To consider and decide on the recommendations as set out in the attached report.
Decision:
RESOLVED –
1. That at Quarter 3 the net expenditure on services year to date was £9,294,000, £77,000 less than forecast, be noted.
2. That by year end the Council’s anticipated net expenditure of £18,919,000 on services, which is £25,000 over budget, an improvement of £73,000 since Quarter 2, be noted.
3. That the updated charge for Offence Penalties as set out in the report be approved.
4. That the Write Offs set out in Paragraph 2.37 as detailed at Appendix J be approved.
REASON FOR DECISION:
To show the actual expenditure on services compared to the revised budget for the period ended 31 December 2019, and the forecast outturn position, highlighting significant variances from the revised annual budget.
Minutes:
Jane Fineman, Head of Finance, Procurement and Parking introduced the report that showed actual expenditure on services compared to the revised budget for the period ending 31 December 2019.
Discussion and responses to Members questions included the following matters:
- Actual expenditure to 31 December 2019 was £9.3m which was £77,000 less than forecast. However, the forecast outturn for the year was currently £25,000 over budget.
- The main movements were a forecast reduction in staff costs of £343,000 due to a number of posts remaining vacant. In addition, a net reduction in the Assembly Hall income of £150,000 and a further reduction in car parking income from the RVP, Meadow Road and Crescent Road of £200,000 due to the continued reduction in footfall in the town centre. Staff cost savings of £80,000, £80,000 of compensation from the Union House car park and £70,000 increase in penalty charge notices offset some of these costs.
- It was expected that by year end £25,000 of savings would be found to bring it back to budget.
- The other major change to the accounts this quarter was the unwinding of the effects of the Calverley Square project.
- The purchase of the lodge at the entrance of the Calverley Grounds had been retained as capital expenditure and had now been added to the Council’s asset portfolio.
- The Council’s total reserves were £17.2m. This compared with the £19.7m held in Quarter 2.
- The report requested approval to issue fines for a breach in householder duty. This was to ensure that household waste was disposed of appropriately. The proposed charge for this offence was £400, the maximum allowed under current legislation. This was a fixed penalty notice that could be issued by Environmental Health Officers and would have normally been included as part of the Fees and Charges Report.
- Approval of Write-Offs in preparation for year end accounts was also requested.
- The income reduction experienced at the RVP car park was due to lower footfall rather than because areas had been cordoned off for repair. That said, the coach park behind Sainsbury’s and Torrington car park was doing very well.
RESOLVED –
1. That at Quarter 3 the net expenditure on services year to date was £9,294,000, £77,000 less than forecast, be noted.
2. That by year end the Council’s anticipated net expenditure of £18,919,000 on services, which is £25,000 over budget, an improvement of £73,000 since Quarter 2, be noted.
3. That the updated charge for Offence Penalties as set out in the report be approved.
4. That the Write Offs set out in Paragraph 2.37 as detailed at Appendix J be approved.
REASON FOR DECISION:
To show the actual expenditure on services compared to the revised budget for the period ended 31 December 2019, and the forecast outturn position, highlighting significant variances from the revised annual budget.
Supporting documents: