Agenda item

To receive the report.

Christian Evans - Head of Business Partnering attended with Kerry Happel – Finance Service Manager for Communities Climate and Place and Alana Paula from Corporate Finance to update the committee on the current budget situation up to and including the end of June 2024. It is an opportunity for Members to feed back to Executive if there are comments/observations they wish to feed back to Executive and if there are any further actions Members would wish to be included.  

Christian Evans highlighted the following points: 

·         Budget position is masked by corporate contingency which is a £6 million underspend.  

·         Finance are looking at how we report the corporate contingency because there are large overspends in children families and climate and place.  

·         Housing Options service has seen an increase in those approaching the service where we have a duty to provide relief or accommodation.  Expensive Bed and Breakfast accommodation has continued to increase.  

·         Thrive 16+ contract has been inherited although the money associated with this transfer has yet to be received.

·         Environmental health overspend related to increase in public health funerals

Chris Hall confirmed this was a forecast/an early indication and that there is still time for the financial situation to be improved before the end of the financial year and work was being done to reduce the overspend.   There is some expenditure for which we don’t have control over – e.g coroners service which we have to provide. 

Comments/questions from members included : 

·         Would the addition of HRA bring in additional spend?

·         Are we reducing services levels to maintain the budget in customer services?

·         Definition of Resources was requested and provided by Sarah Dowden – Service Director for Regulatory and Operation Services.  It includes wardens for Breen to Burnham beaches but only a small team.

·         Sarah Dowdon confirmed the Open spaces overspend related to an ID Verde contract which is going to end in May 2025 the brought inhouse.

·         An updated from the open spaces team was requested for a future meeting work programme

·         Cllr Liz Leyshon reminded Members reminded members about he current budget situation and confirmed that  Maria Christofias interim Section 151 officer will be doing a revision on our MTFP strategy due to be published in the next few weeks which will be coming for consideration by all Scrutiny Committees and Executive.  

·         Sarah Dowden was asked to give members further information regarding the spend on the Coroner services to help the members understand the costs in this area.  She confirmed that this role is independent but the Coroner works for us and we pay their salary and support them to perform their public duty.  The increase in pathology fees has resulted in the need for conversations with the NHS to see if they can part fund the role.

Questions from Members regarding the pressures on temporary accommodation.

Christian Evans confirmed that significant effort is being put into consolidating legacy budgets, supporting managers through the restructuring process, and working on the Medium-Term Financial Plan (MTFP) and budget monitoring. Many budgets will be reallocated between departments. He also noted increasing pressure on temporary accommodation, despite some government funding to address rising homelessness.