Agenda, decisions and minutes

Members are asked to declare any interest and the nature of that interest which they may have in any of the items under consideration at this meeting.

There were no declarations of interest.

To confirm as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 6 January 2020.

The minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 6 January 2020 were confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

To receive communications from the Chairman.

There were no Chairman’s announcements.

Report of Executive Director: Finance (Interim)

Purpose of report

To provide members of Budget Planning Committee with details of the proposed Local Discretionary Relief Scheme before consideration by Executive.

Recommendations

The meeting is recommended:

 1.1        To note the contents of the report.

1.2   To recommend to Executive the adoption of the Local Discretionary Business Rates Relief Scheme for 2020-2021

Resolved

(1)      That the report be noted.

(2)      That Executive be recommended to adopt the Local Discretionary Business Rates Relief Scheme for 2020-2021.

The Committee considered a report from the Executive Director: Finance (interim) which detailed the proposed Local Discretionary Business Rates Relief Scheme for 2020-2021.

The Executive Director: Finance (interim) advised the Committee that the scheme remained largely unchanged from previous years and had been designed to reduce the administrative burden for eligible businesses by automatically awarding the relief.

Resolved

(1)      That the report be noted.

(2)      That Executive be recommended to endorse and recommend to Council to adopt the Local Discretionary Business Rates Relief Scheme for 2020-2021.

Report of Executive Director: Finance (Interim) and Assistant Director: Performance and Transformation.

Purpose of report

This report summarises the Council’s Performance, Risk and Finance monitoring position as at the end of each month.

Recommendations

The meeting is recommended:

1.1      To note the monthly Performance, Risk and Finance Monitoring Report.

Resolved

(1)      That the report be noted.

The Committee considered a report from the Executive Director: Finance (Interim) and the Assistant Director: Performance and Transformation that detailed monthly performance, risk and finance monitoring for November 2019.

The Assistant Director of Finance advised the Committee that incorrect figures had been quoted in the report.

Paragraph 3.16, Revenue Position, should have referred to an  increase in the overspend by £58k, not from £58k. The one-off underspend in the same paragraph should have read £1.55m, not £1.46m.

With regards to the details relating to the Finance overspend, the figures quoted in the table were correct, however the narrative referred to a £41k overspend rather than £61k.  

In paragraph 3.17, the Capital Programme summary, the column headed ‘prior period variances’ should have read £103k not £21k.

In response to questions from the Committee regarding agency staff costs in Environmental Services, the Executive Director: Finance (Interim) explained that the team had some long-term sickness absence cases that required agency staff to cover.

With regard to queries raised relating to the repair of the biomass heater, and the profitability of the commercial waste collection, the Executive Director: Finance (Interim) agreed to circulate responses to the Committee from relevant officers after the meeting.

Resolved

(1)      That the report be noted.

To review the Committee Work Plan.

Resolved

(1)      That the Work Plan be noted.

The Committee considered the indicative work programme for the rest of the current year.

The Assistant Director: Finance advised the Committee that work would start on the Medium Term Financial Strategy for 2021-22 at the March 2020 meeting, and the Committee would have a bigger role in the budget setting process going forward.

Resolved

(1)      That the Work Plan be noted.

The Chairman to advise whether they have agreed to any item of urgent business being admitted to the agenda.

There were no items of urgent business.

The Chairman advised the Committee that it was the last meeting the Executive Director: Finance (Interim) would be attending, as she was leaving the council to start new employment at another Local Authority. The Chairman thanked the Executive Director for her hard work and help during her time at the Council and wished her well in her future employment.