Appendix 1

 

Third Quarter Financial Update 2022/23
Planning & Infrastructure – Policy Advisory Committee
9th February 2023
Lead Officer:  Mark Green
Report Author: Paul Holland

 

 

Contents 

 

 


Part A: Executive Summary & Overview                                 Page 2     

 

Part B: Revenue Budget Q3 2022/23

B1)    Revenue Budget                                                             Page 5

 

Part C: Capital Budget Q3 2022/23

C1)     Capital Budget                                                                Page 9 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

Part APart B

Executive Summary & Overview

 


This report provides members with the financial position as at 31st December 2022, covering activity for the Planning & Infrastructure Policy Advisory Committee’s (PI PAC) revenue and capital accounts for the third quarter of 2022/23.

In 2021/22, income recovered more strongly than expected from the pandemic and the Council generated a modest surplus compared with budget. For 2022/23, there is no more direct government funding to cover the costs of Covid, but the Council has been able to set a balanced budget. Additional provision of £1.3 million was made within the 2022/23 budget for the expected impact of higher inflation on the Council’s input costs.  The projected peak level of inflation has continued to increase since the budget was set and this is likely to have an impact in particular on contract and energy costs, so the requirement for this provision will be monitored carefully to assess whether it will be adequate.   If at any stage it appears that an overspend is likely, measures will need to be taken in-year to bring the budget back into balance.

The headlines for Quarter 3 are as follows:

Part B: Revenue budget – Q3 2022/23

·         Overall net expenditure at the end of Quarter 3 for the services reporting to PI PAC is -£0.102m, compared to the approved profiled budget of £0.595m, representing an underspend of £0.697m.

Part C: Capital budget – Q3 2022/23

·         This Policy Advisory Committee has no capital projects.

 


·        

 

 

 

 

 

Part B
Third Quarter Revenue Budget 2022/23
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


B2)  Revenue Budget 

B1.1  The table below provides a detailed summary on the budgeted net income position for PI PAC services at the end of Quarter 3. The financial figures are presented on an accruals basis (e.g., expenditure for goods and services received, but not yet paid for, is included). The Lead Member for Planning & Infrastructure is responsible for all the services shown below.  

PI PAC Revenue Budget & Outturn – Quarter 3

               Planning Services

               Parking Services

B1.2  The table shows that at the end of the third quarter overall net expenditure for the services reporting to PI PAC is -£0.102m, compared to the approved profiled budget of £0.595m, representing an underspend of £0.697m.

B1.3  The table indicates that in certain areas, significant variances to the budgeted income levels have emerged during the third quarter of the year. The reasons for the more significant variances are explored in section B2 below.

 

B2)  Variances

B2.1  The most significant variances for this Committee are as follows:                                  

 

 

Positive Variance

Q3

Adverse

Variance

Q3

Year End Forecast Variance

Planning & Infrastructure

£000

PLANNING SERVICES

 

 

 

Development Control Advice – Income from Pre-application discussions and Planning Performance Agreements is down against the budgeted figures.

 

-68

-91

Planning Policy – The budget is projected to be fully spent by the end of the year.

366

 

0

Salaries - This variance broadly reflects vacant posts throughout the year, after taking into account projected slippage.

236

 

199

 

Local Plan Review

 

The Local Plan Review (LPR) process is an important, high profile and continuous task

undertaken by the Planning Services team. The associated revenue spending profile however

is cyclical and does not fit the conventional 12-month financial planning process for general

revenue expenditure. Instead, spending tends to follow the five-year production period of

each Local Plan with various peaks and troughs over that time period.

 

The LPR process is therefore funded through an annual £200,000 revenue contribution, in

addition to the existing service budget, with any remaining unspent balances at year end

automatically rolled forward into the following financial year. The table below shows the

available revenue resources currently allocated to fund LPR activities, and the spend as at 31st December 2022.

 

 

 

 

 

Opening Balance 01/04/2022

Spending April - December 2022

Forecast Spending January - March 2023

Forecast Spending Balance 31/03/2023

£'s

£'s

£'s

£'s

1,461,727

546,956

950,644

-35,873

 

In addition to the annual funding a further £1m was allocated from the New Homes Bonus for 2022/23 for the LPR.

 

 

 

Positive Variance

Q3

Adverse

Variance

Q3

Year End Forecast Variance

Planning & Infrastructure

£000

PARKING SERVICES

 

 

 

Pay & Display Car Parks – Occupancy levels continue to be higher than forecast with the majority of car parks performing better than budgeted for.

118

 

140

Sandling Road Car Park – Running costs budgets are underspent and income greater than forecast.

47

 

60

Former Park & Ride Sites – Spend against the running costs budgets is lower than forecast.

34

 

50

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Part C
Third Quarter Capital Budget 2022/23
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



B1)  Capital Budget: Planning & Infrastructure PAC

·         B1.1  This Policy Advisory Committee has no capital projects.