Issue - meetings

Budget and Business Plan 2020/21

Meeting: 06/02/2020 - West Yorkshire Combined Authority (Item 63)

63 Budget and Business Plan 2020/21 pdf icon PDF 234 KB

(Member lead: Cllr S Hinchcliffe, Director: Angela Taylor)

Additional documents:

Decision:

Resolved:

 

(a)       That the Combined Authority proposed revenue budget for 2020/21 be approved.

 

(b)       That the indicative capital programme and budget for 2019/20 – 2022/23 be approved.

 

(c)        That the 2020/21 business plan be approved.

 

(d)       That the Transport Committee be delegated to approve individual schemes within the integrated transport block of the 2020/21 capital programme up to a maximum cost of £3 million.

 

(e)       That in accordance with the powers contained in the Local Government Finance Act 1988 (as amended) and by virtue of article 9(6) of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority Order and the Transport Levying Bodies Regulations 2015 (as amended) a levy of £103 million be determined for the year ended 31 March 2021.

 

(f)        That the Director, Corporate Services be authorised to issue the levy letter in respect of the financial year ending 31 March 2021 to the five District Councils in West Yorkshire.

 

(g)       That a payment of £5.09 million and of £3 million be made to the five District Councils in accordance with Table 2 of the report.

 

(h)       That authorisation be given to the Director, Corporate Services to arrange appropriate funding for all expenditure in 2019/20 and 2020/21 subject to statutory limitation, including the most appropriate application of capital funding as set out in the report.

 

(i)         That approval be made to the indicative expenditure of highways maintenance funding of £28.403 million and the pothole action fund of £1.594 million, to be paid quarterly to the West Yorkshire local authorities in accordance with the DfT formula, and for Director, Corporate Services to vary these amounts should DfT revise the payments from those provisionally indicated.

 

(j)         That approval be given to the continuing of the policy, effective from 2017/18, for recovering the Combined Authority costs of managing the capital programme against the capital programme spend being mainly Growth Deal, Leeds Public Transport Investment Programme and Local Transport Plan Integrated Transport.  For 2020/21 the estimated total value is £9.6 million (2% - 3% of the total capital programme).

 

(k)        That the adoption of the CIPFA Code of Practice for Treasury Management in Public Services be reaffirmed.

 

(l)         That the treasury management policy as set out in Appendix 4 be approved.

 

(m)      That the prudential limits for the next three years as set out in Appendix 4 be adopted.

 

Minutes:

The Combined Authority considered a report of the Director of Corporate Services which:

 

·                    Sought approval to the proposed revenue budget and transport levy for 2020/21, the indicative capital budget and programme and treasury management statement.

 

·                    Sought approval to the detailed business plan for 2020/21 that sets out the services, activities and priorities for the organisation in the coming year.

 

It was noted that the draft budget had been produced following scrutiny and input from the Authority, with the Budget Working Group overseeing the detail.  In addition, members of the public have been provided with information on the budget position and given the opportunity to raise questions via the YourVoice engagement website and social media.

 

Business Plan 2020/21

 

It was reported that a detailed business plan had been produced, maintaining the focus on productivity, inclusive growth and a 21st century transport system. The fourth objective of clean growth has now been repositioned as tackling the climate emergency. Summary business plans for each directorate were attached at Appendix 1. A public facing corporate plan was being developed, and this would draw on the information in the business plans to demonstrate what the Combined Authority and LEP intend to deliver for people in the region in the coming year. 

 

Revenue Budget 2019/20

 

Members considered the proposed revenue budget which was set out in Appendix 2 and details of the key drivers and assumptions for the main budget lines were provided in the submitted report.

 

Details of the Reserves Policy were outlined in the submitted report and the workings for this year’s reserves policy were set out in Table 1

 

Transport Levy

 

Details of the net and gross levy by population, showing the effect of the decrease of £1 million and the change in population base were provided in Table 2.  This also included the proposed part rebate of previously received contributions towards the Transport Fund reserve.  It was proposed to rebate £3 million for 2020/21 only, an increase of £1 million on the amount agreed last year, whilst the requirement for borrowing against the capital programme is building up.

 

Capital Strategy

 

It was noted that the capital strategy was currently being reviewed/revised and will be brought to a future meeting for approval.

 

Capital Budget

 

The Combined Authority noted the capital funding available to the Combined Authority for 2020/21 and subsequent years and the indicative capital programme expenditure which were outlined in the submitted report.  The capital expenditure and funding budget estimates for the period 2019/20 to 2022/23 were set out in Appendix 3.

 

It was reported that the Investment Committee would continue to be a key part of the process whereby Growth Deal and other projects are considered and recommended for progression.  It was also proposed that the arrangement for the Transport Committee to approve Integrated Block funded projects up to a value of £3 million is continued.

 

Treasury Management

 

Members noted the Prudential Funding Statement which was attached at Appendix 4. This had been endorsed by the Governance & Audit Committee and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 63