Issue - meetings

Fourth Quarter Budget & Performance Monitoring

Meeting: 09/06/2020 - Strategic Planning and Infrastructure Committee (Item 148)

148 Fourth Quarter Budget & Performance Monitoring pdf icon PDF 87 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Head of Finance introduced the report, which provided the provisional outturn information for the 2019-20 financial year. The Committee was informed that the report included information up until the 31 March 2020 and as such did not reflect the impact of Covid-19. The figures had not yet been audited, so were to be treated as provisional.

 

Performance against the budget was shown in Appendix 1, with particular attention drawn to the net income shortfall of £318k. This related to Planning Services and the shortfall in Development Control income. There was a smaller shortfall shown of £24k within the parking services budget, with the 2021 budget reflecting the reduced income target.

 

The Head of Finance informed the Committee of a correction to Table 3 in Appendix 1. The correct spending figure was £209,770 whilst the remaining balance was £308,300. The budget allocation for the 2020-21 financial year was therefore £508,300.

 

The Equalities and Corporate Policy Officer noted that all three Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) had achieved the fourth quarter target. In comparison to quarter three performance, two KPIs had improved, two had been sustained and two had declined, but the overall performance was positive.

 

In line with the urgent update to the item, the Equalities and Corporate Policy Officer confirmed that the correct figures for the number of appeals for quarters one and two were 48, for quarters three and four were 45 and that the Council’s success rate of both periods respectively were 54.17% and 80%. This gave an annual figure of 67.9%. Whilst the figures had been revised, the overall trend was positive. It was noted that the Policy and Information Team would be working with the Planning Team in the future to resolve the data reporting issue.

 

The Equalities and Policy Officer noted that three of the four annual outturn targets were achieved and the fourth was within 10% of the target. It was explained that some of the data could not be collected due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

 

During the debate, several Members of the Committee expressed concerns that the budget shown would be further impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic and requested that a report be added to the Committee Work Programme; with an update on parking services to brought separately, if necessary, to ensure that this information would be delivered expediently.

 

It was also noted that a five-year budget cycle, instead of the current annual budget allocation process, could be beneficial for the Committee when moving through the Local Plan making process.

 

RESOLVED: That

 

1.  The Revenue position as at the end of Quarter 4 for 2019/20, including the actions being taken or proposed to improve the position, where significant variances have been identified, be noted;

 

2.  The Capital position at the end of Quarter 4 be noted; and

 

3.  The Performance position as at Quarter 4 for 2019/20, including the actions being taken or proposed to improve the position, where significant issues have been identified, be noted.