In an innovative approach the Council has now combined the Corporate Plan and Medium Term Financial Plan into the Medium Term Corporate Plan (MTCP). The Council has a long established process of operating a medium term approach to its financial planning and in line with this; the plan is reviewed at least on an annual basis when it firms up the following year, by approving a detailed budget and Council Tax level for the year. In doing this, the Council also takes due consideration of future year demands on its resources and establishes its firm proposals for the coming year with due regard to prudent financial management in the medium term. The Council has a successful track record of managing its resources in such a manner.
Taking account of the above as well as the headroom needed over the life of the MTFP the Council’s General Fund balance at 31st March 2008 is projected to be £9.2m with a planned reduction to £5.7m by 31st March 2012.
The MTFP includes forecasts of the overall level of resources likely to be available to the Council over the next four years from:-
• General Government Grant
• Dedicated Schools Grant
• Business Rates
• Area Based Grants
• Council Tax
The new draft Sustainable Community Strategy (SCS) identifies the Council’s overall policy priorities which balance national and local priorities for Darlington. The Community Strategy has five themes and Priority actions namely:-
Theme 1 Prosperous Darlington
Theme 2 Aspiring Darlington
Theme 3 Healthy Darlington
Theme 4 Greener Darlington
Theme 5 Safer Darlington
The Corporate Plan for Darlington is split into 2 sections with Section 1 identifying the priorities for improvement by the above 5 themes and section 2 identifying priorities for improvement by the 5 corporate objectives which are:-
1. Shaping a better Darlington
2. Providing excellent services
3. Putting the customer first
4. Ensuring access to all
5. Enhancing our capacity to improve
The Council has set a revenue budget of £131.399 million for 2008-09 which is summarised at departmental level below:-
Revenue Budget
| Service Area |
2008/09 - £m |
2009/10 - £m |
2010/11 - £m |
2011/12 - £m |
| Children's Services |
70.220 |
72.158 |
74.664 |
77.130 |
| Community Services |
44.604 |
45.885 |
47.168 |
48.414 |
| Chief Executive |
6.776 |
6.808 |
6.961 |
7.092 |
| Corporate Services |
9.303 |
9.425 |
9.690 |
10.107 |
| Change Fund |
0.150 |
0.000 |
0.000 |
0.000 |
| Joint bodies and levies |
0.622 |
0.641 |
0.660 |
0.680 |
| Financing Costs |
2.354 |
2.891 |
3.165 |
3.416 |
| Pensions Contribution Rate |
0.050 |
0.050 |
0.050 |
0.250 |
| Headroom |
0.000 |
0.500 |
1.000 |
1.000 |
| Leading Edge Efficiencies |
(1.039) |
(2.165) |
(2.386) |
(2.508) |
| Waste Management |
0.000 |
1.030 |
1.060 |
1.092 |
| Contribution to/(from) revenue balances |
(1.641) |
(1.247) |
(0.557) |
(0.070) |
| |
|
|
|
|
| Total Expenditure |
131.399 |
135.976 |
141.475 |
146.603 |
| Total Resources |
131.399 |
135.976 |
141.475 |
146.603 |
Balances
| Balances |
2008/09 - £m |
2009/10 - £m |
2010/11 - £m |
2011/21 - £m |
| Planned Opening Balance |
9.266 |
7.585 |
6.338 |
5.781 |
| Contribution to/(from) balances |
(1.641) |
(1.247) |
(0.557) |
(0.070) |
| Closing Balance |
7.585 |
6.338 |
5.781 |
5.711 |
The latest version of the Medium Term Corporate Plan – pdf document which was approved by Cabinet on 19th February 2008 and by Council on 8t28th February 2008