Agenda and minutes

To approve the minutes of the previous meeting.

The minutes of the meeting held on 24th October 2023 were confirmed as a correct record.

For information, disclosable pecuniary interests and registrable interests relate to entries that are included, or should be included, on a councillor’s register of interests. Non-registrable interests relate to any other matters.

No disclosures were made.

No declarations were made.

No questions had been submitted.

Councillor Popley joined the meeting virtually (6.02pm).

Cabinet Report 14th December 2023.

Considered, the report to be considered by Cabinet on 14th December 2023 setting out the draft 2024/25 General Fund and HRA Budgets (item 6 on the agenda filed with these minutes).

Summary, key points of discussion:

(i)        Reference was made to the approach to budget setting report provided by the Cabinet Lead Member at the last meeting of the Panel and an update given on work undertaken since then which had now fed into the draft budgets.  Decision to keep working balance as it was to ensure robust budget.  Addressing structural deficit would require a number of budget rounds.

(ii)       It was hoped that the provisional financial settlement from the Government would be received before Christmas, so should be known for the Panel’s final meeting at the beginning of January. 

(iii)      Agenda page 12, reduced management fees from leisure provider not quantified?  Stated in appendix 1 to the report.

(iv)      £100,000 Community Grants pot to be funded from Business Rates Pool income.  Noted that overall budget position had been assisted considerably by this windfall income.  Other uses of this income outlined.  Expectation re: this income in future years, smaller amounts/less certain.

(v)       Discussion re: risk related to Carpenters Arms (unrecoverable housing benefit).  Very active in working on matter and with organisation concerned, possible change in regulation of sector might assist position, but challenging.  Additional cost burden £1.4m worst case scenario.  Position unlikely to be resolved in short term. 

(vi)      Explanation was provided of the information set out in Table 2B, agenda page 16, draft General Fund budget 2024/25, revenue balances.  Setting 2024/25 budget before outcome of 2023/24 budget was known.

(vii)    Agenda page 15, net General Fund Service Expenditure, reason for approximately 12-13% increase?  Increased costs included pay award, some contractors, utilities, Microsoft office.  Noted also affected by change in way figures presented such that actual increased expenditure likely slightly higher.  Pay award below this increase, outlined.

(viii)   Discussion re: leisure provider position.  Council was prepared should another contractor need to be engaged, but not looking to do so currently.  Difficult market position in that respect.  Monitoring closely, practical approach being taken. Some debt outstanding, but Council still in position where providing at zero cost.  Provider had also been supported during Covid pandemic.

(ix)      Agenda page 12, investment in housing stock, concern that available funds were not being used.  In response, had been problems with contractors including major contractor going into administration, position was improving, expected to spend in line with monies available for second half of this year, but no catch up re: first half.  Reference to recent decisions taken to get void properties back into use, proposed to spend all funds available for investment in Council’s housing stock.

(x)       Agenda page 20, explanation was provided of zero amount in Major Repairs Reserve for 2024/25 budget.  Historical and less flexible in terms of permitted uses, preference was to build up Capital Finance Reserve.  Various reserves in HRA could generally be considered as one pot.

(xi)      Funding Guarantee was one  ...  view the full minutes text for item 11.

Having undertaken scrutiny of the draft budgets 2024/25, to agree recommendations/observations for the Panel’s report.

If not completed at this meeting, the Panel will need to agree a process by which recommendations/observations can be decided upon following this meeting.  There is a very short period of time between the Panel’s next and final meeting (3rd January 2024) and submission of the Panel’s report to the Scrutiny Commission (8th January 2024), so the report submitted to the Panel on 3rd January 2024 for agreement should already have been seen by all members, commented upon and any required amendments made, so that any further amendments decided upon at that meeting are minimal.

This item had been included on the agenda to enable the Panel to consider the recommendations/observations that it wished to include in its report (having undertaken above scrutiny of the draft budgets 2024/25) (item 7 on the agenda filed with these minutes).

Noted that, if the above was not completed at this meeting, the Panel would need to agree a process by which recommendations/observations could be decided upon following this meeting. There was a very short period of time between the Panel’s next and final meeting (3rd January 2024) and submission of the Panel’s report to the Scrutiny Commission (8th January 2024), so the report submitted to the Panel on 3rd January 2024 for agreement should already have been seen by all members, commented upon and any required amendments made, so that any further amendments decided upon at that meeting were minimal.

The Panel did not identify any recommendations or observations at this meeting.

RESOLVED

1.         that a draft report template and the minutes of the Panel’s meetings to date be sent to members of the Panel as soon as possible to enable any recommendations/observations for the Panel’s report to be proposed and commented on prior to the Panel’s final meeting on 3rd January 2024;

2.         that, in addition to agreeing the Panel’s final report, the meeting on 3rd January 2024 include a verbal update on the provisional financial settlement from the Government.

Reasons

1.         To ensure the Panel can conclude its scrutiny of the draft budgets 2024/25 in a timely manner and submit its report to Scrutiny Commission on 8th January 2024.

2.         The information will be of interest to the Panel.