Agenda item

Budget monitoring report is a key tool in scrutinising the Council’s financial performance. It is designed to provide an overview to all relevant stakeholders. It is essential that the council monitors its budgets throughout the year to ensure that it is meeting its strategic objectives and that corrective action is taken where necessary.

 

This report seeks approval to a change in the Council’s 2021 - 2024 medium-term revenue financial plan. The report shows the Council’s overall consolidated medium term financial plan for both revenue and capital.

The Shared Director of Finance presented the budget monitoring report to the Committee advising of some changes to the Leisure area as detailed in the revenue summary which were around realigning the budgets.  Other key changes were in terms of the Government Income Relief Scheme where more guidance had now been received around the income relief scheme and that we may only be able to claim for the first quarter of SLM management fee waiver although we had put in an application for the whole amount to see whether this would be paid.  A more prudent assumption was that we would only get relief in relation to the first quarter.

 

Members raised the following points:

 

Some Members had held a briefing before the meeting raising some points on the budget but had not been provided with any responses to their enquiries.  The Shared Director of Finance would look into this after the meeting.

 

Made reference to the budget changes in Leisure, particularly regarding playing fields and open spaces and the increase in £15k in the budget due to on-going repairs and maintenance in play areas and £5k to replace play equipment – could details be provided on which play areas this related to.

 

Could information be provided on what determines whether TRDC or a Parish/Community Council pay for maintenance and repairs in play areas?

 

On Paragraph 5.2 with regard to debtors it would be useful if comparative data could be provided to check against. 

 

With regard to not getting the full Government grant for SLM had we good provision to fund this?  The Member was aware they were paying the amount back over 20 years.  How would this work.

 

On staff vacancies there were quite a few but a lot of them stated in the appendices that they are not currently advertised. 

 

On Three Rivers House transformation it stated there were no set plans this year but work had clearly been undertaken, particularly in the reception area, so did not understand how there are no set plans but work had already been done.  Could officers confirm how much the costs incurred so far were? 

 

On CCTV the budget had increased from £6k to £12k.  On the basis it was a demand led service the Member assumed more CCTV cameras had been brought but where were they brought for? 

 

On outdoor fitness zones where were these and were TRDC covering the total cost.

 

Did we waive the first quarter’s fee for SLM, how much are they behind and how much effectively do they owe the Council?  Are we proposing to raise the management fee to recoup the money if the Government don’t pay?

 

Car parking bays there was an £110k underspend which had been re-phased into the work programme for next year.  Where there is a need in South Oxhey for parking bays why had there been an underspend? 

 

On the Apprenticeships there were 3 vacancies and the Member wondered if we were going to colleges and higher education places to advertise the roles as we had received Government grants for this.

 

Asked for clarification on the pay award as detailed in Paragraph 3.1 and what is being asked for and what happens if we don’t achieve what is being asked for.

 

SLM contract - are SLM in charge of the building or the actual provision of the leisure facility or all that plus the ground that it is on as the extreme weather was impacting on the Golf course.  Whose responsibility is it?

 

As CCTV was demand led – can it demanded and can we get it – it seemed this subject was across two Committees and wondered if it could be just at one.

 

On the TRDC footpaths, alleyways and the planned works budget this included the two rainbow crossings but when we voted for them we were told they would cost £1k each.

 

Croxley Green Skate Park – no income expected as post is vacant how do we get an income on a skate park? 

 

Sharing ASB casework management systems so will not need to put someone in post that is new – can this be explained.

 

Play equipment damages and cost of repairs how was this covered – is it included in our Insurance or are they not insured.

 

Member quoted from an email that the insurance does not cover play areas or outdoor gyms was this correct?

 

Responses to the Member questions were provided as follows:

 

The remedial work was around Pavilions and where we had to replace some play equipment at the Barton Way play area.  The Lead Member advised that if some damage was done we had to make the play equipment safe.

 

The Director of Community and Environmental Services said in terms of who pays for repairs it would depend on how the project was funded in the first place.  If TRDC paid for the equipment then we take on the repairs and maintenance but if it was a project through one of the Parish Councils/Community Council then they would fund the repairs and maintenance.  If it was a mixture of both then both parties would fund the repairs and maintenance depending on how much funding they put forward for the project.  Any specific details on each project can be provided to Members.

 

On Debtors comparative data the Shared Director of Finance would provide this for the next budget report.  In terms of the debtors the details provided in Section 5 showed we were slightly below our target. We had set ourselves a target of 98% and we were 0.5% below our target but would include the targets in the future.

 

To provide Members with a better understanding of the variances to the Leisure budget – written response to be provided.

 

The Director of Community and Environmental Services pointed out at that if you take items 1, 4, 7 and 8 of the leisure and landscape variances they all balance out.

 

On SLM the Shared Director of Finance advised it would require a call on reserves, as it was uncertain on the recovery of that money, although it would depend on timescales.  We would have a saving on management fees in future years and would take income that way.

 

The Shared Director of Finance said some of vacancies will be where services are looking at how they provide the service.  In Finance it had been very difficult to recruit due to the current market place.  There were 4 vacancies in finance at present but there were 3 interims working for us on a long term basis which allows us to look at how we want to structure the team before we go out to recruit.  The Director of Community and Environmental Services said there were a number of vacancies but made reference to having to advertise 3 or 4 times for some posts which costs the Council a significant amount of money in recruitment.   It was difficult at this time to recruit due to the jobs market but the Council were exploring all opportunities.

 

On the Three Rivers House transformation the Shared Director of Finance said work which had been done was at very minimal cost as we had used staff working in the building and had less tasks to do as the building was closed.  The costs had been for flooring or furniture. The rest of the budget was being retained for when we get a tenant or attract a tenant to the ground floor offices so we can undertake the work at that point.  Details on the costs incurred so far would be provided to Members.

 

On the CCTV the increased cost had been covered by additional COVID funding and not from Council funds. 

 

On the outdoor fitness zones the Lead Member advised that the equipment had needed replacing in our parks and was covered at the Leisure Committee and was in the budget last year.  The locations were Leavesden Country Park, Barton Way and in Rickmansworth Aquadrome near to the café area.

 

The Shared Director of Finance said Members would recall that an urgent decision was taken with all the Group Leaders as a result of Covid to waive the management fee for this year and to provide additional cost support of £790,000. The management fee is covered by the Government income guarantee for the first quarter but the Council are claiming for the whole year although we are not sure if we will receive that and may just receive the first quarter.

 

On car parking bays unfortunately the curb stones are very different to obtain due to Covid and in order to introduce the bays you have to change the curbs to make the space useable. 

 

The Lead Member advised that work had bene done at the Golf Club and Ward Cllrs had been notified – the Lead Member agreed to forward the email to be forward to Ward Cllrs

 

With regard to apprenticeships it was advised on 2 occasions officers had organised interviews at the job centre but nobody had turned up for the interviews.

 

On the pay award, 1.75% was the current offer.  If it was to go above 2% that would impact on the reserves but the Council were waiting to see the outcome of the ballots.  We do know the public sector pay freeze had been abandoned but understand there will be some Government funding but will see this when we get the settlement details in December.

 

The footpaths and alleyways budget was not just for the rainbow crossings they were included in the budget and this was a much wider programme.  The Shared Director of Finance agreed to provide a fuller breakdown of the costs for the rainbow crossings to Members.

 

Written answer to be provided on income from the skate park by the Shared Director of Finance

 

The sharing of the ASB system provided the Council with the opportunity to share costs

 

We have blanket insurance to cover all of our equipment in our play areas.  Would the insurance cover if there were any repairs required this would depend on whether it was wear and tear or vandalism.  Details on the Council’s insurance on play areas to be provided to BCC.

 

The motion on being put to the Committee was declared CARRIED by the Vice Chair the voting being 8 For, 1 Against and 4 Abstentions

 

RECOMMEND:

 

That the revenue and capital budget variations as shown in the table at paragraph 6.1 be approved and incorporated into the three-year medium-term financial plan