Agenda and decisions

(Budget Meeting), County Council - Wednesday, 19 February 2025 2.00 pm

Venue: Council Chamber

Contact: Rosemary Whitelaw - Tel: 0116 305 2583  Email: rosemary.whitelaw@leics.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

Order Paper and Webcast pdf icon PDF 209 KB

1.

Chairman's Announcements.

2.

Minutes. pdf icon PDF 179 KB

Additional documents:

3.

Declarations of interest.

4.

Questions asked under Standing Order 7(1)(2) and (5).

5.

Report of the Constitution Committee. pdf icon PDF 66 KB

Additional documents:

5a

Review of Standing Orders (Meeting Procedure Rules).

Decision:

“That the changes to Standing Orders (Meeting Procedure Rules), as set out in the Appendix to the report of the Constitution Committee, be approved.”

 

6.

To receive position statements under Standing Order 8. pdf icon PDF 115 KB

Decision:

The Acting Leader gave a position statement on the following matters:

·       Medium Term Financial Strategy Position;

·       Local Government Reorganisation;

·       Flooding;

·       Zouch Bridge;

·       Invictus Games.

 

7.

Reports of the Cabinet:

7a

Medium Term Financial Strategy 2025/26 - 2028/29. pdf icon PDF 148 KB

Additional documents:

Decision:

“(a)   That subject to the items below, and following changes arising from the final Local Government Finance Settlement and receipt of final Business Rates information from Leicestershire district councils, approval be given to the Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) which incorporates the recommended net revenue budget for 2025/26 totalling £615.2m as set out in the revised Appendices A, B and E of this report and includes the growth and savings for that year as set out in the revised Appendix C;

(b)       That the revised Appendices A, B, C and E be approved to reflect the changes in Business Rates, grant income and a reduction in the growth contingency, which taken together have no impact on the use of reserves;

 

(c)        That approval be given to the projected provisional revenue budgets for 2026/27, 2027/28 and 2028/29, set out in the revised Appendix B to the report, including the growth and savings for those years as set out in the revised Appendix C, allowing the undertaking of preliminary work, including business case development, engagement and equality and human rights impact assessments, as may be necessary to achieve the savings specified for those years including savings under development, set out in Appendix D;

 

(d)       That approval be given to the early achievement of savings that are included in the MTFS, as may be necessary, along with associated investment costs, subject to the Director of Corporate Resources agreeing to funding being available;

 

(e)       That the level of the general fund and earmarked reserves as set out in Appendix K be noted and the planned use of those earmarked reserves as indicated in that appendix be approved;

(f)         That the amounts of the County Council's Council Tax for each band of dwelling and the precept payable by each billing authority for 2025/26 be as set out in Appendix M;

(g)       That the Chief Executive be authorised to issue the necessary precepts to billing authorities in accordance with the budget requirement above and the tax base notified by the District Councils, and to take any other action which may be necessary to give effect to the precepts;

 

(h)       That approval be given to the 2025/26 to 2028/29 capital programme, totalling £439m, as set out in Appendix F;

 

(i)         That the Director of Corporate Resources following consultation with the Lead Member for Resources be authorised to approve new capital schemes, including revenue costs associated with their delivery, shown as future developments in the capital programme, to be funded from funding available;

 

(j)         That the financial indicators required under the Prudential Code included in Appendix N, Annex 2 be noted and that the following limits be approved:

 

2025/26

£m

2026/27

£m

2027/28

£m

2028/29

£m

Operational boundary for external debt

 

 

 

 

i)        Borrowing

201

197

232

271

ii)        Other long term liabilities

6

6

6

5

TOTAL

207

203

238

276

 

 

 

 

 

Authorised limit for external debt

 

 

 

 

i)        Borrowing

211

207

242

281

ii)        Other long term liabilities

6

6

6

5

TOTAL

217

213

248

286

(k)        That the Director of Corporate Resources be authorised to effect movement within the authorised limit for external debt between borrowing and other long-term liabilities;

 

(l)         That the following borrowing limits be approved for the period 2025/26 to 2028/29:

 

(i) Maturity of borrowing:-

 

 

Upper Limit

Lower Limit

 

%

%

Under 12 months

30

0

12 months and within 24 months

30

0

24 months and within 5 years

50

0

5 years and within 10 years

70

0

10 years and above

100

25

 

(ii)    An upper limit for principal sums invested for periods longer than   364 days is 20% of the  ...  view the full decision text for item 7a

7b

Annual Report of the Director of Public Health: Leicestershire's Health - Inequalities in Health. pdf icon PDF 94 KB

Additional documents:

Decision:

“That the Annual Report of the Director of Public Health 2024 be noted with support”

 

7c

English Devolution White Paper: Local Government Reorganisation. pdf icon PDF 100 KB

Additional documents:

Decision:

“That the report and supplementary report on the English Devolution White Paper: Local Government Reorganisation including urgent action taken, considered by the Cabinet at its meeting on 7 February, be noted.”

 

8.

Report of the Corporate Governance Committee:

8a

Changes to the Contract Procedure Rules Following the Implementation of the Procurement Act. pdf icon PDF 71 KB

Additional documents:

Decision:

“(a)   That the new Contract Procedure Rules, set out in the Appendix to this report, be approved;

 

(b)    That the Director of Corporate Resources, in consultation with the Director of Law and Governance be authorised to approve minor amendments to the Rules up to 24 February 2025.”

 

9.

To consider the following notice of motion:

9a

NHS and Social Care System.

(a)      This Council notes:

 

(i)        That the NHS and social care system face multiple crises of access, staff retention, long waiting times, missed targets and poor outcomes;

 

(ii)       That people across Leicestershire are struggling to access health and care services;

 

(iii)      That despite this, primary care providers have not been given the funding to employ more GPs, leaving qualified doctors facing unemployment;

 

(iv)      That there is a national dentistry crisis as increasing numbers of practitioners leave the NHS;

 

(v)       That the Adult Social Care and Education and Children’s Care budgets face significant pressure to continue to deliver savings in 2025/26 in the context of increasing demand for services;

 

(vi)      That difficulty accessing services increases pressure on acute care such as Accident & Emergency as well as undermining overall population health;

 

(vii)    That both The King’s Fund and the new Secretary of State for Health and Social Care have acknowledged the positive vision the Liberal Democrats have for social care reform and that cross-party working is the only way to achieve this.

 

(b)      This Council advocates for cross-party collaboration both locally through the Health and Wellbeing Board and nationally through a long-term agreement on funding and provision of social care.

 

(c)       This Council resolves to:

 

(i)        Call for the establishment of a cross-party commission to forge a long-term agreement on predictable, consistent funding for free personal care;

 

(ii)       Call for an Emergency Health and Care Budget to put this national crisis at the top of the government’s agenda.

 

(iii)      Request the Chief Executive to convey these calls to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care.

Decision:

“(a)   This Council notes:

 

(i)         That the NHS and social care system face multiple crises of access, staff retention, long waiting times, missed targets and poor outcomes;

 

(ii)        That people across Leicestershire are struggling to access health and care services;

 

(iii)      That despite this, primary care providers have not been given the funding to employ more GPs, leaving qualified doctors facing unemployment;

 

(iv)      That there is a national dentistry crisis as increasing numbers of practitioners leave the NHS;

 

(v)       That the Adult Social Care and Education and Children’s Care budgets face significant pressure to continue to deliver savings in 2025/26 in the context of increasing demand for services;

 

(vi)      That difficulty accessing services increases pressure on acute care such as Accident & Emergency as well as undermining overall population health;

 

(vii)     That both The King’s Fund and the new Secretary of State for Health and Social Care have acknowledged the positive vision the Liberal Democrats have for social care reform and that cross-party working is the only way to achieve this.

 

(b)       This Council advocates for cross-party collaboration both locally through the Health and Wellbeing Board and nationally through a long-term agreement on funding and provision of social care.

 

(c)        This Council resolves to:

 

(i)         Continue to work with local NHS commissioners and providers to ensure and equitable and consistent delivery of health and care funding aligned to national frameworks and policy for residents of Leicestershire;

 

(ii)    Request the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to reconsider his decision to delay critical and long-awaited investment in Leicester’s Hospitals, as work is now not expected to start on site until between 2030 and 2035.”