Minutes:
The Learning
Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee Members met to consider the Service
budget for those service areas that are within the Committee’s remit and to
consider the following recommendations:
The Leader of the Council, Councillor Ellen ap Gwynn,
presented the report on the draft budget for 2022/2023 including the three year
capital programme, explaining that this is a provisional settlement, and that
the final settlement is due on the 1st March, 2022.
The Leader also
stated that a letter had been received on 17th
February 2022 from Rebecca Evans MS, Minister for Finance and Local Government announcing an increase of £50m for the local
government settlement for 2021-2022. The amount to be
allocated to Ceredigion County Council is unknown to date but is likely
to be circa £1m. The funding is un-hypothecated (i.e. not allocated to specific
services) and can be carried forward in reserves to the 2022-2023 financial
year. It was explained that the implications of this
additional funding would need to be considered and how that would be allocated
for the 2022-2023 budget.
Members welcomed the additional funding but expressed their
disappointment that the announcement was late and that it didn’t
allow for scrutiny to take place based on the new information. The Chief
Executive confirmed that information would be presented
for Council on 3rd March 2022 and that there would be an opportunity
for further debate.
The relevant Cabinet Member presented the
information relevant to their Service Area.
Members were then given the opportunity for questions
which were answered in turn by Cabinet Members and/or Officers.
Committee Members
considered the Cost Pressures for those service areas that are within the
Committee’s remit; namely:
·
Schools & Culture and Porth
Cymorth Cynnar
And:
Committee Members considered the proposed
Fees and Charges changes under the
Committee’s remit in Appendix D, pages 14
to 15 of 51, of the agenda papers.
The
Committee agreed that the 3 options proposed for Council Tax levels would not
be discussed at today’s meeting due the Welsh Government announcement that an estimated
additional £1million had been allocated to Ceredigion Council.. Further discussions will take place at
Council.
Recommendations:
Following consideration, Members agreed
to recommend that Cabinet:
1.
APPROVE the overall
Revenue and Capital Budgets proposed;
2.
APPROVE the estimated
Cost Pressures;
3.
APPROVE the proposed
Fees and Charges as outlined in Enclosure D, appendix 2 of the agenda papers, (pages 14-15 of 51)
4.
AGREED to note the
proposed £230k Travelling Savings Target for Officers & Members;
5.
AGREED to note the £113k
Savings Balance still required to be found.
The Committee did not have any other
feedback related to the Draft Budget for Cabinet to consider.
Supporting documents: