Issue - meetings

That:

1)         the current position of the revenue budget to date be noted;

2)        the forecast of outturn and the projected level of balances in respect of the General Fund be noted:

3)        the Constitution Review Working Group be asked that future spend approval of available S106 developer contributions in relation to the Council’s My Journey travel programme be approved through Individual Executive Member Decision;

4)        an in year supplementary estimate of £630k, in relation to increased pressure for legal support and additional workload from planning appeals, be approved and additional pressures for future years of £320k in 2020/21 and £170k in 2021/22 be noted.

The Executive considered a report setting out the Revenue Budget position for Quarter 2.

The Executive Member for Finance and Housing drew Members’ attention to the pressures in Children’s Services and the cost of fighting planning appeals.  By way of justification for the amount of money that was being spent fighting planning appeals Councillor Kaiser sited the 47,000 responses that had been received from residents to the recent consultation relating to the number of homes being built in the Borough and the four related petitions signed by 10,000 residents.

In response to a query from Councillor Jorgensen it was confirmed that the one-off cost of £52k, in the Chief Executive’s department, related to a redundancy which was part of the 21 Century project.

With regard to Councillor Jorgensen’s additional query about the “£50k Retention of Counsel” shown as a special item in 2021/22 it was confirmed that the Council had not committed to paying a retainer although negotiations were taking place with a highly qualified lawyer to retain his service on a case by case basis. 

RESOLVED That:

1)         the current position of the revenue budget to date be noted;

2)        the forecast of outturn and the projected level of balances in respect of the General Fund be noted:

3)        the Constitution Review Working Group be asked that future spend approval of available S106 developer contributions in relation to the Council’s My Journey travel programme be approved through Individual Executive Member Decision;

4)        an in year supplementary estimate of £630k, in relation to increased pressure for legal support and additional workload from planning appeals, be approved and additional pressures for future years of £320k in 2020/21 and £170k in 2021/22 be noted.