Agenda and draft minutes

The meeting (adjourned on 15 January) reconvened at 4.00 pm.

The Chair welcomed all attendees to the meeting and explained the emergency evacuation procedure.

Explanatory note:

This meeting is being held over two sessions (15 and 16 January).

During this ‘Part 2’ session on 16 January, the Finance Sub-Committee will consider the following budget savings areas, with Policy Committee Chairs invited to introduce and highlight key matters (timings are indicative):

·       Economy & Skills – 4.00 pm (15 mins)

·       Strategy & Resources – 4.15 pm (60 mins)

·       Homes & Housing Delivery, to include Housing Revenue Account – 5.15 pm (90 mins)

PLEASE NOTE: No decisions on the Council’s budget will be taken by the Finance Sub-Committee at this meeting.  The comments of the Finance Sub-Committee from this meeting will be reported to the 3 February meeting of the Strategy and Resources Committee.  On 3 February, the Strategy and Resources Policy Committee will determine budget recommendations to be submitted to the Full Council budget meeting on 25 February 2025.

The Sub-Committee continued its consideration of a report which presented the latest, developing 2025/26 budget savings proposals.

The Chair made the following opening comments:

1. As indicated on the agenda, and as per the detail included in the agenda papers, the Finance Sub-Committee would today continue to review and discuss specific savings proposals across Policy Committee remits.  Policy Committee Chairs and relevant Directors/senior officers were in attendance to respond to members’ questions.

2. At today’s session, members would review savings proposals in relation to:

- Adult Social Care

- Strategy and Resources

- Homes and Housing Delivery, including Housing Revenue Account proposals.

3. The Chair reminded members that the Finance Sub-Committee’s role over these two sessions was essentially to comment and make observations on the proposals.  This Sub-Committee has no decision-making powers. 

4. Following the meeting, members’ comments would be reported formally to the 3 February meeting of the Strategy and Resources Committee.  On 3 February, the Strategy and Resources Committee would determine budget recommendations to be submitted to the Full Council budget meeting on 25 February 2025.  The Full Council must agree a balanced budget.

5. As per the part 1 session, the Chair suggested that as members worked through the meeting, it would be helpful to identify particularly those areas of the proposed savings where it was felt there was consensus in terms of it being appropriate for them to be taken forward.  Inevitably, there might be some differences of political view about particular proposals, in which case the Sub-Committee would need to be transparent about this and might need to reference in their report that there were different political views on some aspects of the proposals.

The Sub-Committee then commented as follows:

Adult Social Care – draft proposed savings:

The sub-committee discussed the issues around these draft savings proposals in detail with Cllr Francis, Chair of the Adult Social Care Policy Committee.

General comment:

The overall approach being taken in developing many of the proposed savings across Adult Social Care was broadly welcomed, especially in terms of those actions designed to develop the local market and influence more cost-effective contracts through commissioning, also the proposed savings and approaches around reviewing supported living and increasing social housing for people with care and support needs.  Members repeated their concerns that the authority must engage in co-ordinated, determined and robust negotiations with the various arms of the NHS with a view to securing fair funding outcomes between the NHS and Bristol City Council.  Members commented that it would be critical to closely monitor delivery of savings across all the programmes.

Specific comments:

Saving ref: 24-25-A034 - Increase Community Meals Charges by 15%

Members noted that this proposal to increase this charge by 15% would help reduce the gap in costs associated with the subsidy of this service; the change was expected to save the Council £100k, reducing the current £300k subsidy.

A member questioned the appropriateness of taking forward this proposal, given that the proposed rate of increase  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.