Issue - meetings

The Cabinet Member for Housing and Health introduced the item and stated it formed part of the finance strategy and budget proposals for the Committee’s services. The Medium Term Financial Strategy had been modelled on scenarios outlined in Appendix A of the report, specifically Scenario 4.

It was stated that:

·  Current projections represented a budget gap of £900k in 2024/25.

·  Council tax was predicted to rise by 3% for 2024/25 subject to a referendum limit.

·  Fees and charges for 2024/25 were predicted to rise by5%, which reflects price and volume increase.

·  Savings for Committee services were outlined in Appendix B to the report which would come to Full Council in February 2024.

The Committee expressed approval of disposing of the public conveniences at the Mid Kent shopping centre outlined in the report but several members of the Committee raised concerns that parking fees had not been increased but that garden waste fees had increased in the previous financial year. It was noted that the report proposed for the surplus budget for community protection to be removed and that the Council should withdraw from the Kent Resource Partnership.

In response to concerns regarding parking fees, the Cabinet Member for Housing and Health stated the Head of Housing had advised that an increase to parking at the end of the pandemic would have reduced revenue and that an annual review of parking charges would be conducted by Cabinet.  Addressing concerns regarding the community protection surplus, the Cabinet Member for the Environmental Services stated that community protection would now be funded by the Police Crime Commissioner and that the £11,000 saving could be used to balance the Council’s budget. It was also stated that while garden waste fees had increased, they had increased below inflation.

In response to concerns regarding the Council withdrawing from the Kent Resource Partnership the Head of Environmental Services and Public Realm stated that the proposal was an officer recommendation and that the majority of the £15,000 the Council contributed to the partnership was spent on officers and not delivery of recycling.

RESOLVED to RECOMMEND to Cabinet:

1.  That the draft Medium Term Financial Strategy for 2024/25 to 2028/29 set out in Appendix A to the report be approved;

2.  That the budget proposals set out in Appendix B to the report be approved.