Agenda item

That the presentation be noted.

The Chairman welcomed the contributors to the meeting.

Councillor David Mackie referred to the budget factsheets document circulated at the beginning of the meeting and raised concerns that Members of the Committee had not been given sufficient time to read the information.  The Chief Executive explained that the budget factsheets were further detail of budget proposals together with responses to questions Members had raised during the budget workshop sessions. 

The Chair agreed to adjourn the meeting until 2.40 pm to allow Members of the Committee time to read the budget factsheet document.

The meeting resumed at 2.43 pm.

The Leader outlined the budget consultation process to date, which included briefing meetings with Group Leaders and Chairs of Overview & Scrutiny Committees, culminating with the Overview & Scrutiny mop-up session scheduled to be held on Friday, 30^th January, 2015, prior to the final budget proposals being presented to County Council on the 17^th February, 2015.  Regular updates had been given to Members over recent months and the Leader commented on the unprecedented financial challenges facing all Councils across Wales.  The draft budget report, presented to Cabinet on 16^th December, 2015 highlighted a £16.4m budget gap for 2015/16.  Following intensive work a balanced budget had been achieved.  The risk to frontline services was a unique challenge with no magic formula and no additional money available.

The Leader commented on the consequential revenue provision and briefed Members on his lobbying of Ministers and the Welsh Government (WG).  He expressed his disappointment following the Autumn Statement that no additional funding for service protection was being allocated to Local Government.

The Chief Executive, Chief Officer (Education & Youth), Chief Officer (Organisational Change (1)) and Chief Officer (Organisational Change (2)) gave a detailed presentation which covered the following areas:-

Education and Youth            

·         National Position

·         Revised Local Position

·         Strategy to close the extended gap

·         Big Budget Conversation

·         Final Steps in the Budget

·         Education and Youth Budget 2015/16

o       Schools

o       School Funding

o       School Budgeting

o       Education and Youth (Central)

o       Business Plan Efficiencies

·         Operational Change (2)

o       Leaning service areas

o       Increased income

o       New ways of delivering Facilities Management services

o       Increased marketing and product growth

o       Business Plan Efficiencies

·               Organisational Change (1) Leisure and Libraries Budget Proposals 2015/16

o       Leisure and Libraries

o       Business Plan Efficiencies

o       Static Libraries

o       Mobile Services

o       Sports Development – Lets Walk Cymru

o       Leisure Centre – above inflation increase in tariff

·         Clwyd Theatr Cymru – Budget 2015/16

o       Challenge

o       Proposal

o       Business Plan Efficiencies

The comments and questions which were raised by Members of the Committee on the presentations, together with the responses given, are detailed in Appendix 1 (attached).

Members welcomed the opportunity once all the information had been digested to refer any further questions to the mop up session of Corporate Resources.  The Chair thanked Officers for the openness in which the workshops and verbal updates had been delivered to Members and felt members of the public were better prepared for the year ahead.

            RESOLVED:

That the presentation be noted.