Issue - meetings

To consider the report of the Chief Finance Officer.

Corporate Services Scrutiny Committee considered the report at its meeting on 22 June 2017 and its comments will be reported.

The Chief Finance Officer presented the report on advising Members of the overall financial performance of the Council for the 2016/17 financial year, in respect of the annual capital programme and seeking the approval of the 2017/18 revised capital programme, including commitments carried forward from 2016/17.

The revised capital programme of £12,925,960 and expenditure in the year amounted to £9,942,174, and the actual expenditure during 2016/17 represented 76.92% of the revised capital programme. The sum of £2.884 million had been identified and would need to be carried forward to be spent in future years this was in part due to the delays with the development of the Bus Station site and the St Loyes project. The revised capital programme for 2017/18 after taking into account the carried forward requirements from 2016/17 and additional Section 106 funding now totalled £27,276,380. The Chief Finance Officer also drew attention to a future funding request for £60,000 for a new ashes section at Exwick Cemetery to provide additional internment capacity for the next two years.

The Chief Finance Officer clarified that the underspend on the disabled facilities grants was due to the challenge of actioning all referrals. These monies were managed by Devon County Council and the underspend that had been repaid to the County Council had been used elsewhere in the county for adaptions.

Corporate Services Scrutiny Committee considered the report at its meeting on 22 June 2017 and its comments were reported.

RECOMMENDED that Council approves the:-

(1)        overall financial position for the 2016/17 annual capital programme; and

(2)        amendments and further funding requests to the Council’s annual capital programme for 2017/18.

To consider the report of the Chief Finance Officer.

The Chief Finance Officer presented the report which updated Members of the overall financial performance of the Council’s capital programme for the 2016/17 financial year, and sought approval for the 2017/18 revised capital programme, including commitments carried forward from 2016/17.The revised capital programme of £12,925,960 and expenditure in the year amounted to £9,942,174, and the actual expenditure during 2016/17 represented 76.92% of the revised capital programme. The sum of £2.884 million had been identified and would need to be carried forward to be spent in future years.  The report also set out the expenditure variances that had arisen since December 2016 and schemes to be deferred to 2017/18 and beyond.  The Chief Finance Officer also drew attention to a future funding request for £60,000 for a new ashes section at Exwick Cemetery to provide additional internment capacity for the next two years. He also responded to a Member’s question about the process for furthering funding requests.

The Chief Finance Officer also gave the following response to a Member’s question in light of the tragic fire at the Grenfell tower block in London, relating to the replacement of new front doors in Council properties in Exeter as part of fire safety compliance. The Member also sought an assurance that all necessary fire safety checks and any necessary works identified within the Council’s properties were up to date,  were in compliance with all current fire regulations, as £400,000 had been spent on fire risk assessments, but she had noted a carryover of £63,000 to 2018/19. 

The Member was advised that the Housing Department undertook regular fire safety checks by means of fire risk assessments, weekly fire alarm and monthly emergency lighting checks. In addition, weekly visits were made by the City Council’s Older Persons Property Officers to sheltered schemes. A sum of £437,000 was budgeted for this financial year to undertake the bulk of the remedial works coming out of previous fire risk assessments. This followed a strategic review of the fire risk assessments last year and works outstanding. This may seem to be a substantial sum, but the City Council had 437 risk assessments, so there was a direct correlation with each assessment costing around £1,000 each.  It was anticipated that all the remedial works could be achieved in this financial year, and subsequent years would require a significantly smaller budget.

Corporate Services Scrutiny Committee noted the report and recommended Executive and Council approve the following:-

(1)        overall financial position for the 2016/17 annual capital programme; and

(2)        amendments and further funding request to the Council’s annual capital programme for 2017/18.