Issue - meetings

To consider a report of the Directors of Culture, Communities and Business Services and Corporate Resources – Corporate Services setting out proposals for the Culture, Recreation and Countryside budget for 2018/19 in accordance with the Council’s Medium Term Financial Strategy.

To consider a report of the Directors of Culture, Communities and Business Services and Corporate Resources – Corporate Services setting out proposals for the Culture, Recreation and Countryside budget for 2018/19 in accordance with the Council’s Medium Term Financial Strategy.

The Committee received a report and presentation from the Directors of Culture, Communities and Business Services and Corporate Resources – Corporate Services (Item 6 in the Minute Book) regarding the 2018/19 Culture, Recreation and Countryside revenue budget.

The overall financial position for the County Council was outlined and Members were updated on progress with the Council’s Transformation to 2019 programme. It was reported that the budget proposals had been made in accordance with the County Council’s Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) which had been approved by the Council at it’s meeting on 2 November 2017.

Key challenges for the department were highlighted including the focus upon generating income from the wide range of departmental services and major transformation programmes which were underway.

The Appendix provided a summary of proposed budgets for service activities for 2018/19.

In response to Members’ questions it was confirmed that:

·         The increase in the pay bill, resultant from the governments’ proposed pay award is likely to be 6% for Hampshire County Council over the next two years. In addition whilst the governments’ proposal incorporated a core increase of 2% per year the changes to the lower pay scales, to reflect the impact of the National Living Wage, significantly exceeds 2%.

·         Officers with commercial acumen skills were employed throughout the department, and particularly within Business Units, to enable services to maximise potential opportunities for generation of external income.

·         The Library Service was tracking the number of e-downloads and was looking to implement more advanced techniques to enable more detailed data to be tracked and analysed.

The Chairman proposed that a vote be taken on the proposals contained within the report. Eleven members voted in favour of supporting the recommendations to the Executive Member for Culture, Recreation and Countryside. Three members abstained from the vote.

RESOLVED:

That the Culture and Communities Select Committee recommends to the

Executive Member for Culture, Recreation and Countryside that he:

i)        Approves the arrangements for the future grant to Hampshire Cultural Trust as set out in paragraph 9.1.

Approves for submission to the Leader and the Cabinet:

ii)         The revised revenue budget for 2017/18 as set out in the Appendix.

iii)       The summary revenue budget for 2018/19 as set out in the Appendix.

iv)       The annual capital allocation for Community Building Grants of £125,000.