Agenda item

To receive a report from the Director of Finance setting out the projected financial position and the latest performance information for the period covering 1 April 2025 to 31 December 2025.

Resolved – That Executive

a)   Notes the finance and performance information.

b)   Notes and supports the need to undertake mitigation action identified within the report.

Reason: To ensure expenditure is kept within the approved budget.

In relation to acceptance of the funding from the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority, Executive:

i)              Accepts funding from the Authority, delegating authority to the Chief Strategy Officer to progress the below, in consultation with the Executive Member for Housing, Planning and Safer Communities or the Executive Member for Climate Change and the Environment:

a) £421k for the Carbon Negative Challenge Fund

b) £154.5k for the Mayors Renewal Fund (in addition to the £216k funds agreed at Monitor 2)

ii)             Delegates the Director of City Development in consultation with the Director of Finance, to negotiate and agree the final year 2 Trailblazers Financial receipt, Grant Funding Terms and delivery programme.

In relation to acceptance of other external funding Executive accepts the following funding, delegating authority to the Chief Strategy Officer in consultation with the Executive Member of Climate and the Environment:

a) Accepts £149k from Innovate UK to extend the Retrofit One-Stop-Shop for York (ROSSY)

b) Accepts £100k from the Heat Network Delivery Unit at the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero to undertake techno-economic feasibility for a York Heat Network.

Reason: To secure funding to progress programmes of work related to each funding stream to enable activity that will support a more prosperous, affordable, accessible and equal city.

The Director of Finance submitted a report which set out the projected financial position and the latest performance information for the period covering 1 April 2025 to 31 December 2025.

Debbie Mitchell, Director of Finance, presented the report.

The following annex was attached to the report:

-       Quarter 3 Performance Tables - City Outcomes and Council Delivery Indicators 2023-2027.

The key areas of discussion were:

·      The Director of Finance reported that adult social care remained a significant area of concern. A programme of work had been put together to support the level of improvement needed and deliver savings.

·      The Opposition Group Leader raised concern about a forecasted overspend of £7m at quarter three in relation to adult social care. Whilst it was acknowledged that adult social care was a national issue it was felt that there was a need to significantly improve the financial and general performance of the service.

·      The Executive Member for Finance, Performance, Major Projects, Human Rights, Equality and Inclusion highlighted the ever-increasing demands on services and the hard work that had been undertaken to reduce the overall overspend. That the quarter three monitor showed a reduction in overspend to £2.2m. That Councils were under more pressure to deliver more for less. It was acknowledged that there was an overspend in adult social care and this reflected the complexity and demand on the service. That improvements were delivered through early intervention and prevention, through driving initiatives that supported public health and well-being throughout communities. That the council was investing in those areas, and it will take years to see a reduction in costs as a result of that investment.

Resolved (unanimously) – That Executive

a)   Notes the finance and performance information.

b)   Notes and supports the need to undertake mitigation action identified within the report.

Reason: To ensure expenditure is kept within the approved budget.

In relation to acceptance of the funding from the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority, Executive:

i)              Accepts funding from the Authority, delegating authority to the Chief Strategy Officer to progress the below, in consultation with the Executive Member for Housing, Planning and Safer Communities or the Executive Member for Climate Change and the Environment:

a) £421k for the Carbon Negative Challenge Fund

b) £154.5k for the Mayors Renewal Fund (in addition to the £216k funds agreed at Monitor 2)

ii)             Delegates the Director of City Development in consultation with the Director of Finance, to negotiate and agree the final year 2 Trailblazers Financial receipt, Grant Funding Terms and delivery programme.

In relation to acceptance of other external funding Executive accepts the following funding, delegating authority to the Chief Strategy Officer in consultation with the Executive Member of Climate and the Environment:

a) Accepts £149k from Innovate UK to extend the Retrofit One-Stop-Shop for York (ROSSY)

b) Accepts £100k from the Heat Network Delivery Unit at the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero to undertake techno-economic feasibility for a York Heat Network.

Reason: To secure funding to progress programmes of work related to each funding stream to enable activity that will support a more prosperous, affordable, accessible and equal city.