Issue - meetings

To receive a report from the Deputy Chief Executive (S151) presenting the Revenue and Capital Outturn figures for the financial year 2022/23 for both the General Fund (GF) and the Housing Revenue Account (HRA).

The Group had before it, and NOTED, a report * from the Deputy Chief Executive presenting the Revenue and Capital Outturn figures for the financial year 2022/2023 for both the General Fund (GF) and Housing Revenue Account (HRA).

The contents of the report were outlined and a high level summary provided as follows:

·         The outturn position on the General Fund showed a small overspend of £190k. This represented a good achievement given the current economic circumstances. The Housing Revenue Account showed a small underspend of £312k.

·         Notable variances included a higher than expected staff pay award and higher levels of staff sickness than expected,

·         The cost of living crisis had had a significant impact across the Council’s finances.

·         Reserves were still in a healthy position and the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) was in a strong position to support future investment in the Council’s housing stock.

·         The increasing cost of Homelessness provision was being offset by Government grants.

·         The HRA variances related to staff vacancies, interests through investments, depreciation being higher than expected and the increase of material costs to maintain the housing stock.

Discussion took place regarding:

·         The impact of staff vacancies would could lead to an increased risk of a drop in productivity. The biggest challenge at the moment was in recruiting people to the trades. The hope was to recruit locally wherever possible and ensuring the Council took on apprentices to grow its own workforce.

·         A request to show plus’s and minus’s in separate columns in future.

·         The new waste depot and the timescales involved in having it operational.

·         The Right to Buy Scheme which was a legal requirement. The Council received a proportion of each sale which was used to invest back into the house building programme. That proportion had increased recently on a temporary basis under new flexibilities recently announced by Government

·         The revised Voids Management policy which now used a new measure related to turn around time. When a property became a void it often provided an opportunity to deal with damage caused by the previous tenant, modernise a property or hold it for redevelopment. The new overarching target within the policy that 97% of the Council’s stock was occupied at any one time was highlight.

·         A request to see data which showed how long a property had been void for. The next item on service delivery and future performance reporting (including voids) was highlighted

·         Zed Pod buildings as with all other residential new-build property had to comply with building regulations. These specific building were also highly insulated beyond minimum requirements so retained warmth in the winter whilst being cool in the summer.

·         The complexities involved in trying to show how many Tenants, who were in rent arrears, were still waiting to receive benefit claims before paying their rent.

It was requested that the Group receive background information in relation to Voids Management at the next meeting.

Note: * Report previously circulated; copy attached to the signed minutes.