22.1
The Cabinet considered a report by the Chief Operating
Officer.
22.2
It was RESOLVED to:
1) note the 2022/23 Outturn for the Conservators’ Core and Countryside Stewardship budgets; and
2) approve the contribution of £23,013 to
offset the deficit on the Conservators’ Core Budget for
2022/23.
Reason
22.3
While the Council has a statutory obligation to meet
the shortfall between expenditure and income of the
Conservators’ Core Budget, it also has the responsibility for
approving the level of expenditure. It is recognised that the
2022/23 deficit in the Core Budget has arisen primarily from the
delay in implementing the car park charging scheme, the provision
for a potential H&S Executive claim and the write off of
historical bad debt which was not wholly foreseeable when the
budget was agreed.
22.4 A financial contribution to the Conservators of Ashdown Forest of £23,013, being the adjusted Core Budget operational deficit of £82,861 less the adjustments for non-cash accounting items and the provision for the HSE penalty totalling £59,848 will offset the deficit on the Conservators’ Core Budget for 2022/23