Agenda item

The following recommendations to Full Council were made by Cabinet at the meeting held on 8^th July:

Please note that the Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting took place after the Full Council agenda was published. The Chairman will provide a verbal update at the meeting of any recommendations made in relation to any of the items listed below.

1.     Cabinet Agenda Item 10: Outturn Report 2023 – 2024

RESOLVED to recommend the following to Full Council:

a)  The provisional outturn position for the General Fund revenue account for 2023/24 (as shown in Appendix A);

b)  The transfers to and from reserves as detailed within the report (and Appendix C) along with the corresponding updates to the 2024/25 budget;

c) The deficit of £0.937m relating to service overspends be funded from the General Reserve (£0.737m) and the Treasury Management Reserve (£0.200m);

d) The balance on the General Reserve of £2.148m

e)  The surplus of £2.1m relating to retained business rates be transferred to the Business Rates Reserve;

f) The financing of the 2023/24 capital programme as detailed within the report and at Appendix D.

g) The updated capital programme for 2024/25 to 2026/27 and scheme financing as outlined within the report and detailed at Appendix E;

h) The roll-forward requests as shown in paragraph 5.5.

i)               Approval of additional funding to cover capital project overspends of £0.429k as detailed in paragraph 6.7.

2.     Cabinet Agenda Item 11: Treasury Outturn Report 2023 – 2024

RESOLVED to recommend the Treasury Outturn Position to Full Council, (subject to amendment following clarification of figures in Table 1 and Table 2 in Appendix A)

3.     Cabinet Agenda Item 12: Debt Recovery 2023 – 2024

RESOLVED to recommend to Full Council that it

1. approves the annual report which details the Council’s write-offs, in accordance with the Council’s Debt Write-Off Policy and performance in relation to revenues collection.

2. approves the suggested change to the delegated authority as shown in appendix 2 for write offs (increase team leaders’ authorisation levels from £4k to £5k which is line with other authorisations).

4.     Cabinet Agenda Item 13: Housing Benefit Debt Recovery Report – 1^st April 2023 to 31^st March 2024

RESOLVED to recommend that Full Council approves the annual report detailing Housing Benefit Overpayment debt recovery in accordance with the Council’s Debt Recovery Policy, Write-off Policy and Housing Benefit Overpayment Recovery Policy.

The Chairman asked members if they wished to take the recommendations en bloc or consider them separately. Cllr Adams said that he was supportive of the recommendations being taken en bloc. Cllr L Shires, Portfolio Holder for Finance, agreed and said she welcomed any comments from members.

Cllr C Cushing referred to page 82 of the report, it stated that the income for Serco performance failures was £572k. He asked Cllr Shires if this figure surprised her and said he hoped she would confirm that it was not being relied on to balance the budget going forward. He also asked about the Innovation Fund and what this would be used for. Cllr Ringer, Portfolio Holder for Environment & Waste, replied that the fund was there to hold income generated by performance failures relating to the waste contract and the money was ring-fenced for spending on innovations to improve the delivery of the contract.  He gave the example of introducing measures to improve carbon reduction or cleaning services.

Cllr Cushing asked if the income raised due to performance failures on the waste contract was likely to be lower in this financial year. Cllr Ringer replied that it was too early to say but he was hopeful that it would be lower, however it did depend on performance across the three councils involved in the shared contract.

It was proposed by Cllr T Adams, seconded by Cllr L Shires and

RESOLVED

1. Cabinet Agenda Item 10: Outturn Report 2023 – 2024

RESOLVED to recommend the following to Full Council:

a)  The provisional outturn position for the General Fund revenue account for 2023/24 (as shown in Appendix A);

b)  The transfers to and from reserves as detailed within the report (and Appendix C) along with the corresponding updates to the 2024/25 budget;

c) The deficit of £0.937m relating to service overspends be funded from the General Reserve (£0.737m) and the Treasury Management Reserve (£0.200m);

d) The balance on the General Reserve of £2.148m

e)  The surplus of £2.1m relating to retained business rates be transferred to the Business Rates Reserve;

f) The financing of the 2023/24 capital programme as detailed within the report and at Appendix D.

g) The updated capital programme for 2024/25 to 2026/27 and scheme financing as outlined within the report and detailed at Appendix E;

h) The roll-forward requests as shown in paragraph 5.5.

i)               Approval of additional funding to cover capital project overspends of £0.429k as detailed in paragraph 6.7.

2. Cabinet Agenda Item 11: Treasury Outturn Report 2023 – 2024

RESOLVED to recommend the Treasury Outturn Position to Full Council, (subject to amendment following clarification of figures in Table 1 and Table 2 in Appendix A)

3. Cabinet Agenda Item 12: Debt Recovery 2023 – 2024

RESOLVED to recommend to Full Council that it

1. approves the annual report which details the Council’s write-offs, in accordance with the Council’s Debt Write-Off Policy and performance in relation to revenues collection.

2. approves the suggested change to the delegated authority as shown in appendix 2 for write offs (increase team leaders’ authorisation levels from £4k to £5k which is line with other authorisations).

4. Cabinet Agenda Item 13: Housing Benefit Debt Recovery Report – 1^st April 2023 to 31^st March 2024

RESOLVED to recommend that Full Council approves the annual report detailing Housing Benefit Overpayment debt recovery in accordance with the Council’s Debt Recovery Policy, Write-off Policy and Housing Benefit Overpayment Recovery Policy.