Agenda item

(7A) Proposed Budget for 2023/24 and Provisional Budgets for 2024/25 and 2025/26

To consider the report of the Chief Officer, Financial Services which presents the initial proposals for the Council’s 2023/24 budget and which seeks agreement to undertaking appropriate consultation on the proposed budget for 2023/24. In addition, the report provides the provisional budget position for 2024/25 and 2025/26.

(7B) Revenue Savings Proposals for 2023/24 to 2025/26

To consider the report of the Chief Officer, Financial Services which presents ‘Business as Usual’ savings for the Board’s information and consideration, with decisions that give effect to them being taken by the relevant Director or Chief Officer. The report also seeks approval for consultation to commence, where required, on the ‘Service Review’ proposals presented, with decisions to give effect to those proposals being taken by the relevant Director or Chief Officer following such consultation and taking account of the outcomes from that consultation.

(A) Proposed Budget for 2023/24 and Provisional Budgets for 2024/25 and 2025/26

The Chief Officer (Financial Services) submitted a report presenting the proposed budget for 2023/24, which subject to Executive Board’s approval, was scheduled to be submitted to the respective Scrutiny Boards for their consideration and review, with the outcome of their deliberations being reported to Executive Board in February 2023, with the proposals also being made available to other stakeholders as part of a wider process of engagement and consultation. The report also invited the Board to note provisional budgets for 2024/25 and 2025/26.

RESOLVED –

a)  That the Proposed Budget for 2023/24, as presented in the submitted report, which is based on the approval and delivery of £69.8m of directorate savings for 2023/24, be noted; with it also being noted that £46.6m of which have been identified this year and have been brought to this Board through the accompanying reports: ‘Revenue Savings Proposals for 2023/24 to 2025/26’ at its October 2022 meeting and elsewhere on this agenda;

b)  That agreement be given to consultation being undertaken on the Proposed Budget for 2023/24, which includes the proposed 2.99% increases in core Council Tax and the 1.99% increase in the Adult Social Care precept. Further to this, agreement be given that these budget proposals are submitted to Scrutiny and are made available for wider consultation with stakeholders;

c)  That the provisional budget position for 2024/25 and 2025/26, as presented in the submitted report, be noted; and that it also be noted that further savings proposals to address the updated estimated budget gaps of £48.0m and £26.7m for 2024/25 and 2025/26 respectively will be reported to future meetings of this Board;

d)  That should the application to form a 2023/24 Leeds City Region Business Rates Pool be successful, approval be given for Leeds City Council to become a member of the proposed Pool and to act as lead Authority for it; with it being noted that establishment of this new Pool will be dependent upon none of the other proposed member Authorities choosing to withdraw within the statutory period after designation.

(B) Revenue Savings Proposals for 2023/24 to 2025/26

Further to Minute No. 63, 19^th October 2022, the Chief Officer (Financial Services) submitted a report presenting revenue savings proposals following ongoing review processes which continued to be undertaken across Council services. The proposals were presented as either ‘Business as Usual’ savings for the Board’s information, with decisions to give effect to those being taken by the relevant Director or Chief Officer, or as ‘Service Review’ proposals, in which the report sought approval for consultation to commence, where required, with decisions to give effect to those proposals being taken by the relevant Director or Chief Officer following such consultation and taking account of the outcomes from it.

Members briefly discussed the Community Committee Wellbeing funding allocation for 2023/24, as detailed within the directorate ‘Business as Usual’ savings within the report, and also in relation to a proposal regarding the approach towards the provision of the Youth Activity Fund.

RESOLVED –

(a)  That the ‘Business as Usual’ savings presented within the submitted report, be noted, with it also being noted that decisions to give effect to them shall be taken by the relevant Director or Chief Officer, in accordance with the Officer Delegation Scheme (Executive functions);

(b)  That agreement be given for consultation to commence, where required, on the ‘Service Review’ savings proposals presented within the submitted report; with it being noted that decisions to give effect to them shall be taken by the relevant Director or Chief Officer, following any consultation period, in accordance with the Officer Delegation Scheme (Executive functions);

(c)  That it be noted that the savings proposals for 2023/24, as presented in the submitted report, combined with the savings proposals brought to the Executive Board at its October meeting, support a draft balanced budget for 2023/24; with the Council’s financial position for the following two years, as set out in the accompanying report elsewhere on the submitted agenda entitled, ‘Proposed Budget for 2023/24 and Provisional Budgets for 2024/25 and 2025/26’, also be noted;

(d)  That it be noted that further savings will be required to close the Council’s estimated budget gap in the years 2024/25 and 2025/26 and that proposals regarding such matters will be brought to future meetings of this Board.

(Under the provisions of Council Procedure Rule 16.5, Councillors A Carter and S Golton required it to be recorded that they both respectively abstained from voting on the decisions referred to within this minute)

(The resolutions referred to within Minute No. 91(A) (a), (b) and (c), given that these were decisions being made in accordance with the Budget and Policy Framework Procedure Rules, were not eligible for Call In, as Executive and Decision Making Procedure Rule 5.1.2 states that the power to Call In decisions does not extend to those decisions made in accordance with the Budget and Policy Framework Procedure Rules. However, the resolution referred to in Minute No. 91(A) (d) and 91(B) (a) – (d) were eligible for Call In, given that these were decisions not being taken as part of the Budget and Policy Framework Procedure Rules)