Decision details

The Executive resolved as follows:

1. To note all information received since the meeting of the Executive on 6 February 2017 including that the Final Settlement Funding Assessment will now not be announced until after the meeting and therefore request the Director of Resources to provide a further update, if necessary, in advance of the budget Council meeting.

2. To note the minutes of the Tourism, Economy and Resources Scrutiny Committee meeting with Non-Domestic Ratepayers and Trade Union representatives held on 10 February 2017.

3. To confirm the Executive’s recommendations to Council regarding the General Fund Revenue Budget 2017/18 subject to decisions 4 and 5 below.

4. To note that line B5.8 of the budget savings proposals outlined in Appendix 2 to the General Fund Revenue Budget considered by the Executive at its meeting on 6 February 2017, includes a saving identified for the disestablishment of the Political Assistant posts and to recommend the Council accordingly to rescind its decision of 8 July 2015 which established the principle of appointing Political Assistants within the framework of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989.

5. To approve a level of budget savings of £18.7m (reference paragraph 7.1 and 7.2 and Appendix 2, of the report to the Executive on 6 February 2017), with the exception of the following:
   1. Remove the saving of £250,000 proposed at line B4.2, which proposed the introduction of a charge for concessionary fares on the tramway,
   2. Remove the saving of £26,000 contained within line B5.3 in relation to ending community based stroke service funding
   3. Increase the saving at line B5.8 (Residual target to be allocated to services) by £276,000.

6. To recommend to Council approval of a level of Blackpool Council’s Council Tax for the year 2017/18 of £1,425.75 at valuation band D equivalent which includes the additional 3% Adult Social Care Precept.

7. To recommend to Council the level of net expenditure for the General Fund Revenue Budget 2017/18 of £120,248,000 and agree that any change in the final notification of Settlement Funding Assessment compared to the Provisional Settlement Funding Assessment will either be met from or added to Reserves.

8. To note that the Police and Crime Commissioner for Lancashire’s precept for the financial year 2017/18 at valuation band D equivalent had been agreed on 13 February 2017 and was reported verbally at this meeting as £165.45 (an increase of 1.99%).

9. To note that the Lancashire Combined Fire Authority met on the morning of 20 February 2017 to set its precept for the financial year 2017/18. This was reported verbally at the meeting as £65.50 for a Band D Tax equivalent (no increase).