Issue - meetings

Verbal Update.

The Committee received a short verbal update from the Cabinet Member for Finance, followed by a question and answer session. The following key points arose during the discussion:

a.    In response to a question, the Cabinet Member acknowledged that it was early days for the new administration but characterised Haringey as being ‘open for business’. The Committee was advised that there was more work to be done to ensure that the Capital Strategy was delivered so that the Council could invest in its high streets and its open spaces. The Cabinet Member acknowledged that there was a balance to be had when setting fees and charges to ensure that it did not deter businesses investing in the borough.

b.    In response to a question around the political direction of the new administration, the Cabinet Member advised that they were looking to adopt an invest to save outlook where it was feasible. In doing so, they were hoping to invest in service areas that may have been overlooked in recent years, given the financial challenges faced by local government.

c.    In response to a query around the impact of the Council Tax Reduction Scheme, officers advised that Council Tax had been frozen for nine years and this obviously had an impact on income levels. Haringey was now roughly in the middle of all London Boroughs for its Council Tax rates. Given a political desire to invest in services, the Cabinet Member suggested that he was not in favour of reducing Council Tax to levels such as those in Wandsworth.

d.    In response to a question, the Cabinet Member acknowledged that it was probably not feasible to improve all services across the Council, certainly in the short term. In the longer term, perhaps services could be improved by bringing a number of them back in-house.

e.    In respect of demands on services from a growing population, the Cabinet Member stated that there had been a fall in demand for reception school places which suggested that the population had plateaued in the immediate term. In terms of additional demands on services stemming from redevelopment, it was acknowledged that the Council was working to increase school places and GP services in high development areas. The Committee considered that the impact of Brexit was unknown and that this could have a significant impact on the population.

f.     In response to a question, the Cabinet Member acknowledged that a significant number of budget cuts in previous years were around Priority 2, particularly as it was the largest budget area. The Cabinet Member suggested that that the cash savings in the upcoming budget may not be as large, but that demand growth in this area had continued and that this would have a significant impact on the deliverability of future savings. Work was ongoing with officers to ensure that a balanced budget was set and implemented.

g.    The Committee sought reassurance that the budget setting process was being undertaken in conjunction with CCG colleagues, to ensure that  ...  view the full minutes text for item 27