Agenda item

To consider any recommendations of the Performance and Finance Scrutiny Committee arising from its meeting on 9 September 2020 (report to follow).

The Executive RECOMMENDED to Full Council that a Zero Based Budget be commenced this autumn for services that are particularly reliant on income from fees and charges, with incremental budgeting process retained for all other services.

The Executive was informed that, at its meeting on 9 September 2020, the Performance and Finance Scrutiny Committee had considered a report on proposals for Zero Based Budgeting (ZBB) for the 2021/22 financial year. This report had been produced in response to the Council’s request at its meeting on 26 February 2020 that proposals for ZBB be prepared and carried out in time for the setting of the 2021/22 budget.

The Committee had recommended that a three year rolling ZBB programme be implemented; a ZBB process would be undertaken during the first year for services that were particularly reliant on income from fees and charges, with incremental budgeting process retained for all other services. This three year rolling programme would enable the methodology to be thoroughly tested, provide an analysis of the cost drivers in those services which needed to attract customers and provide support to those services most at risk from the current Covid-19 pandemic and the associated economic downturn.

RECOMMENDED to Full Council that a Zero Based Budget be commenced this autumn for services that are particularly reliant on income from fees and charges, with incremental budgeting process retained for all other services.