Agenda item

To consider the report of the Director Finance.

Agreed:

RESOLVED that:-

(1) a quarterly report on the Corporate Risk Register be submitted to the Executive as the responsible committee to ensure it takes necessary actions to mitigate any identified risks for which it is responsible; and

(2) the revised Risk Register in Appendix A of the report presented at the meeting, be noted, with Members assured that the proposed mitigations set out are appropriate to address the risks identified.

Reason for Decision: As set out in the report.

The Executive received the report on the Corporate Risk Register and were advised that as part of the Council’s revised approach to risk management, the register was now based on the delivery of the Corporate Plan 2022-26.

Members were advised that the Council’s Directors had been working with their relevant Portfolio Holder’s to capture the risks and mitigations. The risk register would be reviewed on a quarterly basis by the Strategic Management Board (SMB) and would be reported to the Executive for monitoring.

Particular reference was made to the Audit and Governance Committee, who would continue to have a role in ensuring that the Council had a robust process for identifying and mitigating risks. It was also expected that some of the likelihood risk scores on the register should decrease over time as focus is made on specific areas.

The Leader enquired on the matrix table and how risks were scored.

The Chief Executive advised on how risk scoring was achieved. The inherent risks indicated an assessment of the overall risk and the residual risk was the risk that remained after the controls and mitigations. Where scoring remained red but with a lower risk score meant that the Council had reduced the likelihood of the risk occurring. Directors would work on coming up with additional proposed mitigations for discussion with Portfolio Holders.

Councillor Jobson, as an opposition group leader, spoke on this item and thanked officers for the hard work involved to date.

Councillor D. Moore, as an opposition group leader, spoke on this item and expressed concern on there being no mitigations or lead resource allocation for the Net Zero and Climate Crisis. She raised concerns relating to the misalignment of the UK with the Devon Climate Plans, which needed to be considered with greater caution and actioned sooner, with analyses on the impacts of failing to mitigate reducing greenhouse gases or adapt the city to future challenges. The Council needed to take a similar approach to the Government in policy and strategy for addressing Net Zero in the city.

Councillor Moore raised the following three questions:-

(1)  In relation to building greater neighbourhoods and communities, why was the risk of low land/property values and lack of investment appetite, a greater inherent risk than residents not being able to afford to rent or buy the new homes built under this approach?

(2)  Which consultants had been appointed to undertake the full business case for the Exeter Development Fund and what are targets for the delivery of affordable housing and infrastructure under this model and will they be modelling the greenhouse gas emissions for the programme delivery of the fund?

(3)  Would each Portfolio Holder undertake a serious attempt at properly assessing the policies and strategies of the Council and the partnerships they are involved in to reduce inequality and address climate change.

The Leader advised that the risk register report was in relation to the overall risks of the Council and how they were being addressed. Individual risks would be discussed in other forums as required. He requested that the questions be submitted to him. The responses are appended to the minutes.

During the discussion the following points were made:-

·         the risk area for delivering housing and building greater neighbourhoods had recently changed responsibility from both the Leader and Portfolio Holder for City Development and there were some mitigations that required moving for specific area;

·         the work that had been undertaken on the risk register and the process of being presented to the Executive to advise Portfolio Holders was welcomed; and

·         the Corporate Risk Register provided an overall top tier of risks, where other registers reported on specific risks, including progress on Net Zero. The register didn’t record all the work of the Portfolio Holders but was designed to outline the risks and mitigations for reducing them.

In response to questions and points raised by Members, the Chief Executive advised:-

·         it was the intention to bring the Risk Register to the Executive on a quarterly basis;

·         any refinements would be addressed following Members’ discussion;

·         progress on the Council’s work towards achieving carbon reductions for its operations would be reported to the relevant Scrutiny Committee and a future report would also be brought to the Executive on Net Zero in light of the close down of Exeter City Futures; and

·         the positive work on delivering strategic objectives would be available in the Annual Review of the Corporate Plan.

RESOLVED that:-

(1) a quarterly report on the Corporate Risk Register be submitted to the Executive as the responsible committee to ensure it takes necessary actions to mitigate any identified risks for which it is responsible; and

(2) the revised Risk Register in Appendix A of the report presented at the meeting, be noted, with Members assured that the proposed mitigations set out are appropriate to address the risks identified.