/15 Council Budget.

Documents attached for reference :-

·        Meeting the Challenges Budget Consultation Document 2014/2015.

·        Report to the Executive meeting on 16^th December – Initial Proposals for the 2014/2015 Budget

The Chair outlined the remit of this Committee with regards to the discussion on the Budget for 2014/15 i.e. Economic, Highways and Planning Services.

He invited Councillor R. Meirion Jones to address the meeting as Chair of the Corporate Scrutiny Committee. 

Councillor R. Meirion Jones stated that the Corporate Scrutiny Committee held on 14 January, 2014 had discussions at length on the Budget for 2014/15 but had not reached the Sustainability Budget Savings.  Discussion had taken place to ascertain if the Members of the Corporate Scrutiny Committee were able to discuss the Sustainability budget as part of the Partnership and Regeneration Scrutiny Committee as the appropriate Officers are in attendance at this meeting and due to the time constraints for the Scrutiny Committees to put forward their observations to the Executive.   Following discussion the Members of the Partnership and Regeneration Committee were in agreement to allow the Members of the Corporate Scrutiny Committee to deliberate the Sustainability Budget savings.

The Portfolio Holder (Finance) gave a brief report on the Executive’s initial proposals for the 2014/15 Council Budget.  He outlined the savings proposals totalling £7.5m and noted that a Council Tax increase of 5% is proposed. In line with the Welsh Governments expectations the education and social care services will be protected.  He noted that leisure centres and library services are to be protected this year but could not guarantee that these services can be safeguarded in the following years. 

The Chair invited each service Portfolio and Head of Service to outline their proposed budget savings to the Committee. 

Members of the Committee raised the following main issues with regard to   proposed savings :-

·                    Increase in parking fees – concerns expressed that Town Centres will be affected with people choosing not to shop at the local businesses.  The loss of income could have a detrimental effect on businesses;

·                    Increase in leisure fees and charges – concerns expressed that increase in fees for using leisure facilities and cuts in staffing could impact on the healthy living initiatives i.e. heart diseases, diabetes, obesity and the encouragement of children to participate in sports;

·                    Amendments to public conveniences provision – concerns expressed that public conveniences of a high standard is a necessity.  It was noted that the £500 provision for local businesses to allow access for the general public to use public conveniences on the premises should be extended and further work was required to encourage Town/Community Councils or the local community to take over these facilities.

·        Reductions in Highway Maintenance – deep concerns expressed to the possibilities of the condition of small lanes and highways will be in a dire state in the future.  The Highway Maintenance budget is a cross cutting budget and is dependent on weather conditions throughout the seasons which could have an effect on the budget of the service.

Following deliberations it was RESOLVED to accept the Executive’s draft budget proposals for 2014/2015.