Issue - meetings

Financial Health Monitoring 2019/20 update report

Meeting: 25/11/2019 - Executive Board (Item 111)

111 Financial Health Monitoring 2019/20 - Month 6 pdf icon PDF 784 KB

To consider the report of the Chief Officer (Financial Services) which sets out the Council’s projected financial health position for the 2019/20 financial year as at Month 6.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Chief Officer, Financial Services submitted a report which set out the Council’s projected financial health position for the 2019/20, as at Month 6 of the financial year.

 

Responding to a Member’s enquiry regarding the compensation to be paid by Veolia to the Council for not meeting contracted recycling targets, it was noted that this projected sum had been incorporated into the Council’s budget assumptions. Also, it was highlighted that discussions were ongoing with Veolia regarding the level of compensation to be received and with DEFRA (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) regarding how such compensation could be invested to assist with the future achievement of recycling and waste management targets, with it being undertaken that when an agreement had been reached with DEFRA, the matter would be reported to Members of Executive Board. 

 

Regarding the Children and Families directorate, a Member highlighted the current position in terms of External Residential (ER) placements and enquired whether it would assist the position if the Council further invested in its own accommodation provision. In response, it was highlighted that investment had taken place in children’s homes in Leeds through an extensive refurbishment programme which had meant the temporary closure of some homes whilst works took place. It was noted however that newly refurbished homes were beginning to come back on stream and it was hoped that this would further reduce the need for ER placements. As such, it was believed that extra capacity in this area was not currently needed, a position that would continue to be reviewed as appropriate.

 

Also, responding to an enquiry regarding the loss of fee income from Children’s Centres, it was highlighted that there was a plan in place to address this, which included a rebranding and marketing exercise for the centres, a review of the infrastructure with the aim of making the buildings more appealing as venues and work which was being undertaken to ensure that the correct balance of staffing was achieved at each centre.

 

RESOLVED –

(a)  That the projected financial position of the Authority as at Month 6 (September 2019) of the financial year, be noted;

 

(b)  That with regard to the risk that the budgeted level of capital receipts may not be receivable in 2019/20, the progress made to date on such matters, together with the fact that work is ongoing to identify budget savings proposals that will contribute towards the delivery of a balanced budget position in 2019/20, be noted.