Grants and Donations:
There was a request from Aycliffe Village Primary School for financial support to help with paying towards a grass saving membrane that would support the weight of cars thus helping to create a number of parking spaces for staff taking them off the neighbouring streets to alleviate parking issues. Local County Councillors Jed Hillary and Sarah Iveson had passed the request on to their Estates Dept for schools, and would fund it all from their neighbouhood budget if Durham County Council will allow.
A request from the Board Games Club for a grant was considered but insufficient information had been provided for a decision to be made so it was denied.
Free use for Mayor’s Charity Golf Day for the Annual Tournament was agreed with a voucher for a free round of Golf to each participating person.
Letters of thanks from the Rotary Club and Great North Air Ambulance were received.
A report on the Pre school Learning Centres at St. Oswald’s and at Woodham Burn, was received.
A Report on the 2014/2015 Revenue and Capital Budget year end provided useful but heavy reading, this was agreed.
The Medium Term Financial Plan 2015/16 to 2019/20 was again a very comprehensive document. The Council is currently in a healthy financial position with a balanced Revenue Budget, on-going savings, and strong levels of balances.
However, the Council undoubtedly faces some significant financial challenges over the next few years not least from the forthcoming cuts to Council Tax Support Grant, the increasing pressure to pay staff a ‘living wage’, and the likelihood of a limit being imposed on council tax increases.
The process of achieving a balanced Revenue Budget will become increasingly difficult with budget pressures faced needing to be financed via a combination of council tax increases and savings.
By the end of the decade, it is likely the Council will be in a position whereby there is no contingency sum, no contribution to capital reserves, and no further scope for savings within the Revenue Budget.
Therefore whilst it is likely that services will be able to be maintained until the end of the decade, beyond this the Council is likely to need to begin the difficult process of considering reductions to spending, and reassessing its priorities in light of the limited resources that will be available.
Additionally, if in any year, the Government limit on council tax increases is reduced from 2%, or worse, that the Council Tax Support Grant is withdrawn, service cuts would be required earlier than this. The Council also has significant capital investment commitments, with potential spending of up to £1 million over the next five years.
Council Balances and Reserves will therefore fall substantially to as low as £100,000 by 2019/20, and are likely to run out in the early part of the following decade, opening up the possibility of needing to undertake further borrowing in the longer term.
These issues will need to be considered in detail via future budget setting processes when the options for delivering any required budget reductions, if these are required, would need to be drawn up and agreed.
It would be advisable for the Council to undertake a reassessment of the Council’s strategic aims and community priorities and continue the programme of service reviews with a view to determining which services are to be protected and which services may be subject to budget reductions in the longer term.
A report on a replacement vehicle for the works department at a cost of £8925.00 with a 3 year warranty was agreed.
Some Reports were far too large and detailed, to try to condense them here, but if you are interested they are available on the Council’s website. They are quite well written and easy to follow.
For more detailed information or copies contact the Council or if you have a computer why not access the Council’s website . . . just search “Great Aycliffe Town Council”, select meetings and the access Agendas , Reports etc.
Members of the public are most welcome to attend Committee meetings and there is a part of the meeting where you can make representations, ask questions of any item of business included on the Agenda for that meeting.
There are some legal restrictions, Questions will not be received by the Council which are in furtherance of a persons individual circumstances, or of which there is a right of appeal to courts or tribunal or government, and questions cannot be considered if it has been the subject of a Council decision in the last six months.