Agenda item

(Report of the Leader of the Council)

The Report of the Leader of the Council which provided the Committee with a performance update and financial healthcheck was received. 

The Chair welcomed the Leader of the Council, Councillor D Cook, and the Executive Director Finance and the Knowledge Performance and Insight Co-ordinator to the meeting.

The Leader of the Council introduced the report and reported that in light of the projected impact of Covid-19 on the Council’s Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS), an immediate suspension of all non-essential spending had been approved by Cabinet on 9th July 2020 and that managers were to review their budgets and identify all non-essential spending for 2020/21 as part of the quarter one projections at 30 June 2020.

The Leader reported that the budget review had identified savings of £1.2m towards the projected lost income anticipated from the impact of Covid-19 of £1.8m.  Cabinet would be asked to approve that the budget be revised to reflect the forecast overspend at Quarter 1 of £134k, to be financed from a contribution from the transformation reserve.

Councillor Bilcliff joined the meeting at 6.24pm.

The Committee sought clarification in the following areas:

1.     Noting that non-essential spending of £1.2million had been identified, the committee sought clarification on whether the organisation still retained the capacity to deliver all services and corporate projects in light of the ongoing pandemic and on how staff were being supported to deliver within the existing staffing structure.  The Chief Executive reported that the reorganisation two years ago had brought the organisation down to a level which could deliver the aspirations of the corporate plan, but not beyond that.

2.     The committee sought clarification on whether some of the corporate projects which showed as green and therefore on track remained capable of delivery on time or whether some review would be necessary to ensure the appropriate prioritisation of projects was established.    In terms of the town centre programme, the background work remained on track, however, it was reported that further assessment would be required of the delivery mode and what would be delivered as the project progressed and as the impacts of the pandemic were more fully understood.  However, whilst noting the constraints the council faced, it would be important to ensure that the projects were ready where possible to support regeneration and to ensure that where external sources of funding were available to assist in this that the projects were capable of capitalising on such funding.

3.     The committee sought clarification on the welfare reform project which, as a corporate project, showed as on track, whilst the welfare and benefit reform was scored as red on the risk register.  It was reported that these two indicators were completely separate.

4.     The Committee sought clarification over the pay award process, and the  budgeting for this and whether or not recent announcements from the government on bringing pay in line with the private sector could impact.  It was confirmed that Tamworth followed the national bargaining process and that the budgeting for this year’s pay increase had been accurately forecast by the finance team.

5.     The Committee discussed the implementation of the CCTV and it was noted that this remained a work plan item on the Infrastructure Safety & Growth Scrutiny committee which was anticipated to be reviewed in due course.

6.     The Committee sought clarification on the Homelessness Strategy which was due to be considered by Cabinet in November 2020.  It was reported that an item on Homelessness had been added to the Health & Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee’s agenda for an upcoming meeting.

RESOLVED that the Quarter One 2020/21 Performance Report be endorsed.

(Moved by Councillor Dr S Peaple and seconded by Councillor S Goodall)