Issue - meetings

To consider the report of the Assistant Director Finance.

Scrutiny Committee – Resources considered the report at its meeting on 21 November 2012 and comments will be reported.

(Report circulated)

(Minute 121)

The report of the Assistant Director Finance was submitted informing Executive of the overall projected financial position of the General Fund Revenue Budget and Housing Revenue Account after six months, for the 2012/13 financial year.

Members were informed that the revised overspend of £177,000 in the Scrutiny Committee – Community budget would be offset by underspends elsewhere. An anticipated overspend of £109,500 resulted from increased waste disposal costs and the delayed implementation of the revised garden waste collection procedures. The anticipated overspend of £115,000 within the Museums Service related partially to higher than anticipated utility costs necessary to maintain the specialist environment.  Discussions were continuing with the Valuation Office about the higher than anticipated level of Non-domestic rates which also contributed to the forecast overspend.  

Members were informed that the 76% increase in the income from planning fees resulted largely from the high volume of house-building applications, possibly due to developers pre-empting Community Infrastructure Levy. The workload would be closely monitored to address any resulting resourcing issues and ensure the high quality of the service was maintained.  It was noted that significant positive feedback had been received in response to the systems review of the service.  

Executive recommended to Council to approve:

(1)     the General Fund forecast financial position for the 2012/13 financial year;

(2)     the HRA forecast financial position for 2012/13 financial year;

(3)     the outstanding Sundry Debt position as at June 2012; and

(4)     the creditors’ payments performance.

The report of the Assistant Director Finance was submitted informing Executive of the overall projected financial position of the General Fund Revenue Budget and Housing Revenue Account after six months, for the 2012/13 financial year.

Members were informed that the revised overspend of £177,000 in the Scrutiny Committee – Community budget would be offset by underspends elsewhere. An anticipated overspend of £109,500 resulted from increased waste disposal costs and the delayed implementation of the revised garden waste collection procedures. The anticipated overspend of £115,000 within the Museums Service related partially to higher than anticipated utility costs necessary to maintain the specialist environment.  Discussions were continuing with the Valuation Office about the higher than anticipated level of Non-domestic rates which also contributed to the forecast overspend.  

Members were informed that the 76% increase in the income from planning fees resulted largely from the high volume of house-building applications, possibly due to developers pre-empting Community Infrastructure Levy. The workload would be closely monitored to address any resulting resourcing issues and ensure the high quality of the service was maintained.  It was noted that significant positive feedback had been received in response to the systems review of the service.  

RECOMMENDED to Council to approve:

(1)     the General Fund forecast financial position for the 2012/13 financial year;

(2)     the HRA forecast financial position for 2012/13 financial year;

(3)     the outstanding Sundry Debt position as at June 2012; and

(4)     the creditors’ payments performance.

(Report circulated)

To consider the report of the Assistant Director Finance – report circulated

The Assistant Director Finance presented the report advising Members of the overall projected financial position of the General Fund Revenue Budget and Housing Revenue Account after six months, for the 2012/13 financial year.

He advised that the Service Committee budgets showed a forecast underspend of £258,260 (1.9%) against a revised Service Committee Net Expenditure budget of £13,718,210 and an overall underspend of £302,096 against General Fund Expenditure. He outlined to Members the individual budgets in respect of each of the Scrutiny Committees, the outstanding sundry debt, debt write-offs and creditor payments performance.

The overall net transfer from the General Fund Working Balance was estimated to be £558,965 at 31 March 2013 after accounting for July approved supplementary budgets of £138,260.  This represented a reduction of £502,493 against budget and would leave the General Fund Working Balance at £3,726,460 at the end of the year.

In response to a Member, the Strategic Director advised that the collection of trade waste would be looked at in the Systems Review ‘keep my city looking good’.

The Assistant Director Finance claified that the Council does on occasion utilise the services of external agencies to collect debt, these agencies’ were required to sign up to a code of conduct which was closely monitored.

The Scrutiny Committee – Resources noted the report and requested that Council approve the:-

(1)        General Fund forecast financial position for the 2012/13 financial year;

(2)        HRA forecast financial position for 2012/13 financial year;

(3)               outstanding Sundry Debt position as at June 2012; and

(4)        creditors’ payments performance.

(Report circulated)