Agenda and minutes

Minutes of the Meeting held on 11^th September, 2018 (previously circulated). 

The minutes of the meeting held on 11^th September 2018 were signed as a correct record. 

There were no items of urgent business. 

To receive declarations by Members of interests in respect of items on this Agenda. 

Members are reminded that, in accordance with the Localism Act 2011, they are required to declare any disclosable pecuniary interests which have not already been declared in the Council’s Register of Interests. (It is a criminal offence not to declare a disclosable pecuniary interest either in the Register or at the meeting). 

Whilst not a legal requirement, in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 9 and in the interests of clarity and transparency, Members should declare any disclosable pecuniary interests which they have already declared in the Register, at this point in the meeting. 

In accordance with Part B Section 2 of the Code Of Conduct, Members are required to declare the existence and nature of any other interests as defined in paragraphs 8(1) or 9(2) of the Code of Conduct. 

There were no declarations of interest. 

Report of the Interim Financial Services Manager. 

The Panel received a report from the from the Interim Financial Services Manager to provide an overview of the Council’s financial position for Quarter 2 of the 2018/19 monitoring cycle, and the supporting actions underway.

Appended to the report were: -

·                The Corporate Financial Monitoring 2018/19 Quarter 2;

·                Quarter 2 Performance Monitoring 2018/19 for Salt Ayre Leisure Centre;

·                General Fund 2018/19 Savings Monitoring Quarter 2 – Period 6;

·                Treasury Management Update for the Quarter ended 30^th September 2018, provided to support corporate financial monitoring;

·                City Council’s Commercial Properties Financial Performance Quarter 2;

·                The Canal Quarter Budget Review Quarter 2 2018. 

Members were advised of the headline projections as follows: -

·                A current General Fund net underspending of £120k.  However, should spending progress as forecast, a net overspend in the region of £93k could be experienced by year-end, once agreed funding from the Council’s reserves was applied.  Officers were reviewing all estimates as part of the 2019/20 budget setting process.  Efforts were focusing on addressing this position, either through generating additional income or through achieving expenditure savings.  However, should a net overspending still be forecast then the General Fund unallocated balances would need to be used to fund it;

·                The Housing Revenue Account was underspent by £27k, and this was expected to increase to £66k by the year-end.  The key message related to the significant improvement in void property turnaround times, which had led to forecast additional rental income of £100k. 

Members asked a number of questions regarding business rates, when Salt Ayre would break even, CIPFA guidance on the prudential code for borrowing, MRP payments and annuities. 

The Panel requested that officers provide details upon how the Minimum Revenue Provision (MRP) figures were recorded.  With regard to business rates, it was noted that the inflated income figure would be investigated and provided more clearly in future reports. 

Resolved: -

(1)          That the report and supporting actions, as set out in the report, be noted and that the actions raised regarding MRP and business rates be report back within future reports.  

Report of Executive Support Manager. 

Note:  In accordance with the Work Programme Overview and Scrutiny Committee Members are invited to ask questions on the Voids Briefing Note appended to the report. 

The Panel received a report from the Executive Support Manager on the performance of key indicators and projects for July to September 2018.  It was noted that the report now included a breakdown of performance against key corporate indicators for the period and these would be developed to provide further information.  Appended to the report were the project updates for July to September 2018, which would be reported quarterly alongside performance measures. 

Information upon improvements regarding voids had been provided to the Panel prior to the meeting. 

Members asked several questions of the officers present regarding the performance indicators outlined, the Bailrigg Garden Village Strategic Board, the development of a housing trading company, Canal Quarter, progress regarding the Economic Growth Plan, Williamson Park, Business Plans, percentage of household waste recycled, national waste strategy, student impact on household waste figures, number of homeless people in the district and details regarding the improvements to processing of void properties.

The Panel requested more detail regarding the Bailrigg Garden Village Strategic Board.  

Resolved:-

(1)          That the report be noted. 

(2)          That more detail regarding the Bailrigg Garden Village Strategic Board be provided to Panel Members.  

Report of the Interim Head of Legal and Democratic Services and Monitoring Officer. 

The Principal Democratic Support Officer requested Members to consider the Panel’s Work Programme. 

Members were advised that arrangements were being made for the next meeting, which would be the Panel’s annual stakeholder meeting arranged as part of the City Council’s budget consultation process, with other organisations invited to present their budget proposals at the meeting. 

The Panel requested that the organisations presenting their budget proposals to the stakeholder meeting be requested to provide budget documentation to be circulated with the Panel’s agenda for the meeting, to enable effective scrutiny of the budget proposals. 

Resolved: -

(1)       That the Panel’s Work Programme report be noted. 

(2)       That organisations presenting their budget proposals to the annual stakeholder meeting be requested to provide documentation to be circulated with the agenda for the meeting to enable effective scrutiny.