Issue - meetings

The report of the Executive Manager – Finance and Corporate Services is attached.

The Financial Services Manager presented the report of the Executive Manager – Finance and Corporate Services, which detailed the Council’s position in terms of financial and performance monitoring as of 30 June 2019. The Financial Services Manager noted that there was an overall variation of £285,000, which was mainly due to additional planning income. It was also stated that the original capital programme of £16.506 million had been supplemented by net brought forward and in-year adjustments of £13.118 million, which gave a revised total of £29.624 million. The Group were informed that the net efficiency position of £15.326 million was primarily due to significant sums of the Fairham development and the redevelopment of the depot.

The Service Manager – Finance and Corporate Services explained that in order for the Corporate Overview Group to accurately monitor performance two scorecards had been developed. The first, the Corporate Scorecard, monitored the delivery of the Corporate Strategy through the progress made on the tasks set in the Corporate Action Plan, and their associated performance measures. The second scorecard monitored the operational performance of the Council in key areas of service delivery which had been identified by looking at the priorities of Rushcliffe residents. The Service Manager noted that 21 indicators had been performing in line with previous performance and were meeting current targets and that seven indicators had been highlighted as exceptions.

Following questions from the Corporate Overview Group, the Service Manager explained that many of these performance indicators had been in place for over 20 years at the Council and were reviewed on an annual basis. Based on the performance indicators, it was suggested by the Group that the planning application process should be scrutinised (as previously stated) and that funds spent on improving community facilities should be pushed back as much as possible until they were scrutinised by the Communities Scrutiny Group and the marketing outcome of Lutterell Hall was finalised. The Executive Manager – Finance and Corporate Services advised this was the case and it was normally health and safety related and other such urgent items where expenditure is incurred.

The Chairman requested that in future updates, the explanations with regard to performance indicators highlighted as exceptions be included in the scorecard displayed at the Appendix as well as in the report.

It was RESOLVED that

a)    the projected revenue position for the year with a minor -2.48% variation (£285k) in the revenue position and the capital underspend of £15.326m be noted and there are no further comments for Cabinet.