Issue - meetings

B Report of the Director of Finance and Support

1.      The Medium Term Financial Strategy 2010-13 as set out in appendix A of the report is approved.

2.      It is agreed that the Medium Term Financial Strategy is used as a guide to financial planning for the 2010/11 and medium term budgets.

Councillor Hawkins addressed Cabinet referring to her interest as a member of the Friends of Northampton Museum and Gallery expressed anxiety over the working of the strategic business review set out in paragraph 3.2.32 of the report. She appealed to Cabinet not to make any further cuts to the town’s cultural provision.  She further commented on the cost pressures of car parking suggesting that reliance on this income did not enhance the retail take-up in the town.

Councillor B Hoare asked Councillor Hawkins to suggest how to counterbalance a loss of income from car parks.  Councillor Hawkins responded that she had insufficient information of the budget details to be able to do this.

Councillor Mildren addressed cabinet sympathising with them over the difficulties of budget setting in these times.  He mentioned that the council was looking at needing a saving of £3 million within the three year plan and referred to a recent report of the County Council having to save £100 million over four years.  He hoped that the good news for the Council was that the bad news was not so bad.

Councillor Clarke addressed cabinet commenting that the Medium term Financial Strategy was dominated by the need to cut cloth.  He queried local government’s perceived need to offer services differently and to focus on financial demands rather than value for money and efficiency. He felt that if car-parking charges were increased, it would affect the economic vitality of the town.  He also commented that other suggestions may come under scrutiny to be delivered in a different way.

Councillor Perkins, as Portfoliio Holder for Finance and Support, presented the report to Cabinet. He felt it was a positive report and congratulated the chief Executive and officers for accepting the challenge to push ahead to deliver the best quality service for tax payers. He referred to the cost implications of concessionary fares but maintained that the biggest pressure was to be ambitious in the delivery of quality services.  The report would go forward to inform budget decisions.  He commented that the business reviews were to establish the most economic way of delivering services whilst maintaining quality.  He appreciated that there would be choices to make but was confident that the local tax payers knew the current situation and expected the council to be fair and balance community objectives.

Councillor Church also referred to the car parking income and reminded members of the free parking on Sundays in the lead up to Christmas to help the town’s businesses.  Regarding the Market Square, the project was bringing in new people and businesses into the town and creating jobs and activity.  He cited the German Christmas Market as an example.  He was not dogmatic about whether services were privately or publicly run but simply wanted to deliver the best services possible within the available budget.

Councillor B Markham commented that the Council’s MTFS probably made better reading than that of the County Council and was please to see the challenges clearly set  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9