Agenda item

(Report by the Chief Finance Officer)

REASON FOR DECISION

Cabinet Members presented the headlines of the quarterly monitoring information on performance, risk and finance for Quarter 4 of 2019/20 (April 2019 to March 2020) in relation to their own portfolios.

With respect to performance, the areas of success and improvement were:

·         Planning applications (Cllr Welton)

·         Supporting business growth and promoting the Borough (Cllr Welton)

·         Switchboard (Cllr Welton)

·         Relatively small number of complaints, from which learning points will be taken (Cllr Welton)

·         Benefit and Council Tax Support processing times (Cllr Howard)

·         Collection rates for Council Tax and Business Rates close to target (Cllr Howard)

·         Information requests (Cllr Howard)

·         Gym memberships (Cllr Skinner on behalf of Cllr Brown)

·         Event income (Cllr Skinner on behalf of Cllr Brown)

·         Broadly compliant food businesses (Cllr Stevens)

·         Car Parking income (Cllr Sharman)

·         Housing completions, empty properties and housing standards (Cllr Griggs)

Areas of concern/watching brief were:

·         Swim sessions (Cllr Skinner on behalf of Cllr Brown)

·         Gym membership (Cllr Skinner on behalf of Cllr Brown)

·         Food inspections (Cllr Stevens)

·         Household waste and recycling (Cllr Stevens)

·         Fly tip response times (Cllr Stevens)

·         Market income (Cllr Sharman), which would be considered during the Transformation Programme

The report also listed other items of note:

·         Commercial waste growth in income and number of customers (Cllr Stevens)

Members stressed that the significant impact of the pandemic would be reflected in future quarters’ reports. 

Councillor Howard presented the quarterly risk information.  The strategic risks had been reviewed for Quarter 4 and also to reflect the position as at June 2020, particularly with regard to the impact of Covid-19 and the proposed strategic alliance with East Lindsey DC.  A new strategic risk had been identified in respect of the proposed alliance which would be evaluated and scored in Q1 of 2020/21.  A summary of strategic risks was set out the report and full details were contained in Appendix B. 

Councillor Howard then outlined the financial management information.  The key headlines were set out in the report as follows:

·         Revenue spending for the year was contained within the budget, with the variances set out in section three of the report.

·         Over 80% of the Controlling Migration Fund grant money had been spent at the year end.

·         Trading income was slightly below the budget, in part due to CoVid impacts

·         Changes to reserves were set out in section 6, relating to capital funding reserve, housing reserve and property funds returns reserve.

·         Treasury returns were above the budget, although the capital value of property funds had been affected by both CoVid and Brexit outcome uncertainties

·         Spend for the year for the Capital Programme was set out in Table 8, with slippage of £865K into 2020/21 mainly relating to Disabled Facilities Grants and the Multi Use Games Area.

·         Supplementary estimates the return of levy surplus monies from the Government, and the receipt of Section 31 grant to support initial losses incurred from CoVid-19.

·         In respect of Business rates, a deficit was recorded for the year, and CoVid impacts on the future rate base would reduce the amount the council retained from business ratepayers

·         Council Tax Support (CTS) was in line with the budget, but CoVid will increase the caseload for CTS, and therefore the cost to the council, going forward.

Councillor Howard proposed that the recommendations contained in the report be approved, which were reserve movements; changes to the capital programme – slippage for Disabled Facility Grants and the Multi Use Games Area and supplementary estimates for the return of levy surplus monies and receipt of Covid-19 emergency funding.

It is recorded that all Members attending noted their gratitude to the members of staff within their respective service areas, recognising their effort and commitment throughout the Pandemic to ensure the continuation of the Council’s services. 

The Members acknowledge that many staff and gone above and beyond their normal working remit with specific recognition to the Section 151 Officer and their team for continual monitoring and updating in respect of the current situation and also to the I.T department for facilitating new ways of working ensuring communications being maintained to support both Members and Staff.