Agenda and minutes

Venue: Rennes Room, Civic Centre, Paris Street, Exeter. View directions

Contact: Mark Devin, Democratic Services Officer  Telephone 01392 265477 or email  mark.devin@exeter.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

30.

Minutes

To sign the minutes of the meeting held on 22 June 2017.

 

Minutes:

The minutes of the meeting held on the 22 June 2017 were taken as read and signed by the Chair as correct.

 

31.

Declarations of Interests

Councillors are reminded of the need to declare any disclosable pecuniary interests that relate to business on the agenda and which have not already been included in the register of interests, before any discussion takes place on the item. Unless the interest is sensitive, you must also disclose the nature of the interest. In accordance with the Council's Code of Conduct, you must then leave the room and must not participate in any further discussion of the item.  Councillors requiring clarification should seek the advice of the Monitoring Officer prior to the day of the meeting.

 

Minutes:

No declarations of disclosable pecuniary interest were made.

 

32.

Questions from Members of the Council under Standing Order 20 pdf icon PDF 183 KB

To receive questions from Members of the Council to appropriate Portfolio Holders.

 

Minutes:

In accordance with Standing Order No 20, six questions were put by Councillor Musgrave in relation to public engagment and revenue. A copy of the questions had been previously circulated to Members, and together with the responses from Councillor Pearson were appended to the minutes.

 

33.

Capital Monitoring Statement to 30 June 2017 pdf icon PDF 198 KB

To consider the report of the Chief Finance Officer.

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Chief Finance Officer presented the report which provided Members with an update on the current position of the revised annual Capital Programme and the anticipated level of deferred expenditure into future years. Local Authorities were required to provide an estimate to the total of capital expenditure that it would incur during the financial year after setting out prudential indicators for capital expenditure.

 

He discussed the performance of the revised Capital Programme for the current financial year, highlighting that £1.478 million had been spent on the programme during the first three months which was equivalent to 4.4% of the revised programme. It would normally be higher, but the budget was large as a result of three significant schemes and in value terms spend was not much different to previous years.  He noted that the Leisure Complex update would require the report to be amended at the end of the second quarter.

 

The expenditure variances for 2017/18, had an under spend on the improvements to Exhibition Way bridge. The tender results were in excess of the budget and work could not be completed at present, the issue of long term delivery would be addressed. The housing surveys had shown that there were less properties requiring rewiring than first thought.

 

The Chief Finance Officer updated Members on the schemes that would be deferred to 2018/19 and discussed the schemes completed during the first quarter.

 

He informed Members that the world culture galleries improvement works recommendation would be amended to request approval subject to a satisfactory business case being agreed by the Chief Executive and Growth Director and Leader and the Museum using the balance of the Museum of the Year funding to reduce the amount of borrowing required.  He also informed Members that the Beacon Heath marital arts and boxing club project had been deferred and that additional funds were required to replace lifts at the Mary Arches multi-storey car park.

 

In response to questions from Members, the Chief Finance Officer responded:-

 

·         The Newtown Community centre had council approval  for additional S106 funding;

·         He would look at why the Exhibition Way bridge maintenance work had gone back to the planning stage and was not receiving more money. If more work begins, Network Rail would be consulted;

·         The procurement process had negotiated lower costs for the smoke and fire alarms, confirmation from Housing would be sought that the lower cost did not result in a lower standard product being used. Fire safety would have been taken into consideration;

·         The previous year’s Capital Programme in respect of electrical re-wiring were based on estimates. The actual spend was based on a significant survey, providing a better idea of the actual homes requiring electrical re-wiring.

 

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

 

(1)  The revision of the annual capital programme to reflect the reported variations detailed in 8.4 and 8.5

(2)  The additions to the capital programme detailed in 8.7.

 

34.

Overview of the General Fund Budget 2016/17 pdf icon PDF 192 KB

To consider the report of the Chief Finance Officer.

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Chief Finance Officer presented the report which advised Members of the overall projected financial position of the Housing Revenue Account and the General Fund Revenue for the 2017/18 financial year after three months. The report also sought approval for a number of supplementary budgets

 

He discussed the financial summary, highlighting that the Housing Revenue Fund expenditure was significantly lower than the £2,487,615 planned take from the working balance. This had resulted in an increase of £725,335 to the working balance.

 

The General Fund had an over spend of £217,024 against its revised budget. He noted that savings would be required in various services, and that budgets were being examined to reduce expenditure. Members were informed that repayments of debt and net interest would be reduced due to lower capital spending.

 

The Chief Finance Officer discussed the supplementary budgets which would provide money to pay for temporary staff contracts to assist with cleaning graffiti around the city.

 

In response to questions from Members, the Director and Chief Finance Officer responded:-

 

·         Contracts would be fixed term to address the City’s need as part of an ongoing consultation phase;

·         The Housing Assets underspend was a result of tenders above budget and the decision had been taken not to proceed;

·         The temporary staff would be agency staff as the Council use agency staff to fill certain roles. It was intended to replace the use of agency staff with permanent contracts where possible;

·         Any proposals to address the Place Scrutiny Committee overspend would go on the budget monitoring report and be reported to Scrutiny Members.

 

The Corporate Services Scrutiny Committee noted the report and requested the Executive to note the report, and Council to note and approve the following:

 

(1)  The General Fund forecast financial position for the 2017/18 financial year;

(2)  The HRA forecast financial position for 2017/18 financial year;

(3)  The additional supplementary budgets listed in Appendix C;

(4)  The outstanding Sundry Debt position as at August 2017;

(5)  The creditors’ payments performance;

 

35.

Budget Monitoring (First Quarter) pdf icon PDF 76 KB

To consider the report of the Chief Finance Officer.

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Chief Finance Officer presented the report which advised Members of material differences to the revised budget in respect of the Corporate Services Committee. Local authorities had a statutory duty to set and monitor their budgets during the year and take any necessary actions due to potential overspend or potential shortfalls.

 

He referred Members to the key variations from the budget, highlighting that the that net expenditure for this committee would decrease from the revised £7,380 which would be a variation of 0.09% and included the supplementary budgets previously agreed.

 

The Corporate Services Scrutiny Committee noted the report.