To consider the submitted report setting out the Council’s proposed Efficiency Plan which needs to be submitted to the Department for Local Government and Communities by 14 October 2016 in order for the Council to receive a four year financial settlement.  To consider any recommendation from the Overview and Scrutiny Board.

The Council considered the submitted report setting out a proposed Efficiency Plan for submission to the Government.  It was noted the Government had provided an offer of a four year financial settlement provided councils submitted an Efficiency Plan.  The Efficiency Plan set out how the Council would achieve a sustainable financial position over the next four years.

The Mayor proposed and Councillor Excell seconded a motion, which was agreed by the Council as set out below:

(i)         that the Council accept the offer of a four-year settlement and the Efficiency Plan (attached at Appendix 1 to the submitted report) be approved for submission to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government;

(ii)        that, should the Government’s requirements and/or offer change ahead of the submission deadline, the Chief Financial Officer be authorised to amend the Efficiency Plan, in consultation with the Mayor and Group Leaders, and to determine whether or not to accept the offer and submit the amended Efficiency Plan to the Secretary of State;  and

(iii)       that the Director of Transformation be requested to progress each of the projects within the Transformation Programme and that, where appropriate, entries be included within the Forward Plan to enable engagement and consultation to take place as part of the decision making process.

The Chief Executive to present the draft Efficiency Plan.

The Mayor and his Executive Leads to answer the Board’s questions.

The Board to make any comments, conclusions or recommendations to the meeting of the Council to be held on 22 September 2016.

The Board considered the final draft of the Council’s Efficiency Plan.  The Board’s Priorities and Resources Review Panel had met during August 2016 to consider, in detail, a number of projects from the Transformation Programme which formed the basis of the Efficiency Plan.  The draft report of the Panel had been circulated to members of the Board for consideration.

Resolved:  that the report from the Priorities and Resources Review Panel be published with the following recommendation:

The Overview and Scrutiny Board recommends that the Efficiency Plan be accepted as the three year plan towards Torbay Council meeting the funding gap shown within the Medium Term Resource Plan (as amended).  The Overview and Scrutiny Board has previously identified many of the issues within the Efficiency Plan as items to be explored and it expects to be able to consider the details of these proposals during its review of Priorities and Resources in November.  The Mayor and Executive is therefore requested to bring forward its proposals as a matter of urgency to enable the Council to start making difficult decisions in order to set balanced budgets moving forward.

The Mayor to update the Board on the preparation of the Efficiency Plan which is due to be considered by the Council in September 2016 and answer the Board’s questions.

The Mayor (as Executive Lead for Finance) reported to the Board that he would be recommending that the Council submit an Efficiency Plan to the Government in order to secure a four year funding settlement.

The Board questioned the Mayor when the draft of the Efficiency Plan would be available in order that engagement with all Councillors, partners and the community could be undertaken.  The Chief Executive reassured members that a number of the issues to be included in the Efficiency Plan were already known to members and therefore it was likely that the detail of these could be shared sooner rather than later.

Resolved:  (i)  that this Board formally requests the Mayor and Chief Executive:

(a)       to share details of the emerging Efficiency Plan with all members of the Council as they become available during June, July and August 2016; and

(b)       to release the draft Efficiency Plan to all members of the Council once it has been considered by the Mayor’s Executive Group; and

(ii)        that the Board hold a series of briefing meetings over the summer and in early September to discuss the emerging Efficiency Plan ahead of formal consideration at the meeting of the Board to be held on 14 September 2016.