(Members Code of Conduct – Part 4A of the Constitution)

To receive disclosures of interests from members and co-opted members on matters to be considered at the meeting. The disclosure must include the nature of the interest.

An interest must also be disclosed in the meeting when it becomes apparent to the member during the meeting.

Notes:

(1)       Members must consider their interests, and act according to the following:

(2)       Disclosable pecuniary interests relate to the Member concerned or their spouse/partner.

(3)       Members in arrears of Council Tax by more than two months must not vote in decisions on, or which might affect, budget calculations, and must disclose at the meeting that this restriction applies to them.  A failure to comply with these requirements is a criminal offence under section 106 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992. 

(4)       Officers must disclose interests in accordance with Council Standing Order 44.

No disclosures of interest in matters under discussion were made.

(Access to Information Procedure Rules – Part 3B of the Constitution)

Reports and background papers for agenda items may be inspected by contacting the person shown after each agenda item.  Certain reports and background papers may be restricted. 

Any request to remove the restriction on a report or background paper should be made to the relevant Strategic Director or Assistant Director whose name is shown on the front page of the report. 

If that request is refused, there is a right of appeal to this meeting. 

Please contact the officer shown below in advance of the meeting if you wish to appeal. 

(Yusuf Patel / Fatima Butt – 07970 411923 / 07970 411746)

There were no appeals submitted by the public to review decisions to restrict documents.

To note any recommendations to the Executive that may be the subject of report to a future meeting.  (Schedule to be tabled at the meeting). 

(Yusuf Patel / Fatima Butt – 07970 411923 / 07970 411746)

There were no recommendations referred to the Executive.

(Councillor Hinchcliffe)

The Director of Finance will submit a report (Document “AA”) which updates Executive on the Council’s Financial Position, the action being undertaken to address projected funding gaps, the rationale for requesting Exceptional Financial Support from Government and the next steps in setting a budget for 2024-25.

Recommended –

That the Executive:

(1)       Note that the Council’s financial position has continued to         deteriorate.

(2)       Note Exceptional Financial Support is required in 2023-24 and 2024-25 and without this the s151 officer will have to issue a s114           report.

(3)       Note that the Executive will receive a budget proposal report in            January 2024 that will outline long term spending reductions.

(4)       Note that there will be continued discussions with the BCFT on            their Business Plan.

(5)       Delegate authority to the Chief Executive in consultation with the        Director of Finance to engage with the Department of Levelling Up   Housing and Communities to formally request Exceptional     Financial Support in 2023-24 and 2024-25

(6)       Note the requirement for the implementation and development a          transformation programme to deliver savings and future      proposals.

(7)       Note the Type 1 contract variation request from BCFT for £13.5m         of year to date costs which has been agreed and paid. This is        contained within the existing overspend.

Overview and Scrutiny Committee: Corporate

(Andrew Cross – 01274 436823)

The Director of Finance submitted a report (Document “AA”) which updated Executive on the Council’s Financial Position, the action being undertaken to address projected funding gaps, the rationale for requesting Exceptional Financial Support from Government and the next steps in setting a budget for 2024-25.

At the outset, the Leader stated that this was an extraordinary meeting of the Executive which had been called as the Council was seeking financial support from Government in order to set a budget for the current financial year and going forward into 2024/2025.  The Leader added that after 13 years of austerity we were now at a point where the majority of the Council’s budget was being spent on Adult and Children’s Social Care.  This situation was further exacerbated by the rise in the cost of living and the real reduction in Local Government finance to support the needs of the district.

The Director of Finance gave a detailed explanation of the financial pressures facing the Council, with a current in year pressure of £73m, and in the upcoming 2024/2025 budget, a pressure of £103.6m based on the current calculations.  The national context was alluded to and it was stressed that this pressure was also being faced by a number of other Local Authorities across the country.  The significant overspend within the newly established Children’s Trust was alluded to as well as well as within Adult Social Care, driven by rising demand and complexity of cases, deprivation and transition.  Inflationary pressures had also played its part in the overspend as well as overall reductions in funding to Local Authorities from Government over the last decade or so.  The Chancellor’s Autumn Statement did not give rise to any additional funding that would be forthcoming, albeit it created an additional £5m spend as a consequence of a rise in the National Living Wage, which had not been planned or budgeted for.

Details around the exceptional financial support that was being requested from Government was alluded to and the process for doing so was outlined..  To this end, a number of initiatives were being pursued through the Bradford Budget Emergency Response Team, by reducing our cost base.  It was intended that initial budget proposals for 2024/2025 would be published on the 3^rd January 2024. The request for additional financial support could result in a capitalisation directive, allowing the Council to bridge the fiscal gap in both financial years. However, this was not a given and we awaited a response based on the detailed financial information we had provided.  CIPFA had issued guidance to Section 151 officers that they should seek support from Government before issuing a Section 114 Notice and that the capitalisation directive could be pursued in advance of this.

The Leader and Portfolio Holders acknowledged the pressures facing the Council and the need for an adequate financial settlement from Government to support our communities and our regeneration ambitions.  That without the necessary additional funding, poverty in the district would increase as  ...  view the full minutes text for item 60.