Issue - meetings

This report provides an update on current in-year progress regarding the identified aims and key financial and performance indicators of the Council’s Resources department, and seeks approval for certain adjustments to the Resources capital programme.

Advice of the Advisory Panel

That the Executive Member be advised to:

(i)                 Note the current financial situation.

(ii)               Note the performance and achievements set out in the report, and the comments made by Members thereon.

(iii)             Approve the slippage of £12,239k on the capital programme, as set out in paragraph 83 and Annex 4, subject to the approval of the Executive.

Decision of the Executive Member

RESOLVED: That the advice of the Advisory Panel be accepted and endorsed.

REASON:      In accordance with the Council’s budgetary and performance monitoring procedures.

Members considered a report which provided an update on current in-year progress on the identified aims and key financial and performance indicators for the Resources department, and sought approval for certain adjustments to the Resources capital programme.  Officers indicated that, subject to Members’ views, it was intended to make future monitoring reports shorter and more focused.

The report summarised the financial position of the department by service plan area.  A net underspend of £113k was forecast, compared to a budget of £6,483k.  This was due mainly to savings identified within the Information Technology and Telecommunications (ITT) area, resulting from efficiency improvements and the cancellation of funded projects.  A forecast overspend of £188k in Property Services was a concern, but similar projections in previous years had been resolved by the year’s end.  With regard to performance, achievements highlighted included a continuing improvement in the processing times for benefits claims and in call handling statistics

Details of the 2008/09 capital programme were set out in Annex 4 to the report.  An underspend of £12,239k was projected against the approved capital programme of £18,773k, due mainly to the delay on the Hungate project caused by withdrawal of the planning application.  Member approval was sought for slippage of this sum.

During their discussions, Members welcomed what was a generally positive report, particularly with regard to developments in the York Call Centre.  They queried and commented on a number of points of detail in the report and the Service Plan at Annex 1, highlighting in particular:

• The recent departmental re-structures and staff changes that had led to difficulties with some projects and problems in collating information;
• The need for the re-structured Revenues and Benefits team to continue promoting new benefits to customers;
• Concerns regarding the continuing vacancies in Property Services and the cost of hiring consultants and agency staff to cover these;
• Concerns about the declining performance in relation to payment of invoices (BVPI 8) (Officers confirmed that the introduction of a ‘paperless’ FMS system next April was expected to correct this);
• Whether the closure of accounts within statutory timescales should be included in the list of Financial Services’ achievements;

Advice of the Advisory Panel

That the Executive Member be advised to:

(i)                 Note the current financial situation.

(ii)               Note the performance and achievements set out in the report, and the comments made by Members thereon.

(iii)             Approve the slippage of £12,239k on the capital programme, as set out in paragraph 83 and Annex 4, subject to the approval of the Executive.¹

Decision of the Executive Member

RESOLVED: That the advice of the Advisory Panel be accepted and endorsed.

REASON:      In accordance with the Council’s budgetary and performance monitoring procedures.