Agenda item

To consider the report of the Deputy Chief Executive.

The Audit Manager presented the report, which advised the Audit and Governance Committee of the Council’s risk management process and presented the updated Corporate Risk Register, which the Committee was responsible for the monitoring and reviewing of the Council’s risks.

It had been anticipated that the Director City Development would be able to attend to provide more detail on the risks he was responsible for, but he was unable to attend. An invitation would be made for him to attend the next meeting in July. There were no new additions to the Risk Register. The Director Finance also updated Members on the delivery of a new Corporate Risk Register and advised that the work would continue with a further workshop to be held to look at specific issues relating to Exeter, later in the month. The workshop would include an experienced a facilitator and include both Executive Members and the Strategic Management Board. He also anticipated that a revised Corporate Risk Register would be presented to the meeting of the Audit and Governance Committee in July 2023.

The Director Finance responded to a number of Members’ comments:-

·       Risk 4 - Maintaining the Financial Sustainability of the Council and in referencing investment in city centre regeneration, he reminded the Member that the City Council was currently working with Crown Estates and another organisation which had a significant interest in the site adjacent to St Sidwell’s Point and that continued to be an ambition to deliver a redevelopment of the wider site. The current economic conditions remain challenging, but they continued to work to bring forward the site with prospective partners based on the broad masterplan previously proposed.

·       Risk 4 - Maintaining the Financial Sustainability of the Council and the £6.6 million savings quoted in the Risk Register as part of savings in the Medium Term Financial Plan had risen to £9.75 million during the last financial year, and it was now approximately £5.8 million. The figure quoted in the Risk Register would be updated accordingly.

Members also made the following comments -

·       Risk 1- Inability to deliver Carbon Net Zero aspirations for Exeter by 2030 (External)   A Member stated that whilst the Net Zero Risk Register for the Council operations was welcome, she asked in relation to the Corporate Risk Register, if a number of elements in the framing of this Risk could be considered as part of the review of the document and she made the following enquiry and comments:-

Ø  although this risk was about the inability to deliver Net Zero aspirations for Exeter by 2030, and from a strategic point of view the implications of not delivering Net Zero, be it 2030 or 2050 and the impact on climate change on the city should be considered. Although the Devon Climate Emergency Group were looking at these issues, the City Council should also be looking at carbon reduction and adaptations with the impetus to get on with action as the date was not important.

Ø  an enquiry seeking clarification over the reference of support for the green construction agenda would be made.

·           Risk 1  Inability to deliver Carbon Net Zero aspirations for Exeter by 2030 (External) whether the Committee which had been suggested to monitor progress had been set up to feed into the governance of the risk through the Risk Register.

·           Risk 1 Inability to deliver Carbon Net zero aspirations for Exeter by 2030 (External)

A Member also wished to comment on Risk 1 on the enormity of the scope and scale of the Climate Emergency and how that could be monitored  when so many factors were outside of the Council’s control, and that some clarity on what such a Committee would look like, its format and remit. It may be appropriate to put any resources in working to meet the Net Zero targets, rather than just monitoring of issues that cannot be captured.

The Director Finance would feed back all of the comments and enquiries made on the Risk Register to the Strategic Management Board and seek a response as appropriate.

The Audit and Governance Committee reviewed and noted the updated Corporate Risk Register.