Cheshire East Council's Budget Book 2015/2016

Details of service budgets are available in the Council’s Budget Book for 2015/16. These PDF documents are updated periodically throughout the year to reflect changes to service budgets which have been agreed in line with the Finance and Contract Procedure Rules. The documents are not accessible to visitors using assistive technology. If you require the documents in an alternative format please email webteam@cheshireeast.gov.uk.

Budget Book 2015/2016 – July 2015

This version of the Budget Book reflects the 2015/16 Budget approved by Council on 26 February 2015 as updated for the on-going restructuring of the Council.

Introduction and Summary Budget Book – July 2015 (PDF, 476KB) provides summary tables showing the Council's revenue and capital budgets.

Detailed Service Budgets Book – July 2015 (PDF, 770KB) this document contains clickable links for ease of use. The document provides detailed analyses of service revenue and capital budgets. Revenue budgets are analysed down to the sub-division of service level in the organisational structure, and also across types of expenditure and income (e.g. employees, supplies and services, grants). Updated budgets and forecasts for new and ongoing individual Capital projects are also shown

Cheshire East Council's Medium Term Financial Strategy 2015-2018

Cheshire East Council met on 26 February 2015 and agreed the Medium Term Financial Strategy Report for 2015/2016 to 2017/2018. The report sets out the Council’s plans and funding to put residents first and ensure Cheshire East remains the best place to live in the North West.

The Leader of the Council issued a press release following the Council meeting highlighting key issues from the report.

The report included a major appendix entitled the Medium Term Financial Strategy 2015/18 (PDF, 2.24MB) which features:

An Executive Summary from the Leader of the Council
The detailed Medium Term Financial Strategy Report

Section 1 of the report sets out the challenges facing the Council in delivering the five Residents First Outcomes and the actions each service area will be taking over the next three years. These include:

Developing community hubs, local area working and support for volunteers.
Investing £4.9m in providing better digital services.
Realising our ambition to be an enforcing Council.
A commitment to rural community hubs and rural proofing decisions.
Bringing in over £1.5bn worth of investment in highways and regeneration
Aiming for 98% High Speed Broadband coverage by summer 2017.
Working with local employers to maintain local growth.
Striving to reduce the numbers of eligible “Not in Education, Employment or Training” to nil.
Development of the most effective local care offer for young people.
Delivering energy savings through capital investment in street lighting and waste.
Making efficiencies in the foster care service.
Investing an additional £1m in Adult Social Care reflecting the increasing demand for local care and utilising savings from moves to in-borough provision of residential care.
Working with our alternative service delivery vehicles to improve services and reduce costs to the Council.
Continuing to make efficiency savings from support functions.

Section 2 of the report sets out how the Council’s expenditure will be funded from Government grants, Business Rates and Council Tax.

The annexes to the report provide supporting information including line by line detail of the grants, policy changes and capital schemes that have been agreed as part of the Budget package. The latest Reserves Strategy is also provided.

The Medium Term Financial Strategy was considered by Cabinet on 11 February 2015 and recommended to Council. Cabinet acknowledged a late change resulting from the final local government finance settlement to increase funding by £241,000 in respect of welfare reform. It was recommended that this whole amount would be transferred to the Council’s emergency assistance earmarked reserve to allow this additional funding to be called on when needed.

In addition, Cabinet recommended the report be updated for any minor typographical or presentational issues. All these issues are reflected in the report provided above.

Cheshire East Pre-Budget Report 2015/2016

Cheshire East Council has released the Pre-Budget Report for 2015/2016. This report provides stakeholders with the opportunity to understand the strategy behind the 2015/2016 Budget proposals. It contains an update on the Budget Setting process, as well as providing a summary of proposed changes to the current budget and how this may affect services in the future.

The report identifies the various services Cheshire East Council is responsible for delivering, how we are doing and what we are proposing to do in 2015/2016.

We have started the budget-setting process earlier than ever before. We are meeting commitments made to elected members regarding increasing openness and the detail of budget proposals, showing greater transparency and accountability.

Key points from the 2015/2016 Pre Budget Report

Cheshire East Council puts residents and businesses FIRST.
Our performance is focussed on outcomes and delivering for local people and businesses.
Our focus is on keeping costs down and providing maximum value for money from a budget of more than £750m for 2015/16.
Council Tax frozen for past FOUR years – and this Budget plans to extend that freeze for a FIFTH consecutive year.
Financially, the Council is in a strong position – the best since Cheshire East Council was formed.
Cheshire East is a top-performing economy with economic output per head 16 per cent above the national average and 34 per cent above the regional average.
General reserves are sufficient to protect the Council against risk as well as support investment opportunities.
NO intention to increase external borrowing next year – despite significant planned capital spending.

Previous years Cheshire East Council budgets

Page last reviewed: 22 October 2024