45.1 The Cabinet considered a report by the Chief Operating Officer.
45.2 It was RESOLVED to:
1. note the financial outturn position for the Conservators’ Core Budget for 2020/21;
2. approve the provision of £69,792 as one-off financial support to meet the overall deficit in 2020/21, arising primarily as a consequence of the Covid-19 pandemic;
3. approve the Conservators’ Core interim budget for 2021/22,noting that the Board of Conservators has provided assurance that the balanced budget is deliverable and there is no requirement for the County Council to provide additional funding in 2021/22; and
4. approve the annual grant for 2020/21 from the Ashdown Forest Trust Fund
Reason
45.3 While the County Council has a statutory obligation to meet the shortfall between expenditure and income of the Conservators, it also has the responsibility for approving the level of expenditure. It is recognised that the 2020/21 deficit in the Core budget has arisen as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and was not foreseeable when the budget was agreed.