Agenda and minutes

You are invited to declare any registerable and/or non-registerable interests in matters appearing on the agenda, and the nature of that interest.

You are also invited to disclose any dispensation in relation to any registerable and/or non-registerable interests that have been granted to you in respect of any matters appearing on the agenda.

Please complete the Declarations of Interests card available at the meeting and return it to the Democratic Services Officer before leaving the meeting.

Councillor K Clark declared a registerable personal interest in agenda Item 3: 2022-2026 Financial Planning and Budget Process: Consideration of Overview and Scrutiny’s Response to Cabinet’s Final Budget Proposals (CAB92/22), as she was a Director and Employee at Justice Prince CIC which had contracts with North Tyneside Council funded from the Housing Revenue Account (Working Roots).

To consider any recommendations of the Overview and Scrutiny Budget Sub-group following its review of the Cabinet’s 2022/23 final budget proposals.

A report was received which presented the considerations of the Overview, Scrutiny and Policy Development Committee and Budget Scrutiny Sub-group in relation to Cabinet’s final budget proposals as part of the 2022-2026 Financial Planning and Budget Process.

The Budget Scrutiny sub-group had met on 15 December 2021 where the Director of Resources and Senior Officers had presented the 2022-2026 Financial Planning and Budget Process: Cabinet’s Initial Budget proposals.  Further information on a number of areas had been requested, including the updated position of the Government Settlement.

The sub-group had reported its views to the Overview, Scrutiny & Policy Development Committee at its meeting on 17 January 2022, which had then been considered by Cabinet at its meeting on 31 January 2022.

There were no recommendations made in relation to the Cabinet’s engagement approach or the initial Budget proposals for the General Fund, Housing Revenue Account, the 2022-2027 Investment Plan and the 2022/23 Treasury Management Statement and Annual Investment Strategy.

On agreement of the Overview, Scrutiny & Policy Development Committee at its meeting on 17 January 2022, delegation had been given to the Budget Scrutiny sub-group to consider and make any recommendations in relation to Cabinet’s Final Budget Proposals.  The final proposals were considered at a meeting of the sub-group on 1 February 2022.  There were no recommendations made following this meeting.

Councillor Janet Hunter, Chair of the Overview, Scrutiny and Policy Development Committee, was in attendance at the meeting to present the views of the Committee and the sub-group from its meetings held as part of the 2022-2026 Financial Planning and Budget Process, as set out in the report. 

Councillor Hunter thanked officers and Councillor Rankin, Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources, for their attendance at the Budget Sub-group meetings and for the information they had provided.

The Elected Mayor thanked Councillor Hunter and members of the Budget Sub-group and all parties involved in the budget setting and engagement process.

Resolved that the considerations of the Overview, Scrutiny and Policy Development Committee and Budget Scrutiny Sub-group in relation to Cabinet’s final budget proposals as part of the 2022-2026 Financial Planning and Budget Process be noted.

(Reason for decision: Option 1 is the recommended option as the Budget proposals have been worked through with all Cabinet Members and have taken due consideration of the Budget Engagement suggestions. The reasons for recommendations are mainly legal in nature, as stated in paragraphs 2.1 and 2.2 of the report.)

Monday, 21 February 2022 at 6.00pm.

Monday 21 February 2022 at 6pm.