Decision details

To consider the State of the County report and begin the Reconciling Policy, Performance and Resources process for 2025/26 and beyond.

4.1       The Cabinet considered a report by the Chief Executive.

4.2       It was RESOLVED to:

1)         Note the evidence base on demographics as set out in Appendix 1 of the report and the national and local policy outlook as set out in Appendix 2 of the report;

2)         Agree the priority outcomes and delivery outcomes as set out in Appendix 3 of the report and agree these as the basis of the Council’s business and financial planning, subject to the proposed amendments set out in paragraph 4 of the report;

3)         Agree officers update the Medium Term Financial Plan as the basis for financial planning when more information is available, as set out in paragraph 5 of the report;

4)         Agree officers identify areas of search for further savings as set out in paragraph 5 of the report;

5)         Agree to allocate the additional £5.386m for social care received in the final Local Government Finance Settlement for 2024/25 to support the investments in children’s and adult social care within the Council’s agreed 2024/25 revenue budget;

6)         Agree officers update the Capital Strategy and programme as set out in Appendix 4 of the report and as set out in paragraph 7 of the report;

7)         Agree the Productivity Plan as set out in Appendix 5 of the report for submission to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities;

8)         Receive reports on more detailed plans for 2025/26 and beyond in the autumn when there is more information about future resources; and

9)         Request officers bring a report to the July Cabinet Meeting setting out proposals for an additional £1m to be added to the current highways patching programme, for 2024/25, including details of how this could be funded from the Capital Programme without increasing the overall cost of the programme.

Reasons

4.3       The State of the County report is a key annual milestone in the Council’s Reconciling Policy, Performance and Resources (RPPR) process, our integrated business and financial planning cycle. The report provides an overview of our current operating context to begin the process of more detailed planning for 2025/26 and beyond. In conjunction with the 2023/24 year end monitoring report, it reflects on our achievements over the last year and the challenges we expect in the year ahead arising from both local and national factors. Through this analysis, it starts to refine our plans and to steer our business planning and budget setting processes.

4.4       Work will continue over the summer to refine our understanding of the medium term impacts on our services of national reforms, the evolving economic and political context, changing demand for services and the financial resources that will be available to us in the coming years. We will also further develop proposals for closing the financial gap, including potential savings.

4.5       We will report back to Members in the autumn with an updated assessment of our service demand, funding expectations and proposed actions to inform more detailed business and budget planning for 2025/26 and beyond. We will use our RPPR process to plan for the future as best we can in the context of a likely one year financial settlement once again.

4.6       Members will continue to be consulted on plans as they are developed through Cabinet, County Council, Scrutiny Committees, Whole Council Forums and specific engagement sessions throughout the 2024/25 Reconciling Policy, Performance and Resources process.