Issue - meetings

To consider a report of the Cabinet Member for Finance & Capital Strategy.

(a)  Cabinet notes the Senior Leadership Team’s forecast of the full year’s outturn for the Council, made at the end of September 2024 including progress of the transformational and efficiency savings incorporated into the budget.

(b)  That the capital programme for 2024/25, be noted.

(c)   That the capital spend of £3.45m against Sewerage Treatment Services Improvement Works as agreed by Capital Strategy & Assets Management Group on 7 October 2024, be noted.

(d)  That the additional capital spend of £2.8m for Weymouth Harbour Walls F&G of which £1.3m to be funded from Dorset Council resources and £1.48m from Harbour reserves, be approved (subject to harbour advisory committee). A detailed breakdown is shown in the appendix which brings total project spend to £13.8m.

(e)  That the additional capital spend of £1.0m for Foster and Kinship Carers Adaptations Capital Fund, be approved.

(f)    To reallocate the budget of £160k from Parkdean improvement works to Greenhill.

(g)  To continue procurement to deliver Urgent and Emergency Care (UEC) Transformation programme – part 2 with an expected value of £9m, of which Dorset Council is committing to up to £1.5m with a further step of making any contract award and finalising the partnership agreement with NHS partners should be delegated to the relevant Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, after consultation with the relevant Executive Director, Jonathan Price, Cabinet Member for Finance and Capital Strategy, Cllr Clifford and Executive Director for Corporate Development (s151 officer), Aidan Dunn.

Reason for the decision

The Council provided a mix of statutory and discretionary services to communities across Dorset and was legally required to set a balanced budget every year, and so must deliver services within the resources made available through the revenue and capital budgets for 2024/25.  This report summarised the Council’s forecast financial performance for the year at the end of September 2024.

Cabinet received a report that set out information about the council’s forecast financial performance for the full 2024/25 financial year.  The forecasts were based on data as of 30^th September 2024 (Quarter 2). The Cabinet Member for Finance & Capital Strategy highlighted the significant financial challenges facing Dorset Council due to increasing costs and he acknowledged the concern over the proposed use of council reserves.

In response to questions from Cllr A Parry, Paul Dempsey, Executive Director of People – Children’s agreed to send Cllr A Parry a full written response regarding the EHCP and the spot purchasing figures.   

It was proposed by Cllr S Clifford and seconded by Cllr R Biggs.

Decision  

(a)  That the Senior Leadership Team’s forecast of the full year’s outturn for the Council, made at the end of September 2024 including progress of the transformational and efficiency savings incorporated into the budget be noted.

(b)  That the capital programme for 2024/25, be noted.

(c)   That the capital spend of £3.45m against Sewerage Treatment Services Improvement Works as agreed by Capital Strategy & Assets Management Group on 7 October 2024, be noted.

(d)  That the additional capital spend of £2.8m for Weymouth Harbour Walls F&G of which £1.3m to be funded from Dorset Council resources and £1.48m from Harbour reserves, be approved (subject to harbour advisory committee). A detailed breakdown was shown in the appendix which brings total project spend to £13.8m.

(e)  That the additional capital spend of £1.0m for Foster and Kinship Carers Adaptations Capital Fund, be approved.

(f)    Reallocate the budget of £160k from Parkdean improvement works to Greenhill.

(g)  To continue procurement to deliver Urgent and Emergency Care (UEC) Transformation programme – part 2 with an expected value of £9m, of which Dorset Council was committing to up to £1.5m with a further step of making any contract award and finalising the partnership agreement with NHS partners being delegated to the relevant Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, after consultation with the relevant Executive Director, Jonathan Price, Cabinet Member for Finance and Capital Strategy, Cllr Clifford and Executive Director for Corporate Development (s151 officer), Aidan Dunn.

Reason for the decision

The Council provided a mix of statutory and discretionary services to communities across Dorset and was legally required to set a balanced budget every year, and so must deliver services within the resources made available through the revenue and capital budgets for 2024/25.  This report summarised the Council’s forecast financial performance for the year at the end of September 2024.