The council is facing an ongoing challenge to be able to deliver its services in the context of its reduced and reducing resource base.
The resource base of the council is a function of decisions taken at a national level in the previous Parliament. The new government has made clear its commitment to a reduced level of public services and these have been announced in the Spring Budget and articulated further in, "A country that lives within its means: Spending Review 2015", presented to Parliament by the Chancellor of the Exchequer to the Treasury.
The separate Money Matters report on the agenda, setting out the "Outlook for the County Council's Medium Term Financial Strategy", indicates that the council will need make decisions to bridge an annual budget shortfall of circa £225m by April 2020. Of this the council will need to address a shortfall of £87.1m by 1st April 2017.
To address these shortfalls it is proposed that the council undertake a zero base budget review to inform the council's future budget process.
The report sets out the approach to this budget review.
Decision type: Non-key
Decision status: Recommendations Approved
Decision due: 12 Aug 2015 by Executive Scrutiny Committee
Decision due: 12 Aug 2015 by Cabinet
County Councillor Azhar Ali, County Councillor David Borrow , County Councillor John Fillis, County Councillor Marcus Johnstone, County Councillor Tony Martin, County Councillor Jennifer Mein (Chair), County Councillor Matthew Tomlinson
Contact: Steve Browne Email: steve.browne@lancashire.gov.uk Tel: 01772 534121.