Agenda and minutes

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Contact: Ian Ford  01255 686584.

Items
No. Item

40.

Apologies for Absence and Substitutions

The Committee is asked to note any apologies for absence and substitutions received from Members.

 

Minutes:

Apologies for absence were submitted on behalf of Councillor Allen, with Councillor Placey substituting.

41.

Declarations of Interest

Councillors are invited to declare any Disclosable Pecuniary Interests or Personal Interest, and the nature of it, in relation to any item on the agenda.

 

Minutes:

There were none at this time though later on in the meeting, as recorded below, Councillors Bray, Barry, Scott, Morrison, Turner and Codling each declared an interest in respect of the Local Council Tax Support Scheme Grant to Parish Councils in the Updated Financial Forecast for 2020/21 in that they were all current serving Members of Parish Councils..

42.

Questions on Notice pursuant to Council Procedure Rule 38

Subject to providing two working days' notice, a Member of the Committee may ask the Chairman of the Committee a question on any matter in relation to which the Council has powers or duties which affect the Tendring District and which falls within the terms of reference of the Committee.

Minutes:

There were none on this occasion.

43.

Updated Financial Forecast / Budget 2020/21 pdf icon PDF 267 KB

To provide the Committee with the opportunity to comment on the updated financial forecast and proposed position for 2020/21.

 

The relevant report considered by the Cabinet at its meeting held on 20 December 2019 is attached to this Agenda.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee undertook its scrutiny of the Council’s Revenue Budget Proposals, Capital Programme, Reserves and provisions and Fees and Charges based on the budget approved for 2019/20 and the in-year adjustments to that budget as approved by Cabinet.

 

The Chief Executive (Ian Davidson) attended the meeting and informed the Committee that the scrutiny of the budgets was an important part of the cycle and that the Committee would now be looking at the Housing Revenue Accounts Budget as well as the General Fund.  He explained that there would still be some revenue support coming this year from the Government. The Chairman thanked the Chief Executive for his attendance and Mr Davidson then left the meeting.

 

In addition to the general role of the Committee in scrutinising the budget proposals as set out above, the Cabinet had requested this Committee’s comments on the updated Financial Forecast/Budget 2020/21 which the Cabinet approved on 20 December 2019.  The Committee were aware that an updated financial forecast for 2020/21 had been prepared which reflected changes since Members had last considered this forecast in November 2019.

 

The Head of Finance, Revenues & Benefits Services (Richard Barrett), outlined the changes in the financial forecast since it had last been considered plus the possible implications for the future and answered Members questions.

 

Mr Barrett then drew to the Committee’s attention the Updated Cost Pressure Summary for 2020/21 and responded to Members’ questions thereon.

 

Councillors Bray, Barry, Scott, Morrison, Turner and Codling each declared an interest in respect of the Local Council Tax Support Scheme Grant to Parish Council’s in the Updated Financial Forecast for 2020/21 in that they were all current serving Members of Parish Councils.

 

The Committee then decided what questions it wished to pose to Portfolio Holders in respect of the budget and underlining drivers and service levels that were used as determinants for budgeted sums to pay for those services.  The Portfolio Holders would then be provided with the questions and invited to attend on 8 January  when the Committee would reconvene after its programmed adjournment at the end of 6 January.

 

The Committee also considered comments and/or recommendations it might wish to submit to Cabinet in relation to the updated Financial Forecast/Budget 2020/21 (in response to the request from Cabinet).

 

The Committee then adjourned for lunch (1.00 p.m. – 1.30 p.m.).

44.

Housing Revenue Account Budget Proposals 2020/21 pdf icon PDF 201 KB

To provide the Committee with the opportunity to comment on the:-

 

(a)       HRA Budget for 2020/21 including the movement in HRA balances;

(b)       Level of Fees and Charges for 2020/21; and

(c)       HRA Capital Programme

 

The relevant report considered by the Cabinet at its meeting held on 20 December 2019 is attached to this Agenda.

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Committee’s undertook its scrutiny of the Council’s Housing Revenue Account Budget Proposals 2020/21.  As one part of this scrutiny, the Committee noted that Cabinet on 20 December 2019 had requested this Committee’s comments on the Proposals.

 

The Head of Finance, Revenues & Benefits Services (Richard Barrett), explained what the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) budget was and how this worked.  He then outlined the changes in the HRA Budget since it had last been considered plus possible implications for the future.

 

Mr Barrett then responded to Members’ questions. 

 

Following a discussion of the day’s events the Chairman adjourned the meeting until 9.30 a.m. on Wednesday 8 January 2020 at which time the Committee would ask questions of certain members of the Cabinet with regards to service delivery matters related to items in the Budget/Financial Forecast that were relevant to their respective portfolios. The Committee would then formally decide what comments and/or recommendations it wished to submit to Cabinet in relation to the updated Financial Forecast/Budget 2020/21 and the Housing Revenue Account Budget 2020/21.