Agenda item

This report covers this Committees financial position over the medium term (2023 – 2027) as at Period 10 (end of January).

Recommendation:

That Members note & comment on the contents of the report.

Sally Riley, Finance Business Partner introduced the report, which covers this Committee’s financial position over the medium term 2023-2027 as at the end of Period 10, (end of January 2024).

Revenue:

There is a favourable variance of £49,000 that is made up of a reduction in the cost of salaries of £64,000, which is due to a salary realignment. This is done once a year, and it takes into consideration revised employee estimates, and vacancies and change elements throughout the year.

Other variances include the Cemeteries’; a pressure of £9,800, which is £1,800 for water rate and £8,000 for memorial stone management, due to statutory memorial testing.

Extra income is just under £76,000 for burial fees, burial right fees and memorial fees. This is a net favourable variance of just under £66,000.

Community Arts; there is an extra income of just under £6,000 from art activities.

At Watersmeet there is a pressure of £28,700 due to the increase cost of electricity.

Playing fields and Open Spaces; there is a pressure of £14,500 for gas, £11,500 pressure for electricity and £17,500 pressure for water rates. These are all due to increase in supplier cost and backdated bills.

In addition, there is a £22,000 pressure on a reduction of income due to the decrease in the use of our football pitches.

There is a £21,000 pressure at the Aquadrome that is made up of £15,000 for electricity, £6,000 for water rates. These are also due to increase in supplier cost.

Sports development and Sports projects; have an extra income of £7,500 that is due to the activities sessions.

There is a £10,000 saving on the Environmental Health contract. This is due to a contingency plan that has not been required this year.

A budget of £11,500 will be transferred from Community Partnerships to Communications, due to a service called Engagement HQ, that the Council pay for, and it was felt this budget would be more appropriate within the Communications team’s budget.

There is a total of £49,000 grant income from the Social Housing Decarbonisation fund and Countrywide Stewardship grant.

Capital:

There is a £278,000 favourable variation and everything within this will be rephased into 2024-2025:

·        Community CCTV: £6,000

·        Scotsbridge Chess Habitat: £8,190 – the budget is being rephased into 2024-2025 as the project is being led by Countryside Management Service. This is an ongoing project.

·        Replacement grounds maintenance vehicles: £264,000 – they will not be delivered by the end of this financial year.

Staff vacancies:

There was only one staff vacancy for a Trees & Landscape Officer. This is no longer a vacancy, due to a service restructure, the post has been replaced with an apprenticeship, which is currently being advertised.

Councillor Chris Lloyd moved the recommendation; that Members note and comment on the contents of the report.

On being put to the Committee the motion was declared CARRIED by the Chair the voting being 7 For, 0 Against and 3 Abstention.

RESOLVED:

That Members note and comment on the contents of the report.