Issue - meetings

Financial Monitoring

Meeting: 10/03/2020 - Planning, Environment & Sustainability Policy Development Group (Item 78)

78 Financial Monitoring (00-03-38) PDF 115 KB

To consider the financial monitoring report for the income and expenditure for the nine months to 31 December 2019 and the projected outturn position previously presented to Cabinet on 13^th February 2020.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Group had before it a report of the Deputy Chief Executive (S151) providing a financial update in respect of the income and expenditure so far in the year.

The Group Manager for Financial Services outlined the contents of the report stating that the figures before Members were from the Quarter 3 monitoring calculations As at January, the forecast General Fund deficit for the current year was £292k. She highlighted some of the significant variances which had led to the new deficit figure that of reduced overpayment recovery and software costs for Revenues and Benefits; and with regard to Trade Waste and Recycling an increase in customers and reduced discounts.

The surplus within the Housing Revenue Fund had reduced to £618k with monies being spent on disabled facilities. The appendices within the report outlined the Capital Programme.

Consideration was given to: whether the income from renewables on council housing was reflected within the HRA.

The Chairman indicated that the report should be NOTED and that he had been advised by the Leader that certain concerns raised within the report were being addressed and would be brought before the Cabinet in due course.

Note: *Report previously circulated, copy attached to minutes.

Meeting: 13/02/2020 - Cabinet (Item 144)

144 Financial Monitoring (00-26-35) PDF 115 KB

To receive a report of the Deputy Chief Executive (S151) presenting a financial update in respect of the income and expenditure so far in the year.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Cabinet had before it and NOTED a * report of the Deputy Chief Executive (S151) presenting a financial update in respect of the income and expenditure so far in the year.

The Cabinet Member for Finance outlined the contents of the report stating that

the December variance on budget had been £270k, the main factors being:

	£k
Waste Services – Shared savings scheme and vacancies	(151)
Trade Waste and recycling - Increase in customers and reduced discounts etc.	(64)
New vehicle contract – Funded by EMR (Not an overspend on the contract)	67
Public Health – Air Quality S106 (covered by EMR) and legal costs	92
Planning – Downturn in Planning income less salary savings	154
Garden Village project – funded by EMR	23
Garden Village – Capacity funding	(150)
S106 spend re Public Open Space – funded by EMR	178
Cullompton Master Plan – funded by EMR	56
Local Plan – Funded by EMR	32
Tiverton Town Centre Regen – abortive capital costs	87
Bank charges – Additional charges	10
Cemeteries – Income below anticipated in budget	25
Car Parking – Shortfall Premier Inn; extra security and electricity usage	33
Private Sector Housing – legal costs of prosecution	19
General Fund Housing - Grant funding – to be earmarked	(127)
Property – Loss of income; etc. partly offset by salary savings	61
Customer services – Vacancy and overtime savings	(48)
HR – Review of service needs - restructuring	24
Legal – Various including consultancy budget saving	(53)
Democratic Services – District Elections shortfall	25
Electoral Registration – Increase in IER funding and delayed boundary review	(69)
Member Services – Vacancy saving	(7)
Leisure – Vacant posts, growth in membership etc. offset by utilities overspend and reduction in casual swim	47
Revs and Bens – Various including reduced overpayment recovery and software costs	65
3 Rivers Impairment – Partly offset by a statutory reversal of £757k	883
Statutory Adjustments – Reversal of Capital impairment 3 Rivers	(757)
Statutory Adjustments – Reduction in Minimum Revenue Provision (less borrowing than anticipated)	(50)
Interest income – additional income	(100)
Interest Payable – reduction in charge	(60)
Earmarked Reserves transfers	(120)
Net Business Rates retention – more levy due to growth (benefit in future year)	88

Major variances, current incomes from major funding streams and current employee costs were all shown within the appendices to the report.

The Housing Revenue Account continued to have a healthy underspend.

He outlined the Capital Programme position and discussion took place with regard to the impairments to the 3 Rivers loan (identified within the Riverside project) and the financial accounting that had to take place.

Further discussion took place with regard to:

· Whether the monitoring of the loans to 3 Rivers could be listed separately within the General Fund financial monitoring

· The ring-fenced ‘1:4:1’ receipts and the need for those to be spent within 3 years of receipt otherwise the funding needed to be returned to the MHCLG, details of previous monies returned would be sent to ... view the full minutes text for item 144