Issue - meetings

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

(a)  That the Senior Leadership Team’s forecast of the full year’s outturn for the Council, made at the end of December 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 allocation of £7m from reserves to support the repairs and maintenance compliance work of the council’s property portfolio be approved.

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. 

The report summarised the Council’s forecast financial performance for the 2024/25 year as at the end of December 2024.

Cabinet received a report that set out the council’s forecast financial performance for the full 2024/25 financial year. The Cabinet Member for Finance and Capital Strategy, Cllr S Clifford advised that the council’s finances continued to be under extreme pressure within the revenue budget which, in the absence of mitigation, would require to be funded from reserves.

There was further pressure on the council’s reserves from the cumulative deficit on the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG), which could in the future exceed available reserves if a long-term solution was not identified before the statutory override ended in March 2026.

Cllr Clifford read out a statement in relation to 10.47 of the report that described the health, safety and building compliance work which had been undertaken to ensure that council buildings met the required standards.  This work had been undertaken at speed to recognise the health and safety requirements. But at the request of the Leader of the Council, the Monitoring Officer had commissioned Southwest Audit Partnership (SWAP) to investigate some of the procurement funding processes. As an independent body of the council, SWAP would present the outcome of their investigations to a future meeting of the Audit and Governance Committee and to the council’s external auditors.

In response to questions from Cllr A Parry regarding the national transfer scheme for unaccompanied children, the Executive Director for People (Children) advised that most of the pressure came from when asylum seeking children turned 18. The funding for these care leavers was significantly reduced, yet the council still had a responsibility to support them through this transition.  Representations had been made to central government regarding this funding gap and Cabinet Members would continue to raise their concerns with local MP’s.

It was proposed by Cllr S Clifford 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 December 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 allocation of £7m from reserves to support the repairs and maintenance compliance work of the council’s property portfolio be approved.

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. 

The report summarised the Council’s forecast financial performance for the 2024/25 year as at the end of December 2024.