To approve the 2024/25 budget and associated Medium Term Financial Strategy and Treasury Management Strategy.

Council considered a report from the Leader to set the 2024/25 budget. Council noted the following supplements published following the despatch of the agenda:

·         Budget Council meeting procedure 2024 published on 2 February; and

·         Budget amendments 2024/25 published on 8 February.

The Cabinet Member Finance and Corporate Services introduced the report and moved the budget.

The Leader seconded the report and the budget.

Councillor Terry James, as Group Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group spoke on the budget.

Councillor Ellie Chowns, as Group Leader of The Green Party Group spoke on the budget.

Councillor David Hitchiner, on behalf of the Group Leader of the Independents for Herefordshire Group spoke on the budget.

Councillor Bob Matthews, as Group Leader of the True Independents Group spoke on the budget.

Council debated the budget recommended by the Cabinet.

Amendment – Proposed by Councillor Toni Fagan and seconded by Councillor David Hitchiner

To retain proposed SEN Transport savings (£200,000), but to remove savings in Children’s Directorate budget of £2,303,000 in service areas where no targeted savings have yet been delivered:

The balancing figure to be provided, for one year only, from the funds held in the following earmarked reserves:

·         Care Market Costs: £959,000

·         Financial Resilience Reserve:  £1,344,000

Any savings that actually get delivered during 2024-25 by the Directorate be required to be used to repay these reserves – and that these repayments are reported publicly in the Quarterly Performance Reports produced by the administration during the year.

This amendment is proposed to give Council and the public greater assurance of the setting of a balanced budget for 2024-25. It follows track record and evidence from two consecutive years of significant overspends in the Children’s Directorate (£6m in 2022-23 and (Q2) £13.8m 2023-24). It also is informed by there being no track record and no evidence of delivery during 2023-24 of the Directorate’s £4.5m of agreed savings in Looked After Children care costs and in reduced agency and staff costs – the exact same service areas proposed to deliver immediate, front-loaded savings in 2024-25.

Councillor Fagan proposed the amendment.

Councillor Hitchiner seconded the amendment.

Council debated the amendment.

The Cabinet Member Finance and Corporate Services, as the mover of the original motion, spoke before the vote on the amendment.

The amendment was put to the recorded vote and was carried by a simple majority.

FOR (26): Councillors Andrews, Bartlett, Bartrum, Boulter, Carwardine, Chowns,, Crockett, Dykes, Engel, Fagan, Foxton, Gennard, Heathfield, Hitchiner, James, O’Driscoll, Oliver, Owens, Peberdy, Dan Powell, Proctor, Simmons, Spencer, Stark,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 46