Agenda item

This report presents draft outturn figures for revenue and capital expenditure for the Neighbourhoods portfolio and traded accounts and outturn (2006/07) performance against target figures for a number of key indicators.

Advice of the Advisory Panel

That the Advisory Panel advise the Executive Member :

i)                    To approve the 2006/07 financial and performance position of the Neighbourhoods portfolio.

ii)                  To put forward a request to the Executive to carry forward the unallocated Ward Committees budget of £27k for reallocation to Ward Committees.

Decision of the Executive Member

RESOLVED:             That the advice of the Advisory Panel as set out above be accepted and endorsed.

REASON:                  In accordance with budgetary and performance monitoring procedures.

Members considered a report which detailed the draft outturn figures for revenue and capital expenditure for the Neighbourhoods portfolio and traded accounts and the outturn for 2006/07 performance against target for a number of key indicators made up of the following:

• Best Value Performance Indicators
• Customer First Targets (letter and telephoning answering)
• Staff Management Targets (sickness absence)

The provisional revenue outturn for the Neighbourhood Services portfolio showed an expenditure of £13.4m compared to a budget of £13.9m, an under spend of £524k which represented a variation of 3.8% on the net expenditure budget. It was reported that there was also an under spend of £304k on the capital programme of which £146k related to slippage and there was a proposal to increase the trading account reserve by £100k. Financial overviews of the non-trading and traded accounts were detailed in the report.

Officers reported that details of the staff satisfaction survey had now been received and that staff satisfaction had significantly increased together with staff participation, which had doubled. Officers also reported the following amendments and updates to the report:

• Key Performance Headlines (para 9) (BVP199a) should read 19.2% of relevant land and highways were not free from litter and other ‘detritus’.
• Street Environment (para 14) first bullet point should read “It is proposed to carry forward £25k relating to committed ward projects.”
• Capital Programme (para 28)
  • Ward Committees should read “Current Budget £307k/Outturn £175k.
  • Para 29 should read “overall spend at the end of 2006/07 was £375k, an under spend of £304k”
• Ward Committees (para 30) should read
  • “ The ward committee has under spent by £132k”
  • “The remaining £102.5k relates to slippage..”.

Members questioned the following aspects of the report

• Under spend of £22k on the Target Hardening budget as a result of slippage.
• Breakdown of residents by Ward in relation to the key performance headlines.
• Concern that Ward Committee budgets were under spent and the remaining monies being uncommitted.  
• Funding of Police Community Support Officers.
• The increase this year in the amount of total waste produced against the increase in recycling.
• Details of the Safer York Partnership schemes.
• Low number of Staff Appraisals undertaken in the last 12 months.
• £70k of CYC funding released against the final cost of Hazel Court possible use for the enhancement of Beckfield Lane waste site.
• Disappointment at the overall sickness absence level in the Directorate.
• Reduction in the numbers attending Ward Committees.

Officers confirmed that details of the 11 target hardening schemes would be emailed to Members. They also confirmed that a major waste review was being undertaken and that a list of priorities would be put forward. Officers stated that individual schemes could not be examined in isolation but that the problem raised with the emptying of skips at the Beckfield Lane site would be pursued.

The Executive Member expressed his thanks to all staff in the Directorate for the way they had dealt with the changes and for meeting customer’s expectations.

Advice of the Advisory Panel

That the Advisory Panel advise the Executive Member:

i)                    To approve the 2006/07 financial and performance position of the Neighbourhoods portfolio.

ii)                  To put forward a request to the Executive to carry forward the unallocated Ward Committees budget of £27k for reallocation to Ward Committees.

Decision of the Executive Member

RESOLVED:             That the advice of the Advisory Panel as set out above be accepted and endorsed.

REASON:                  In accordance with budgetary and performance monitoring procedures.