Councillor Hebb presented the report for the forthcoming 12 months and stated that it was a pleasure to be presenting this report tonight as Cabinet Member for Finance and that the finance management plan echoed the ethos:

•           Chart the course for the next 30 years through the Council Spending Review to enable the right services that operate well.

•           Pro-revenue Growth that means selling our services to other councils and other organisations.

•           The Council to focus on the right things such as Clean It, Cut It, Fill It.

Councillor Hebb stated that Thurrock was a unique place and that Thurrock should be benchmarked as the best unitary in the land.

There would be improvements on IT security and virus threats. Councillor Hebb stated that a virus had been sent to Thurrock and the Council had been protected by an officer who identified the piece of spam mail that resulted in it being resolved.

Councillor Jones thanked the Portfolio Holder for his report and congratulated him on his new post of Deputy Leader. Councillor Jones asked the Portfolio Holder for clarification on the Clean It, Cut It, Fill It agenda and its financial implications. Councillor Hebb stated that Clean It, Cut It, Fill It was absolutely the best thing to be done and was right for Thurrock. He stated that the cost of this initiative could be fulfilled at present but he was attending a budget meeting tomorrow to identify further savings to further strengthen its financial position.

Councillor Gerrish asked the Portfolio Holder if he agreed with his own financial plan taking into account the increase of council tax by 4 per cent in coming years. Councillor Hebb stated it was actually nice to have a financial plan and with regard to the savings over the 3 month budget period that if the leader of the Labour Party had bothered to turn up to the Comprehensive Spending Review Meeting on Monday he would have known that we had identified everything over the next three years and the proposals were being shaped and presented. Based on that Councillor Hebb stated that he was happy with his plan and would be happy to deliver the proposals of the plan to the residents of Thurrock.

Councillor Spillman stated his concerns on the consultation on the council tax support scheme and how this increase would affect the lower paid families in Thurrock. Councillor Hebb reconfirmed that the council tax support scheme was a national recognised scheme and with regards to any instances of compassionate collections where this had not been fulfilled for Thurrock residents, councillors should make direct contact with Councillor Hebb.

Councillor B Rice thanked the Portfolio Holder for the report and asked how the demand in social care was to be reduced when the census states an increase for social care in Thurrock and what the effects of future cuts would mean. Councillor Hebb stated that plans were underway and that Councillor Sue Little was an excellent advocate for Children’s Services and had been working with the Corporate Director of Children’s Services to address such challenges.

Councillor Duffin stated that the 15 per cent budget reduction could send out the wrong message to residents of Thurrock and clarification was required to explain the Council’s actions to them. Councillor Hebb explained that the Revenue Support Grant had been forever eroding and decreasing in the previous parliament and the parliament that was coming. Councillor Hebb stated that they were expecting a 15 to 20 per cent reduction over time and that the key point was what was to be done with the 80 or 85 per cent that was left and could this be looked at differently to what has happened in the past in the interest of the public.

Councillor MacPherson asked the Portfolio Holder to provide more details of the signing off process of the solar farm in Swindon. Councillor Hebb stated that this was signed off on the 19 May 2016 one week before the Conservatives took over the administration.