Issue - meetings

Councillor Russell Holland, the Cabinet Member for Finance, People and Performance welcomed the invited representatives of local businesses to the meeting. He explained that the meeting was designed to inform local businesses of the Council’s Budget proposals for 2016/17, due to be considered in detail by the Cabinet at its meeting on 10^th February 2016, and to give representatives an opportunity to put questions on some of the issues to himself and David Renard, Leader of the Council,

It was noted that Under Section 65 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 the Council had a duty to consult with representatives of Non-Domestic Ratepayers about its proposals for expenditure. The Council had set out to achieve this by way of (a) a Public Notice placed in the Swindon Evening Advertiser, (b) a similar notice and information being placed on the Council’s website from 2^nd December 2015, and (c) arrangements being made for this meeting to which representative from businesses had been invited.

Copies of the following reports considered by the Cabinet at its meeting on 9^th December 2015, were included in the agenda pack for this meeting:

• Delivering The Vision – Growing Swindon’s Economy

• 2016 – 2020 Direction of Travel, Financial Context and

Budget Proposals 2016-17

 Councillor Holland introduced the reports, expanding on the strategic context and framing for the direction of travel of the Council to deliver the Vision for Swindon over the next four years, and placing the specific proposals within the expected financial context, and the particular processes the Council had adopted to ensure it has a balanced budget for 2016-17 and a sustainable financial position moving forward.  It was members’ view that responsible financial management underpinned the Council’s Vision priorities and pledges by ensuring best use is consistently made of all available resources as well as providing focus for its transformation work. Councillor Holland also provided a current budget position statement from the Cabinet Member for Finance, People and Performance, with particular regard to:

·         The detail of the Local Government Finance Settlement for 2016-17

·         Progress in relation to engagement and consultation with residents, stakeholders and service users on the organisational strategic response approved by Cabinet at its meeting on 9 December 2015.

Following their introduction of the reports, Councillors Renard and Holland, supported by the Council’s  responded to questions put by the Council’s Board Director Resources, responded to questions put by the representatives on the following issues:

·        The economy promoting self-employers

·         Lack of encouragement for small businesses to get started

·         Resourcing Forward Swindon

·         Making Swindon more attractive for decision-makers

·         Making the Planning system more user-friendly

·         The resourcing for the Business Support Officer post referred to in the report

·         Business Rates

·        Problems recruiting high calibre staff

·        A central repository for information that could be given to businesses concerning Swindon

·        Property options in Swindon Town Centre

·        National Parking policies

·        Measuring the success of Forward Swindon

·        A forum for the scrutiny of Forward Swindon

·        Private business representation on the Economic and Regeneration Board

·        the Council’s finances  ...  view the full minutes text for item 2

            The Cabinet Member for Finance, People and Performance and the Board Director, Resources submitted a joint report concerning the development of a strategic and financial context to enable the Council over the next four year period to progress the delivery of the Vision for Swindon, and setting out (a) the financial context within which the Council currently operated and the likely future position, (b) the Council’s intended direction of travel to achieve the delivery of its Vision, strategies, plans, priorities and corporate objectives in the medium term, (c) proposals for the Council’s strategic response involving establishing more financially sustainable delivery models to enable it to deliver its Vision and essential services in the future, including in terms of (i) “Growing Swindon’s Economy” and identifying new forms of funding, (ii) “Going Local”,  and (iii) “Building Resilience”, (d) proposals to engage and consult with residents, stakeholders and service users on the proposed strategic response, (e) Budget proposals for 2016/17 as part of the Council’s strategic response, (f)  the current forecast out-turn position of the Council's Revenue Budget, (g) the Council’s Change Programmes and their relationship to the Council’s finances, (h) The Council Tax Base and Collection Fund Surplus/Deficit,  (i) Council Tax, (j) the new Social Care Precept, (j) the Local Council Tax (Reduction) Scheme, (k) proposed changes to Council Fees and Charges for 2016/17, (l) One-off funding, and (m) proposed virements.

            Councillor Russell Holland, Cabinet Member for Finance, People and Performance, introduced the joint report and commented on its significance for the Council’s and Swindon’s future direction. He referred to the financial context in which the Council operated and the proposed strategic response to ensure that the Council could continue to deliver essential services to residents and achieve its Vision. He explained that the Government had made it clear that by 2020 it anticipated that local authorities would not be receiving a Revenue Support Grant and would be expected to fund local services from Council Tax and from retained Business Rates. He commented on the level of savings that the Council would need to achieve by 2020 and to his belief, this meant that the Council and its services would be very different by that time.  He outlined the proposals contained in the report that would now be the subject of consultation in the run up to the Budget Council meeting on 25^th February 2016. He emphasised that no Councillor welcomed making decisions that reduced services and imposed savings, but that difficult decisions now had to be made if the Council was to be able to continue to offer quality services to the most vulnerable and to Swindon residents. He commented on the implications of the Government’s recent announcement of a “Social Care precept” for Council Tax levels. He advised that, as with the retention of Business Rates, further details of the actual implications of the announcement for Swindon were awaited. He believed that the proposed strategic response and Budget proposals for 2016/117 would strengthen  ...  view the full minutes text for item 45