Agenda and draft minutes

·       Fire Procedures / Mobile Phones / Rest Rooms

·       “Members of the Public, committee members and officers are reminded that under the Openness of Local Government Bodies Regulations 2014, the press and Public may film, audio record, photograph and use social media whilst the meeting is in progress, for Part A items only, and as long as no disruption is caused to the meeting. Anyone filming is asked to focus their attention on elected members rather than other visitors”. (To be read out if visitors present).

There were none. 

There were none. 

To receive any declarations of interest from Members.

There were none. 

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 22 July 2024.

Resolved - That the minutes of the meeting of the Joint Committee held on 22 July 2024 be noted and signed as a correct record. 

To be determined later.

To be confirmed. 

To consider passing the following resolution:

“That the public be excluded from this meeting during consideration of the following item of business on the grounds that there is likely to be disclosure of exempt information which is described in the paragraph(s) of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 which is specified against the heading to each item, and that in all the circumstances of the case the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing it.”

Resolved – That the public be excluded from this meeting during consideration of the following items of business on the grounds that there is likely to be disclosure of exempt information which is described in Paragraph 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 and that in all the circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing it. 

Report enclosed. 

The Director of Resources (Preston City Council) submitted a report on the Shared Service Agreement between Lancaster City Council and Preston City Council, which required that the Joint Committee approve the annual revenue, capital and staff budgets in respect of the Revenues and Benefits functions.

The Joint Committee would then inform the two Councils of the amounts of their proposed contributions to the Joint Committee’s budget.

As part of the debate Members commented that they would like to see the following considered at a future meeting:

• Internal auditors.  Look to rotate the use of auditors in order to make budget savings. 
• Automation of processes.  Look to put in place as soon as possible.  Report to July’s meeting in order to save money/not to reduce jobs. 
• City Council representatives supported the use of the Pathway System in order to target recovery. 
• For Lancaster CC Quarterly Monitoring reporting.  To include improvements such as the improvement of collection.   
• Increase of 2.63% of tax base.  To provide information to demonstrate the amount of student housing returning to residential. 
• To consider future meetings being held in Preston in view of the majority of attendees travelling from Preston and that ongoing actions raised at the meeting be added to the preamble of the minutes. 

Resolved – The Joint Committee is recommended to:

(i)             Approved the revised Shared Service budget for 2024/25 at Appendix A and which includes the changes set out in 4.1 to 4.6 of this report.

(ii)            noted the latest budget monitoring position for the Shared Service as detailed in Appendix B which includes the budget revisions proposed for approval at 2.1 (i).

(iii)          approved the budget for 2025/26 for the Shared Service as detailed in Appendix C.

(iv)          delegated to the S151 Officers of each Council (by agreement), to determine the cost sharing ratio for contributions to and from the overall Shared Service budget.